NonTypicalCPA
Well-known member
This was a 20 month old steer in great condition. I switched him a little over a week ago to a pasture that had 3 weaned calves on it the past two months. I moved two of those calves back in with the herd and kept one to feed out and butcher early. My wife called me this past Thursday early afternoon and said she thought he was depressed being moved from his buddy the bull as he hadn't moved from his bed in the pasture in about 3 hours. I told her she was crazy. Later that afternoon he was up by the water tank and was hanging his head over the water and looked in rough shape - ears drooped, labored breathing, and a little unstable on his feet. His eyes looked clear and he had some grayish loose manure, but not much. I called my vet who is a neighbor and has cattle herself. By the time she got there (15 minutes) he laid down and let us work him over without any resistance. She vented him for bloat but didn't think that was the cause. Then she took his temp and it was 106, so obviously something going on. I'm not sure what she gave him, but it was a few shots. I then ran cold water over him for about 20 minutes to try and cool him off. I checked on him a few more times before bed and he had moved about 20 feet but was still laying down on his side and not showing any improvement. He was dead in the morning - laying on his belly with his legs underneath him. I passed on an autopsy. The vet thought it might be something respiratory, or possible hardware. None of my herd (7 head) has shown any similar symptoms since Friday. My land had 2 horses on it for 2 years before the cattle. Prior to that it wasn't used for any farming in recent times. I had to clear a young woods off it to make my pastures. Any thoughts???