Heartbroken, lost my bull (dead) at the feed test!

[Cormac]

Dropped off my registered angus bull calf only 2 weeks ago in perfect shape and 840#s (on grass only). This was my first bull I ever put on test. My association does hundreds per year so I was comfortable. It was exciting for me to drop him off (again my first bull ever) and even kidded the guys to take care of my baby boy. Prior to dropping him off he was growing fine at my place and looked better with each passing day. I dreamed of what he might look like 400# heavier as a yearling. Apparently he bloated. They tried but...
On paper he had it all, CED @11, low birth weight @ 1.0, weaning @ 56, yearling @ 104, milk @ 26, $B @ 56, IMF and RE should both have been about both at 50.
It really stinks, and I am really saddened, and realize there is no recourse for me. Of course, there are many signs that say not responsible, bla, bla, bla.. In anger, I think to myself what that means: not responsible or not very responsible.
It is not fun taking these hits as I am small operation 20 head.
Had to vent thanks for listening.

 

[S&S Farms]

Dropped off my registered angus bull calf only 2 weeks ago in perfect shape and 840#s (on grass only). This was my first bull I ever put on test. My association does hundreds per year so I was comfortable. It was exciting for me to drop him off (again my first bull ever) and even kidded the guys to take care of my baby boy. Prior to dropping him off he was growing fine at my place and looked better with each passing day. I dreamed of what he might look like 400# heavier as a yearling. Apparently he bloated. They tried but...
On paper he had it all, CED @11, low birth weight @ 1.0, weaning @ 56, yearling @ 104, milk @ 26, $B @ 56, IMF and RE should both have been about both at 50.
It really stinks, and I am really saddened, and realize there is no recourse for me. Of course, there are many signs that say not responsible, bla, bla, bla.. In anger, I think to myself what that means: not responsible or not very responsible.
It is not fun taking these hits as I am small operation 20 head.
Had to vent thanks for listening.

Did the test know he had not ever seen grain of any kind? When we used to go to test we already had ours started so the warm up period was that an adjustment to going to a hotter feed ration. Sorry you lost your bull not sure going to test in the heat of summer is the best time to test either.

Jeff

 

[ANAZAZI]

My compassion goes to you. Better luck next year.

 

[novatech]

Sorry for your loss. I sold a bull calf last month and delivered him to the fitter for the buyer. I told the fitter that he had been started on feed. Fitter pored the feed to him and he bloated. They saved him but I will never take another back without preconditioning again.

 

[Cormac]

I was told by others that send bulls all the time and by the college (test site) that there was no need to get him started or preconditioned. Now I question that. As far as going back, To me, it may not be worth the risk as I have grown to feel that no one will take care of my cattle like I do.

 

[MikeC]

Our Bull Test carries a mortality insurance for $25 per bull.

But then again our bull test hand feeds each bull individually throughout, so the loss to bloat is minimized.

If you were taking a bull to a feed/grain test and you had never given him grain, most of the responsiblity for his death could arguably be yours.

How long was the warm-up period?


Sorry for your loss but you have learned a valuable lesson.

 

[bigbull338]

so sorry to hear that you lost your bull at the test from bloat.that can an does happen when the calves havent been on feed.an they put them on feed that they arnt used to.an it blows them up bigtime.personally i like to grow a bull out at home.that way i know what an how much he is eating.

 

[Avalon]

That stinks and I comiserate with you.

 

[Brandonm22]

If you were taking a bull to a feed/grain test and you had never given him grain, most of the responsiblity for his death could arguably be yours.

How long was the warm-up period?


Sorry for your loss but you have learned a valuable lesson.

Better yet, he shared his experience with US so that anybody reading these boards will be warned not to make the same mistake. It is a whole lot easier to learn by reading than by gambling with your own money.

 

[Little Cow]

So sorry for your loss!

I'm not familiar with feed tests. Is this to gather some official data on weight gain? Is it possible to do this at home? Are the feed test locations accountable to the registry regarding their mortality rates? I wonder if mortality rates could be made public for cattle producers to assess the risk better?

I wouldn't blame Cormac. He asked about conditioning and they said it wasn't necessary. It's sad when you can't trust the information given to you by the 'professionals'. Sure, I would never take another chance, but he did ask...

 

[3waycross]

I was told by others that send bulls all the time and by the college (test site) that there was no need to get him started or preconditioned. Now I question that. As far as going back, To me, it may not be worth the risk as I have grown to feel that no one will take care of my cattle like I do.

So! If he asked this question straight to the test facility and was told Specifically that preconditioning wasn't necessary then WHO is to blame. There's a big difference between ignorance and stupidiy. Looks like to me Cormac might be guilty of ignorance but not stupidity. Just goes to prove the old addage there's not such thing as a stupid question just stupid answers.

BTW Tennessee Masterbaiter if it was your calf you'd be screamin like a gut shot dog and you know it. Quit being so sanctimonious you horses but.

 

[Frankie]

Dropped off my registered angus bull calf only 2 weeks ago in perfect shape and 840#s (on grass only). This was my first bull I ever put on test. My association does hundreds per year so I was comfortable. It was exciting for me to drop him off (again my first bull ever) and even kidded the guys to take care of my baby boy. Prior to dropping him off he was growing fine at my place and looked better with each passing day. I dreamed of what he might look like 400# heavier as a yearling. Apparently he bloated. They tried but...
On paper he had it all, CED @11, low birth weight @ 1.0, weaning @ 56, yearling @ 104, milk @ 26, $B @ 56, IMF and RE should both have been about both at 50.
It really stinks, and I am really saddened, and realize there is no recourse for me. Of course, there are many signs that say not responsible, bla, bla, bla.. In anger, I think to myself what that means: not responsible or not very responsible.
It is not fun taking these hits as I am small operation 20 head.
Had to vent thanks for listening.

Man, that's tough. I'm sorry to hear that. We had one die on test a few years ago. We had high hopes for him, too. But we had one die right out here in the pasture, too.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Little Cow-

If you would have read the post accurately, you would have realized that the "TEST STATION" did NOT tell Cormac that it was not necessary to precondition the bull. Yes, it is heart-breaking to lose any animal, but particularly one with EPD's as optimal as this one had. But - as several of us have said, it is a hard lesson to learn. However, I think that the test station should have prepared her (Cormac - I think Cormac is a woman! Yes - No?) for a problem given the Texas heat in summer and having had NO grain at all! That is a disaster waiting to happen!

"wouldn't blame Cormac. He asked about conditioning and they said it wasn't necessary. It's sad when you can't trust the information given to you by the 'professionals'. Sure, I would never take another chance, but he did ask...OIF/OEF veteran
Little Cow
Trail Boss"

DOC HARRIS


Posts: 216
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: Florida
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[Angus In Texas]

We used to take bulls to a test station but were always very dissapointed with the management. Our neighbor took a few and had one die from respiratory disease..... took at least 2 to 3 days to die and noone noticed that whole time. After that we never took another bull back. We just feed them at home and sell at consignment sales or off the farm if possible.

 

[Little Cow]

Doc Harris - No I don't see that i read wrong. Didn't he say that he was "told by others AND the college (test site)"? Doesn't this mean that he was told by the college where the test was conducted? Couldn't this just be a misunderstanding somewhere? I am usually a good reader. ;-)

No need for hostility, folks.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Doc Harris - No I don't see that i read wrong. Didn't he say that he was "told by others AND the college (test site)"? Doesn't this mean that he was told by the college where the test was conducted? Couldn't this just be a misunderstanding somewhere? I am usually a good reader. ;-)

No need for hostility, folks.

Little Cow-

Sorry - I was the one who didn't read it right! I missed the word "and".

Not hostile - just gettin' old!

DOC HARRIS

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Oh my goodness.... I think we're ALL confused.. I had to go back and read this a second time because I thought Doc called someone "little cow" as a derogatory remark... then I saw it was their screen name! Whew!!!!!

I'm so sorry for your loss.. truth is, in life we've all made mistakes that make us want to kick ourselves harder than anyone else could. I'm sure you're heartbroken and I feel for you.

 

[Little Cow]

No worries, Doc! I think this post is confusing everyone.

Hahaha, Wisteria! No, I'm afraid I call myself a little cow. Kinda fits now because I'm almost nine months pregnant!! :wave:

 

[pdfangus]

You also have my sympathy for the loss of what might have been a promising calf.

I have been sending bulls to central test stations for over thirty years and can testify that Murphys laws apply every day and every way to bull test stations. We have had lightening srike mortality. couple of years ago had a tree limb fall on one and break his back.

Regarding preconditioning, At our bull test we have a specific set of preconditioning requirements and disease tests that must be met before a bull can be delivered.

We have a minimum WDA of 2.5 at delivery, so breeders are encouraged to start their calves on some feed before delivery.

Our test is a silage based test and I do not have silage, but I make sure the calves are adapted to a little grain before they go and the conversion to silage roughage is usually pretty smooth.

Also a bull needs to be adapted to life with bulls. I also am a small breeder, but I always keep and send at least two so that they learn how to push. I have seen single bulls get delivered and get beat on pretty bad because they have never been with other bulls.

don't give up on testing. It is how we realize which of those promising young bulls can actually live up to the promise. Selection for performance in the real world is just as important as having good numbers. Do your best to get the bull ready for test and give him the opportunity to prove himself.

 

[Cormac]

It appears that I have to get a few things straight. First off the test station (college) (the fellow that runs it) said no need to precondition. As did others (in my association) who have tested there before. I have come to the conclusion that they are a meat factory and are really not giving the attention to the animals that I have been taught to. As far as fault, I asked everyone about pre-conditioning andwas told no need to, and I got caught. Valuable lesson yes, painful lesson yes, and in hindsight, they should never tell anyone that pre-conditioning is not required. If the outcome is the possibility of a dead animal. to me it is a neccesity.
Doc, regarding me being a female, my brother and a friend both said you are right. We had a good laugh. The reality is that I am not, I am a 6'4", 270 pound male, with a 40 waist (no belly).