Heavy breather

[dun]

Again this year we have a heifer that breathes like she has a lung problem. Turns out her lungs are clear and the sound is coming from her larynx. The only time she sounds bad is when she's totally relaxed, when she gets excited she sounds normal. We've had heifers like this before and send them to the feedlot with no problems. The question is, has anyone ever kept a heifer with problems like this? If so, did they grow out of it?

thanks

dun

 

[J&T Farm]

We've got a 7yr old black angus cow that we raised that breathes real raspy sounding when she standing still and calm. Can't hear it any other time and she has done this since she was 4 months old. I have just sold the 6th calf off of her and never had any trouble out of her. She breeds back every 10 month as u can tell by her age. I can't foresee it ever being a problem.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

? You don't think she's just a "lunger" Dun?

 

[Scotty]

Yes I just bought one like that. When I looked at her befor the sale she never sounded like that. I spoke to the seller and he said he would back her up a year. Hope she grows out of it. She is a 1I2 daughter bred to calve in Nov. to GAR Integrity.


Scotty

 

[glover36]

she could have namonia or soemthing we had one that did that and we called the vet he said just give her a shot of somethign i cant remeber but she cleared right up

 

[dun]

Her lungs are clear, the noise is in her larynx. Vet spent a long time listening and checking till he was finally able to pin it down. She's been this way since birth and is a very healthy heifer, weaned at 494 @ 146 days, eats fine. It's just that raspy breathing is driving me nuts.

dun

 

[ollie']

Second hand smoke!

 

[Chuck]

If it's only when she is relaxed, could it be some kind of apnea? When she relaxes something in her airway hangs down and catches the air. This sounds silly, but I wonder if she snores loudly at nap time?

 

[Scotty]

If it's only when she is relaxed, could it be some kind of apnea? When she relaxes something in her airway hangs down and catches the air. This sounds silly, but I wonder if she snores loudly at nap time?

Not silly at all. I swear I have cows that snour. My wife thinks I am insane. :shock:


Scotty

 

[certherfbeef]

Had a red holstein growing up that had her lungs fused to her ribcage. Found it when she was hanging. Didn't effect her too much unless poor milk production and bad attitude were symptoms.

 

[Chuck]

Not silly at all. I swear I have cows that snour.

I believe you. I have heard it before. Some louder than others.

My wife thinks I am insane. :shock:

Sorry Scotty-Can't help you there. I wouldn't think of arguing with someone with inside information. :lol:

 

[danl]

My dad used to have a cow that sounded like she was dying, it sounded terrible. She always had good calves and he kept her for a long time. I bought one of her heifers about ten years ago. When she got older she sounded the same way. I kept a heifer calf from her last year and Saturday I was checking on the cows and heard this familiar (but aggravating) sound, looked for the old cow, she was nowhere around but it was her calf.
Must be hereditary, has not seemed to affect them physically at all.

Dad always asks how the hard breathing cow is doing.

Dan

 

[Beefy]

maybe she has a frog in her throat. perhaps a bullfrog...

 

[TheBullLady]

Dun, I've got a Simmental heifer with the same deal. I wanted to show her, so hauled her to A & M. They said no lung involvement, so had a good prognosis. I'd keep her if she's good.. I'm keeping mine! :cboy:

 

[Aaron]

I had a heifer calf a few years back that had that raspy breathing right from birth as well. Good looking calf in the fall, but I was concerned it was lung damage from being born in cold winter weather, so I sold her as a stocker. Scotty, I believe you about cows snoring. I have heard it to. They do all the same things in their sleep that we do, you just have to catch them doing it. Watching calves and the occasional cow having dreams or nightmares is comical....different reactions and spasms, depending on if it's a good dream or not.

 

[dun]

Dun, I've got a Simmental heifer with the same deal. I wanted to show her, so hauled her to A & M. They said no lung involvement, so had a good prognosis. I'd keep her if she's good.. I'm keeping mine! :cboy:

If it wasn;t for the breathing I'ld seriously consider keeping her, but that sound just sends me up the wall. You can hear her from a hundred yards away, frays my poor old nerves too much.

dun

 

[Beefy]

maybe she is a quarterhoarse.

 

[dun]

maybe she is a quarterhoarse.

I had thought maybe she had a foal in he throat since she's a little hoarse

dun

 

[Beefy]

you dont think you'll take a hit when you sell her? it could be worse... she could sound like styrofoam rubbing together. ewwww, i just grossed myself out.

 

[dun]

you dont think you'll take a hit when you sell her? it could be worse... she could sound like styrofoam rubbing together. ewwww, i just grossed myself out.

When she goes through the ring with the others I'm hoping she's excited enough that her breathing is normal. We may put her in the marketing program, but since we're only getting rid of 3 heifers this year it's a hard choice to make. All I know for sure is that she won;t stay here.

dun