On my to-do list: cut down every dang hedge tree. Including any neighbors' trees even remotely near our fence line.
Cow love hedge apples! But so do calves. Lost a steer a couple years ago; found him directly under a hedge tree and his mouth was frothy. And I didn't learn my lesson. But what are the odds?
Went out for my first-thing-in-the-morning check of the recently weaned calves (well, 10/3) and as I pulled up to that pasture, I noticed a heifer by herself. Something clearly wasn't right & initially thought she was aborting by the way she was standing (all heifers get Lutalyse at weaning). Nope. Serious bloat, frothing at the mouth, appeared to have a hard time breathing. Still amazed how easy it was to push her with the Polaris far enough I could catch her in the livestock shelter. Called the vet & said I'd be there in 30 minutes. A little tube action from the vet with me holding her head and a lot of pink, watery fluid came out, eventually followed by a hunk of hedge apple - and of course an enormous amount of gas. Looks like that one hunk 'o hedge apple was enough to partially obstruct her airway. The rest of it is still probably in her rumen but my vet gave her probiotics, said to keep an eye on her, she should be good to go. She still seems a little traumatized, but came right up to me when I went out to feed, ate some cubes and looks about 40 lbs. thinner.
All good, right? Except back to my initial statement. My vet said he had a cow in a few weeks prior with a hedge apple lodged in her throat. Couldn't get it pushed down & couldn't get it out, even trying to wedge his fingers behind the apple in her throat. Tried everything they could think of for over an hour and eventually lost her. Hello, my trusty Stihl and heavy duty gloves!
Cow love hedge apples! But so do calves. Lost a steer a couple years ago; found him directly under a hedge tree and his mouth was frothy. And I didn't learn my lesson. But what are the odds?
Went out for my first-thing-in-the-morning check of the recently weaned calves (well, 10/3) and as I pulled up to that pasture, I noticed a heifer by herself. Something clearly wasn't right & initially thought she was aborting by the way she was standing (all heifers get Lutalyse at weaning). Nope. Serious bloat, frothing at the mouth, appeared to have a hard time breathing. Still amazed how easy it was to push her with the Polaris far enough I could catch her in the livestock shelter. Called the vet & said I'd be there in 30 minutes. A little tube action from the vet with me holding her head and a lot of pink, watery fluid came out, eventually followed by a hunk of hedge apple - and of course an enormous amount of gas. Looks like that one hunk 'o hedge apple was enough to partially obstruct her airway. The rest of it is still probably in her rumen but my vet gave her probiotics, said to keep an eye on her, she should be good to go. She still seems a little traumatized, but came right up to me when I went out to feed, ate some cubes and looks about 40 lbs. thinner.
All good, right? Except back to my initial statement. My vet said he had a cow in a few weeks prior with a hedge apple lodged in her throat. Couldn't get it pushed down & couldn't get it out, even trying to wedge his fingers behind the apple in her throat. Tried everything they could think of for over an hour and eventually lost her. Hello, my trusty Stihl and heavy duty gloves!