lost calf

[tnrichie]

i lost a calf several months ago and never knew what was wrong with him......he never grew much he was probaly 6 to eight months old and never weighed more then 250lbs...this calf had knotty looking hair, looked like it was caked in lard..i treated it everyway i knew the vet couldnt tale me nothing,before he died the hair was falling our and looked bloody under it....any ideas in case i ever confront this again

 

[Caustic Burno]

You needed professinal help then, that calf should have been hauled to your local ag university vet dept. Just nuts to ask people to evaluate that on an internet board.

 

[SF]

No idea what it could have been. If all others okay, just chalk it up to "sh$t happens". Wouldn't lose much sleep over it. If it happens again, find better medical help. From your post, doesn't sound like your vet is much help.

 

[ollie]

Not maggots from flys?

 

[Anonymous]

i lost a calf several months ago and never knew what was wrong with him......he never grew much he was probaly 6 to eight months old and never weighed more then 250lbs...this calf had knotty looking hair, looked like it was caked in lard..i treated it everyway i knew the vet couldnt tale me nothing,before he died the hair was falling our and looked bloody under it....any ideas in case i ever confront this again

So, you did not call another vet?

You did not take him / her / it to be looked at by a vet school?

You did no autopsy?

You got no blood work?

You did not search out expert help by contacting your local ag rep?

You treated it "everyway" you knew? What does that mean? Food and water? Drugs? Kind words?

You then come here and ask US?

I figure you should perhaps be a bit more proactive, and let us know what you found. Too late now though.

I expect you will then tell me:

1.You could not find a vet within 50 miles - I would personally have expanded the search.

2. You could not haul it because you do not have a trailer

3. You figured the "special" work would have cost too much.

4. You were simply interested in seeing if one of us had a magic wand that would fix your problems.

Seems to me you are always reporting on how your animals are sick, dying or dead. Tell me, are you feeding them? "Storing" the live ones in schitzen up to their navels? Watering them with sewer water? Feeding them chicken litter?

I think it is time you looked in a mirror and asked yourself if you should be in this game.

On our place there are not as many animals here as there used to be - BSE and economics - and we do get deads now and then - but for us to lose a calf/cow and not know why - only happened once in the past 20 years.

You need to clean out, clean up and start over.

Or perhaps NOT start over after the clean out.

Bez'

 

[Texan]

I know it sure can be frustrating at times, but maybe we need to lighten up a little on some of the guys just starting out? I know I'm as guilty as anybody, but some people are just here to get help. Certainly, some things are better handled by their vet, but many of them have already tried their vet and aren't satisfied or weren't helped. We complain if they post once and go away. We complain if they post repeatedly. This is part of a post from another thread:

.....please someone help as i am trying hard to take good care of my calves and keep them healthy..also trying to learn as i go....

"Trying to learn as i go." Guess some of us have forgotten what that was like. I know I probably have. Even though I learn something every day. Granted, a lot of these guys make mistakes. I make them every day, too. The last time I lost a calf, I don't know what he died from. Was that a mistake? If not calling the vet out to post a single dead calf is a mistake, I'm sure I'll make a lot more. Good money after bad is the way I look at it. If those are mistakes, they're my mistakes with my money.

Just like me, a lot of these new guys make mistakes. Let's don't make them think that coming here for help was their biggest one.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, you're right.

Just hit me in a bad way - so tnrichie - take the first part of my post as suggestions for the future.

As for the rest chalk it up to me being in a "on the prod" mood.

Apologies.

Bez'

 

[Beefy]

I know it sure can be frustrating at times, but maybe we need to lighten up a little on some of the guys just starting out? I know I'm as guilty as anybody, but some people are just here to get help. Certainly, some things are better handled by their vet, but many of them have already tried their vet and aren't satisfied or weren't helped. We complain if they post once and go away. We complain if they post repeatedly. This is part of a post from another thread:

.....please someone help as i am trying hard to take good care of my calves and keep them healthy..also trying to learn as i go....

"Trying to learn as i go." Guess some of us have forgotten what that was like. I know I probably have. Even though I learn something every day. Granted, a lot of these guys make mistakes. I make them every day, too. The last time I lost a calf, I don't know what he died from. Was that a mistake? If not calling the vet out to post a single dead calf is a mistake, I'm sure I'll make a lot more. Good money after bad is the way I look at it. If those are mistakes, they're my mistakes with my money.

Just like me, a lot of these new guys make mistakes. Let's don't make them think that coming here for help was their biggest one.

excellent post Texan. much more eloquent than my "take a chill pill" speech. bravo.

 

[Scotty]

My father told me "when you stop trying to learn is your biggest mistake."


Scotty

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Very well put Texan.

 

[Dusty Britches]

i lost a calf several months ago and never knew what was wrong with him......he never grew much he was probaly 6 to eight months old and never weighed more then 250lbs...this calf had knotty looking hair, looked like it was caked in lard..i treated it everyway i knew the vet couldnt tale me nothing,before he died the hair was falling our and looked bloody under it....any ideas in case i ever confront this again

The vet couldn't tell you anything? Did he actually see the calf or did you try to get a diagnosis over the phone?

I sold a 6 month heifer calf last spring out of my old bull. She weighed 250 pounds. I was very disgusted with her, but she was healthy.

I recommend a book - "Complete Guide to Raising Beef Cattle". It is blue and has Herefords on the front with a forward by Baxter Black. I think it is published by Story.

You will learn more from that book than asking questions here.

 

[certherfbeef]

You will learn more from that book than asking questions here.

The answers that you get here are real world answers to real world problems.
Ask a question here and get an answer with a solution that has worked, is proven to work, along with several other suggestions for what might work.

And can you converse with the book? Can you go to the book and tell it what you have done and what the symptoms are now and ask for more advise?

If you think you can learn more from that book than you can learn from these seasoned and life long ranchers and farmers...then you just stick to your book.