Milking Shorthorn

[A.J.]

Hopefully it's just a combination of internal parasites, lack of good groceries, and calf pulling her down, but it might be a good idea to get a fecal and blood sample from her to your vet so you will have a better idea what you're dealing with. The age she's at and the fact that she is so poor and went downhill quick after calving and she seems to have a healthy appetite but can't get full with watery diarrhea would give me concerns for Johnes. I've been down that road before unfortunately, and it can be a bad deal if that stuff got out into your herd. All that being said, hopefully it's nothing like that, and you can get her turned around like your other girls and come out good on her.

 

[kenny thomas]

Keep in mind that she didn't get in that condition in a week and she isn't going to recover in a week. Feed her a normal good ration and give her time

 

[Buck Randall]

Neither hardware nor Johne's will cause fresh blood in the manure. Pregnancy checking can, but I wouldn't expect that to persist beyond a day. I'd be suspicious of coccidia. It's not usually a problem in mature cows, but mature cows aren't usually in that condition, either.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Coccidiosis had crossed my mind.. @Buck Randall

Suppose it wouldn't hurt to treat her water.
Her calf has normal poo..

 

[MurraysMutts]

Just an update..
I've cut her feed by half. She's hitting the hay pretty good now. No more bloody stool. And it's not brown water now!
Just gotta get her guts working right again I reckon. She had several diet changes what with the prior owner and the sale barn and then me.
Things are looking up a little for her.

 

[farmerjan]

Cut the grain and get her to eat the very best hay you can for a bit and like you said, get her gut working right. Then you can get her grain up to help her make the milk and maybe start to put on a little weight.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Shes finally filling her rumen. And we got a good pie going now...
I may put a real pic up later, she looks a lot better just with a full tummy!!

 

[MurraysMutts]

Shes one a them gals that looks better in the dark.....

 

[MurraysMutts]

Here she is in the daylight! She's still very thin, but coming along nicely, now that she's got some groceries and her guts are working right. She has pretty much ceased milk production. The shape she was in when I got her, that's not surprising. I don't think I'll keep this one. She's gentle enough and seems like a good mama, but I don't know what to think about her yet.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Here she is in the daylight! She's still very thin, but coming along nicely, now that she's got some groceries and her guts are working right. She has pretty much ceased milk production. The shape she was in when I got her, that's not surprising. I don't think I'll keep this one. She's gentle enough and seems like a good mama, but I don't know what to think about her yet.
View attachment 11576View attachment 11577

How do they get in that bad of condition-I don't understand how people let them get to that point before selling. If it's illness, that's one thing. Starvation is a sad excuse

 

[MurraysMutts]

I saw the pair unloaded at the barn. Made up my mind I was gonna buy em right then and there. I just couldn't NOT have another project I guess.

A lil later on I chatted with the owner on a smoke break. He said he didn't know why she was like that and she started going downhill after calving. Said he had her on "liquid feed", whatever that was. I didn't ask too many questions but should have. One thing I've ran across, is if a cow retains the placenta they can go downhill like that for no apparent reason. Especially if the cowman isn't doing his job and checking his animals occasionally. Neither here nor there, but the thought entered my mind.

He told them specifically to sell them as a pair. When they split em up, i bought the calf.
Then the bidding started on the cow and it went a little further than I really wanted to go. I actually stopped!
But I ended up putting the pair back together anyway and here we are....

I don't know what else she had to eat besides "liquid feed" but pretty sure it wasn't much.

It was definitely a bad situation for her. But I'll get her going again. Someone will love her once she's back in shape.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Progress....
Is it noticeable? May be all fur, I don't know.
She sure loves her lil steer tho.

He's a Roly Poly thing. Short n Fat! Like a dang Fireplug!
Mama is definitely perkier! Moves good. Plenty of energy. I think she will come around ok. May let ol Big Sexy have a go at her b4 long. That's not her steer in this pic

 

[bird dog]

She looks like one of those that are too small when they have their first calf and remain that way for the rest of their life.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Provided there is no serious problem I would put 400 lbs on her before I made a decision to sell.
You may have a winner.

 

[coachg]

I'm partial to Shorthorns, don't own any now cause they get docked at the sale barn so bad in our area . My dad and I had a registered herd back in the 70's and 80's . Great momma cows !

 

[MurraysMutts]

I've a few old cows I may sell b4 long. She could dang sure use 400 lbs!!
Meh.. idk what I'll do with her. There really was no plan for her herself. Other than to let her raise that steer.

 

[kenny thomas]

A couple thoughts from a trader.
I assume you wormed them and hope you used a good injectable wormer.
Second cut the long hair on her head and top of her neck. By spring it will look natural again.

 

[faster horses]

If she was on liquid feed, too much of that (molasses) will definitely upset her rumen and cause acidosis. That might have been why she was so loose. Hopefully you are over the hump with her. I like her, I'd give her a chance. She has overcome a lot in her life. She wanted to live, obviously.
If she isn't giving milk (and who would blame her?) what are you feeding her calf??

 

[MurraysMutts]

If she was on liquid feed, too much of that (molasses) will definitely upset her rumen and cause acidosis. That might have been why she was so loose. Hopefully you are over the hump with her. I like her, I'd give her a chance. She has overcome a lot in her life. She wanted to live, obviously.
If she isn't giving milk (and who would blame her?) what are you feeding her calf??

Shes got SOME milk. Not near what she should have, but it has improved with feed.
Calf eats feed and hay with everyone else. These projects get the good Bermuda hay. Pretty sure his rumen was forced to develop early!

 

[MurraysMutts]

He dang sure don't miss any meals. Always at the feed bunk with everyone else too!