Most disgusting thing I've ever done

[Herford×Angus]

I saw a bred heifer yesterday with a little blood on her tail, so i put her in the pen so i could keep an eye on her she was calm and went straight for the feed. This morning I went to check her and she had her tail up and back arched. She looked like any other heifer when they start calving. So I went back inside for some breakfast. An hour later I checked again and she had a piece of placenta hanging almost to the ground, I thought probably the ruptured water bag. She was still walking around not making an effort to calve, so i thought give her some more time. I come back an hour later and now she's pushing so I watch her for 30 min or so, still no feet. I decided to go in. I put her in the chute put on my gloves and go in. I grabbed a leg and pulled and off comes the claw!! Now I knew the calf was probably dead. I tried again and got a bunch of hair!! So when I was finaly able to pull it, it was backward. I pulled it half way out and it got stuck, there where bones in the legs but no spine. The middle of the calf was only about 3 inches in diameter. When I was finaly able to get the whole thing out all the bones from the spine and ribs got pushed into the neck!!! PS this was my first time pulling a calf by my self. the smell will haunt me for a while :yuck:

 

[kenny thomas]

Vasoline in the nostrils helps. Takes forever to wash the smell off it seems.

 

[Herford×Angus]

Good tip seems like everything smells like it now haha. I took a pic of the calf but not sure I wanna post it don't wanna make people sell their cows haha.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Good tip seems like everything smells like it now haha. I took a pic of the calf but not sure I wanna post it don't wanna make people sell their cows haha.

please do post pics... I would like to see it.

 

[Herford×Angus]

 

[Bigfoot]

When I was just a kid, a neighbor called and wanted borrow our pullers, and my help for a while. I drove the calf pullers over on an XR 75 motorcycle. Not sure I could even do a strange feat like that now. Anyway, when I got there, we hooked on and started cranking. I thought man, this is the easiest pull ever. No, not so lucky. Both front legs were being pulled off the carcass. We both started pukeing.

 

[Herford×Angus]

Yeah while I was pulling it I was still ok, adrenalin I guess. But when I was cleaning up later I had to stop several times! I hope I never have to do that again

 

[pricefarm]

Nothing stinks as bad as pulling a dead animal out. I have never pulled a dead calf but I have pulled plenty of dead lambs. It takes days to get that smell of your hands

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Irish Spring bar soap and toothpaste, I deal with dead stinky green and blue pigs all summer long, and that will take the smell off.
I almost puked only once when a bloated pig ruptured...let your imagination play with that for a bit.

 

[Putangitangi]

...there were bones in the legs but no spine. The middle of the calf was only about 3 inches in diameter. When I was finaly able to get the whole thing out all the bones from the spine and ribs got pushed into the neck!!! ...

Was it deformed or just disintegrating?

 

[Herford×Angus]

Not really sure since I've never had this before. But it looked like the head was deformed. Plus the whole thing was about 8 feet long. she was due in about 2 weeks if the bull got her the first day. Should I still try to graft a calf on the heifer and breed her again or is it a better idea to let her recover and ship her?

 

[Putangitangi]

I'd be concerned about having got everything out. Here I'd call a vet when things got that nasty, since I'd fear uterine infection. I've never had to deal with a calf dead long enough to start falling apart. My worst ones have only had a slight whiff to them.
How much do you like her?

 

[wbvs58]

I can't really make out that photo, it looks like the hind legs to the right and then 2 forelegs to the top and middle of the image but then on the left around the head there are more leg bones exposed. I might be completely disorientated though?????

Ken

 

[cowgirl8]

I took a cow to the vet who had a dead calf in her. I know the smell too well. I had to leave the cow so I went in and signed her in, then apologized before I left. lol... From what I heard, it smelled the whole place up terribly.. I cant remember the details of how we knew it was dead...maybe PTSD I have from that smell when we went to investigate why she was having issues....lol

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Horrible experience. Thankfully, I have never had a decayed calf or one that had to be cut up. (Hopefully, I did not just jinx myself!!!)
One thing I would like to mention - a vet once told me, anytime you see blood, go in & check out what is happening. Blood is a good sign something is wrong.

 

[bird dog]

I hope you gave the cow some kind of antibiotic. I would watch her very close for a couple days.

 

[Herford×Angus]

I can't really make out that photo, it looks like the hind legs to the right and then 2 forelegs to the top and middle of the image but then on the left around the head there are more leg bones exposed. I might be completely disorientated though?????

Ken

The exposed bones by the head are actually the jaw bones, if you zoom in enough you can see teeth.
I agree Jeanne next time I see blood I won't wait until the next day to check her. In this case though it wouldn't have made a big difference. She may not have been dilated enough to pull the calf the night before.

 

[JW IN VA]

Nothing stinks as bad as pulling a dead animal out. I have never pulled a dead calf but I have pulled plenty of dead lambs. It takes days to get that smell of your hands

I have done both,unfortunately.The smell is the worst part.Sometimes a smokey fire will help.I wonder if tomato juice,Dawn and peroxide will work like it does on dogs with skunk smell?

 

[JW IN VA]

Irish Spring bar soap and toothpaste, I deal with dead stinky green and blue pigs all summer long, and that will take the smell off.
I almost puked only once when a bloated pig ruptured...let your imagination play with that for a bit.

If it is anything like a ripe dead sheep,I am sorry.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I just sold 'em all.