Need some advice on a complicated situation

[j&lfarms]

I have a neighbor who lives 7 or 8 hours away, but has bought a farm behind my house. Every so often he has me check his cows, usually when they are calving.

So here's the situation:
I had been checking his cows for about 2 weeks. He had 3 cows that were all supposed to calve within two weeks of each other. 2 of them had their calf with no problems what so ever. Since those two had their calf the guy came up so he could tag and vaccinate his new calves and he figured that the third would calve while he was there. Well, she didn't. He had to go back home to go back to work and just told me to watch her and that she would calve soon. So last Sunday I went to check her and she was losing her mucus plug, teets and bag was tight, and she was dialated. I figure she would calve by the next morning. It has now been right at 7 days since she lost her plug and still no calf. She is still grazing, but I still think something is wrong. I'm worried she is either carrying a dead calf or the calf is breached or something. When I call and talk to the guy he just says not to worry about it, eventually she will have it. I would really hate for a cow to die just because some guy only cares about his tax write off.

Should I just leave her be or get her in his shute and check things out?

 

[Anonymous]

Leave her be. Could be she calved and is hiding it, or hasn't calved yet but is close. Nothing to worry about

 

[BRYANT]

If the farm is just for a tax write off then maybe he will pay you to take care of them then I would take care of them like they were mine, other wise just do the best you can and leave her be.

 

[Jogeephus]

If the cow is fine and eating I wouldn't worry about it. If he isn't worried about it then I sure wouldn't but like Hook said, she may have hid it, or she may have had a still birth.

 

[greybeard]

You can do what you want, but bottom line is, that it is his wish that you:

When I call and talk to the guy he just says not to worry about it, eventually she will have it.

So, stop worrying.

 

[CKC1586]

Hard to do. Owner sounds like a jerk. I care more about animals than people usually. :? I cannot understand why folks have animals if they aren't willing to take care of them.....

 

[j&lfarms]

The only reason I worry is because I don't think he knows what he's doing. Last time he was here he was complaining about how half of his cows didn't get bred. This time I know how. He has already put the bull with his cows, some who are not even a month post calving and some who hasnt even calved yet.

 

[Brute 23]

He is doing nothing wrong. He is just not doing it your way.

 

[dun]

He is doing nothing wrong. He is just not doing it your way.

I'll go along with that. Plus I've seen cows udders strutted tight and the mucus plug gone for a month before they calved. When they were ready they calved. But it will drive you nuts when it's happening.

 

[djinwa]

So, what is the deal? Has he hired you?

 

[B&M Farms]

Hard to do. Owner sounds like a jerk. I care more about animals than people usually. :? I cannot understand why folks have animals if they aren't willing to take care of them.....

I know it may have to do with the climate and alot of other factors but folks around here don't follow cows around all day waiting for them to calve. They either do or they don't. If they don't, they get sold. If I see one having trouble I will attend to it but I'm not spending all day waiting on one. So far I have not pulled a calf in over 10 years and only had one give birth to a calf with problems. I am willing to take care of my cows but I don't treat them like pets. They are part of the food chain. Thats it.

 

[Nite Hawk]

You are helping this guy totally out of neighborly kindness, you are not hired and they are not yours, nor your final responsiblity.
Keep "half an eye" on things for him, keep him informed what is going on, and if he totally neglects his animals and he is told about different problems, you then have to make a choice - you have either to fix the problem yourself, or complain to whoever in your area deals with neglected animals--sheriff or who ever.
Sometimes out of our concern for someone else's critter we do things for them, but if you keep it up to the extreme, this guy may possibly end up using your kindness, and let you do everything for him instead of him taking responsibilty himself for his animals.

 

[Taurus]

You can do what you want, but bottom line is, that it is his wish that you:

When I call and talk to the guy he just says not to worry about it, eventually she will have it.

So, stop worrying.

:nod: stop worrying and let the cow do her thing!