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[MarkV33598]

Hello all. I have been sniffing around here for about two months and finally got registered. I had problems registering because I couldn't read the picture. I am in central Florida and new to cattle. I'm more farmer than cowboy. I must say I have learned quite a bit on this board in the last two months. I have also learned some expensive lessons this week. I have 10 acres and figured I'd put out some calves for green belt. The county property appraiser said 8 cows to 10 acres to qualify. Anyway I got an angus steer, angus bull calf, charolais heifer, red limousin heifer and an angus heifer. All has been going good for the last month. I had them all penned up in a corral getting them used to coming into the pen to eat and drink, hay, sweet feed, and mineral block. The problem is I cut them loose in the pasture Monday, angus steer and bull calf have died this week from bloat overnight. I check on them in the morning and they are dead. I have tried to get the local vet to come out all week and can't even get a call returned from him. I have since been watching the remaining 3 close and they are fine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as this is becoming very costly. I have since penned the other 3 back up and am only feeding coastal hay. All are appx 400-450lbs 4-6 months old except angus heifer appx 700lbs 11months old

 

[Scotty]

Shot in the dark but get a bloat block if you cant get them back in the lot. Put it were you knoe they will go. next get a new vet.


Scotty

 

[certherfbeef]

Just let them in the pasture for a few hours at a time. Slowly increase that time over a week. Then you will be fine to leave them out there.

Find a new vet.

 

[msscamp]

Find a new vet. This is just my opinion, but I would also lose the mineral block in favor of loose mineral formulated for your area and what you are raising. Your county extension guy/gal should be able to help, as well as your local feed store.

PS Please forgive my bad manners, welcome to the boards!

 

[MarkV33598]

I will have to check into the bloat block any idea who makes it. As far as vets go around here it's dogs, cats and horses and apparently the only large animal vet that does cattle is very unreliable.

 

[msscamp]

Do a google search for "anti-bloat block" and you should get quite a few hits.

 

[Brandonm2]

I have tried to get the local vet to come out all week and can't even get a call returned from him. ][/img]

If somebody I do business with does not call me back in one business day of me leaving an "urgent" message for him; that tells me that he does not value my business and I find a replacement business partner.

 

[MarkV33598]

Most large animal vets in my area only work on horses and are far above coming out to doctor up a calf. I am in the process of finding another vet but most will not travel outside of 50 miles due to the high price of fuel. The vet called me back at around 11 pm and told me they would be fine through the night to call him in the am if situation hadn't gotten any better. I called at 7 am and left a message with the answering service and then called 2 more times through out the day talking to assistants who assured me he would call me asap. $800 later and still no vet or call back. He is officially on "The List".

 

[kaneranch]

I have a list of every vet in our town in my cell phone. I would find a new vet, but if you have an immediate problem, come to the people on this board. Most are good people with alot of knowledge. The knowledge base on this board is more than any one person could ever have. In time you will find who is knowledgable and who is not. Good luck!!! Kaneranch ;-)

 

[jp]

Mark,if you have cattlman or dairys near you, check with them. there has to be something in your field making them bloat andyour property cant be the only one there that has that problem.Even your local feedstore might have an answer for you.

 

[Susie David]

First of all, I'd find out what is in your pasture that caused the bloat....next, limit the amout of time that they are exposed..the cows don't know enough to stop when they are full and their rumens haven't developed the microrganisms to digest the high quality forage....may take a couple of weeks depending on what you have in the pasture.
Check with your neighbors and see which vet they use...and get some Poloxalene and follow the directions before you turn then back into pasture.
Have a nice clean 3/4" hose on hand, ~8' long....find out how to use the hose and if you really want to get involved, a large trocar and a really sharp knife. Hope that things are under control and you don't need to preform ER treatments.
Good luck...Dave Mc

 

[milkmaid]

Sweetlix bloat block.

I keep one in all my pastures - grass or alfalfa, but esp alfalfa.

You didn't say what your pastures are or the quality of them. Are we talking sparse grass pastures or rich alfalfa/clover fields?

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I would be looking for other causes than bloat. Our roughages in Florida are just not likely to cause bloat. Especially since you were already feeding hay and sweet. I'd go out into your fields and look for lantana. Common problem in our area and especially for the younger animals who eat stuff out of curiosity. Good luck finding a vet to work on cattle. Okeechobee is about the only place left in the area that caters to cattle. Vets are getting wealthy on horses and they don't have to be locked ina head chute.

 

[MarkV33598]

My pastures are bahai with very little bermuda, also some weeds but pretty much under control. The University of Florida just built a new experimental ag facility at the dead end of my street. Appx 400 acres. I plan to go talk to them tomorrow morning and see if they have any advice or if they have a horticulturist that can come by and take a look. I also have some 50 year old planted pines and alot of ferns but I haven't seen the calfs eating any ferns and I have been keeping a close eye on them the last few days.They have been picking weeds from the fenceline as my neighbor only mows his pasture once a year but all have done this. Everyone I know that raises cattle says bloat. I do appreciate all of the replys.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

My pastures are bahai with very little bermuda, also some weeds but pretty much under control. The University of Florida just built a new experimental ag facility at the dead end of my street. Appx 400 acres. I plan to go talk to them tomorrow morning and see if they have any advice or if they have a horticulturist that can come by and take a look. I also have some 50 year old planted pines and alot of ferns but I haven't seen the calfs eating any ferns and I have been keeping a close eye on them the last few days.They have been picking weeds from the fenceline as my neighbor only mows his pasture once a year but all have done this. Everyone I know that raises cattle says bloat. I do appreciate all of the replys.

The fenceline is where I find all the lantana. Guess it doesn't take well to mowing. Never heard of a bloated cow down in our neck of the woods. Guess there's a first time for everything. I'm very curious of the outcome of your investigation. Please reply with further findings.

 

[flaboy]

I would be looking for other causes than bloat. Our roughages in Florida are just not likely to cause bloat. Especially since you were already feeding hay and sweet. I'd go out into your fields and look for lantana. Common problem in our area and especially for the younger animals who eat stuff out of curiosity. Good luck finding a vet to work on cattle. Okeechobee is about the only place left in the area that caters to cattle. Vets are getting wealthy on horses and they don't have to be locked ina head chute.

D.R.Cattle is right on the money here in my opinion. I too suspect something other than bloat. If it were a horse that would be something else. Take a look at their noses if possible now. See if there are any blisters of blistering in that area. If so, it's lantana for sure.

As far as cattle vets in Florida, forget it. I used to have one but he retired and he only did my cattle as favor because he was also a family friend. My advice is learn to do it yourself. If you don't succeed, join the club. Cattle don't need a lot of attention much unlike horses.

Look up Lantana on the web, get a picture in your mind, go walk your fence lines. Sorry about your losses.

 

[MarkV33598]

Well I got the results back from the guys at U of F. They said the only thing that they see that was poisonous was Brazilian pepper but they said they doubt it would down a cow or calf. They found 2 types. One a small bush appx 3' tall with dark purple berrys, the other as big as a tree with thousands of small red berrys. They will all be gone by the end of the week. So far the other calfs are doing fine and have had no problems since. I must say the people at the U of F Gulfcoast Reaserch and Education Center were great. They also run the Co Op Extension Service in Florida also. They also told me they have a Cattle Research Center here in Florida and if I had anymore problems or concerns do not hesitate to call. I would also like to say thank you to everyone on this board who pointed me in the right direction.

 

[flaboy]

The one with the purple berries sounds like it. Usually there is more than one plant to be found though. It could have been something else but............Anyway here is some info from Floridata.com on Lantana.

WARNING: Pets have reportedly become ill after ingesting lantana. The unripe berries are known to be very toxic and the foliage toxic to livestock. Lantana is listed as a Category I invasive exotic species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, which means that it is known to be "invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida." Lantana is also invading natural areas in Texas and is a huge problem in Hawaii.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

We had an old dog that would eat the pepper tree berries to get high. The robins come about now and start eating them and getting stoned too. Never heard of anything dying from them though. Wierd.

 

[GatorBuzz]

Here is a picture of lantana:

http://www.floridata.com/wallpaper/jpg/ ... ara800.jpg

And here is one of Brazilian Pepper:

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4H/Other_Resour ... perWeb.jpg



I have never seen either one in my pasture, luckily. I live right outside Gainesville.