Opinions - Heavy Bred (8 months) Cow barely moving after prolapsed last week.. Take her to the sale?

[johndoe4440]

I have never had this happen and just really wanting to limit her suffering and put her to her final resting place.(Dog food/slaughter cow). So Saturday I found my oldest, of the old 13-15 year cow, prolapsed. Carried her to the vet and vet sewed her back, said she is about 8 months bred. (best guess).. Its a lose lose now. I'm not trying to really get any money out of this, i just feel like at her age, and since she is barely moving now, she can walk slowly, looking painful, but after just prolapsing, i feel she is better suited to carry to the sale, and let her go for slaughter. Am i wrong for this? Will I be looked down upon being she is so close to calving? Other than dump a bunch more money into her for a c section, I am at a loss for best action.

If carry her to the sale, am i supposed to tell them, i dont want to be rejected if i do tell them and they have a issue with it. Just wondering, i am sure places are not all the same obviously.

 

[kenny thomas]

If she is sown up everyone will see it.

 

[A.J.]

Sorry to hear of your issues with her. That's a tough decision sometimes letting one you've had a long time go. It sounds like if you hold onto her much longer she will get down on you, and you'll have no choice but to put her down. If you think you can get her loaded and she can make it through the ring, you will salvage a little bit out of her. If she's slow she will bring quite a bit less than the other pound cows. You wouldn't be looked down on in my area. The pound pen here every week has quite a few cows that look like they are heavy bred. Do you know if your vet gave her any antibiotics or anything with a meat withdrawal time?

 

[wbvs58]

I would be upfront and talk to the operators of the salebarn and see what they think.

Ken

 

[SBMF 2015]

As long as she she can walk off the trailer under her own power she shouldn't be rejected. However, if she's that bad she may not stand up at the sale. Then you have the hassle of dealing with a down cow in a public place.
If she's 8 months pregnant then it was just a vaginal prolapse. I'd baby her along for a couple weeks. Give her some Bannamine and vitamins.
If you keep her going and are confident about her gestation period then about ten days before she is supposed to calve you can give her 20cc of dexamethasone. She will calve with in 36 hours of giving her dex. The dex will help the calf's lungs mature. Ten days early it should live. You'll be able to keep a closer eye on her if you know when she'll calve and she should be able to move better if she isn't carrying so much weight.

 

[tallylittle]

I'd still wish she can live, please try to follow what SBMF said, that might save her.

 

[CG1]

:roll: take her to sale? I can't even. With a title "can barely move". Now I see why I end up having to save so many almost dead calves from the sale barn.

 

[ChrisB2]

I'm guessing she was given an antibiotic? If so there is a withdrawal period to think about also.

 

[TCRanch]

Tough call. I recently had a cow that had been treated for anaplasmosis numerous times; she'd rally and improve then go downhill again. Finally decided to discontinue treating her, let nature take its course or put her down if/when I felt she was in pain - she was a great cow and earned the right to die on the ranch where she was born & raised. She was due 3/22 and I was hoping I could at least save the calf but she delivered a stillborn 5 weeks early and was euthanized a week later.

 

[callmefence]

Nothing wrong with selling her. As long as she can walk through the ring there is a good use for her. Do take the advice above about medicine withdrawal times. Check with the vet to see what he gave her and the withdrawal times.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Some of us live in the "real world" of raising cattle, we all are faced with tough decisions. Like TC's situation. You either lose everything on her and put her down, or try to salvage what you can.
Shipping her is best financially - but - you must check on any drugs used as others have said. You CANNOT ship a cow with drug residue in her system. If she has been treated, ask the vet what they recommend as far as inducing labor and if he/she advises doing that.

 

[callmefence]

Alot of newcomers don't realize how fast those cows reach the packer. And that they can and will be tested. And if they have drug residue in them..... someone is gonna come see ya..

 

[Aaron]

If she is within a month of calving and she goes to the yard, good chance she is going to calve there and it to be a wreck. Now there is a possibility of insurance coverage through barn if that happens, but also not and possibility of animal welfare issues. Really need to talk to the barn to see if any limitations as to how heavy cow in calf can be when sold for kill. Kill trucks might not want her on the ride.

Best bet would be to put her through a small local plant that wants burger for the shortage right now.

 

[Hpacres440p]

If she is within a month of calving and she goes to the yard, good chance she is going to calve there and it to be a wreck. Now there is a possibility of insurance coverage through barn if that happens, but also not and possibility of animal welfare issues. Really need to talk to the barn to see if any limitations as to how heavy cow in calf can be when sold for kill. Kill trucks might not want her on the ride.

Best bet would be to put her through a small local plant that wants burger for the shortage right now.

Great answer. Heard from an auction house owner who said that one of the biggest liabilities for the cattle industry is public image-sick, injured animals taken to a big sale, and expected to load on a trailer to a yard for slaughter. Small local processor, get your money back from hamburger sales and keep a possible downer cow out of the ring.

 

[Aaron]

If she is within a month of calving and she goes to the yard, good chance she is going to calve there and it to be a wreck. Now there is a possibility of insurance coverage through barn if that happens, but also not and possibility of animal welfare issues. Really need to talk to the barn to see if any limitations as to how heavy cow in calf can be when sold for kill. Kill trucks might not want her on the ride.

Best bet would be to put her through a small local plant that wants burger for the shortage right now.

Great answer. Heard from an auction house owner who said that one of the biggest liabilities for the cattle industry is public image-sick, injured animals taken to a big sale, and expected to load on a trailer to a yard for slaughter. Small local processor, get your money back from hamburger sales and keep a possible downer cow out of the ring.

In this country, the big packers will fine the trucker $300 for disposal if they bring a compromised/downer animal to the plant. That is enough of a penalty to keep them off the trucks in the first place. That being said, anything with 'issues' goes on a gooseneck trailer to the local locker plant and pays as much or even more than a good cow through the ring.

 

[SBMF 2015]

After the late '90s the U.S. has the Non Ambulatory Animal Act.
Any animal that can not stand up under their own power can not go into the food chain.
This thread is really a management issue that should have been dealt with after she weaned her calf last year. All cows fall into two categories .5% that have earned the right to die in the farm and the other 99.5% that do their job, but when they age out its time for them to go. At this point you throw financial loss out the window and keep the cow around. If she dies then you'll know next time to cull sooner.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, again, we are talking to our selves. OP has not been back.