Poisonous snakes vs cattle quesion

[63DH8]

Have anyone had problems with their cattle when the two meet? How do the cattle deal with the snakes, or do you deal with the snakes? If so, how?

Thanks in advance!

In the west side of the State of Washington, there are no poisonous snakes.

 

[Jogeephus]

My biggest problem with snakes is in the spring when I turn the cows in the woods. I have had a calf and a cow bitten(?) by snakes but neither died. One had a festered leg and the other had a festered side of its face. Eventually it healed up on its on. Have heard of people losing them to snake bites and am told you can tell if they died of snakebite cause the buzzards will not eat them. (That's only what I'm told)

 

[fourstates]

I imagine the cow would have to step on the snake to get bit, or stick her nose somewhere a snake is hiding. I think cattle make too much ground vibration to sneak up on one!

The worst problem would occur if the animal gets bit on the snout causing swelling which could impair breathing. Most snakes like copperheads and mocassins can't do too much damage to a cow, or even a calf. Snake bite is treated with steroids and antibiotics.

I do think some of the big rattlers they have out west could do some damage, though, especially to a calf.

 

[Wewild]

I do think some of the big rattlers they have out west could do some damage, though, especially to a calf.

Hmm.... 44" from GA ... how much bigger are they out there?

 

[fourstates]

Yikes! I forget about those suckers, a lot in Florida too. Some rattler species are very venomous...copperheads and mocs are wimps compared to them.

Put some shoes on that little girl.

 

[dun]

Back in the early 60s we ran stockers down on the Mexican border, the US side. There were a couple of months every year when we would lose a couple of claves and have others with abscess looking wounds on there necks. When kind of figured that since the nighrs were cold and the days warm, that a snake might curl up with a calf for the warmth and when the calf got up or moved around the snake would bite them. Made sense to us then and still sounds possible

 

[Wewild]

Put some shoes on that little girl.

Why?

 

[3MR]

I do think some of the big rattlers they have out west could do some damage, though, especially to a calf.

Hmm.... 44" from GA ... how much bigger are they out there?

How cute!...... a baby snake! :lol:

 

[dun]

Hmm.... 44" from GA ... how much bigger are they out there?

How cute!...... a baby snake! :lol:

I thought those little ones like that were called "snapping worms"

 

[msscamp]

I do think some of the big rattlers they have out west could do some damage, though, especially to a calf.

Hmm.... 44" from GA ... how much bigger are they out there?

Wewild, 44" isn't even 4 foot long. They come in sizes a lot longer than that in some places! :lol:

 

[cfpinz]

Only had one snakebite victim so far this year, usually have two or three. Most are on the same farm, copperheads. Have only had to doctor on one case, a pet heifer that was bit right over the hoof. She wound up sloughing off part of a toenail as it grew out but you can't tell any different now.

cfpinz

 

[Caustic Burno]

Depends on what they get bit by and where. I have seen several die and others really sick, need to pen pump with antibotics and Vit C . Its an ugly wound with a lot of rot.

 

[FlaAngus]

Wewild, come a few miles south and i'll show you a real snake, got a nine foot rattler in the freezer that we're gonna get mounted, killed him in the ditch bout a quarter mile from the house. And she don't need no shoes :mrgreen:

 

[Wewild]

How cute!...... a baby snake! :lol:

Now that is funny.

 

[TheBullLady]

We've been here for almost 15 years, and have yet to have a cow or calf bitten by a snake that we know of. I've never seen a rattle snake in this area, but not far from here you'll find copperheads and rattlers. Plenty of water moccasins, but I've been told they aren't very agressive, and will get away from a threat if it can.

 

[Beefy]

that little Georgia girl probably stomped on that snakes head with her bare feet and killed it.

 

[hillsdown]

Wewild, come a few miles south and i'll show you a real snake, got a nine foot rattler in the freezer that we're gonna get mounted, killed him in the ditch bout a quarter mile from the house. And she don't need no shoes :mrgreen:

Was that boy on steroids?That is scary huge.How many buttons on that critter?

 

[BAGTIC]

My experience has been that mocassins are the most aggressive snake in this country.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

My experience has been that mocassins are the most aggressive snake in this country.

Only snake I know of here in Texas that will pursue you lookin for a fight.

 

[TheLazyM]

The biggest thing we have to worry about on snake bites is like what has already been stated is if the bite is on the neck or nose. The bite is going to cause swelling and can suffocate the animal. It will be unlikely {not inpossible} that the bite will cause death. The snakes venom glades put out enough to kill its pray. 200 lb cattle has enough body mass to esorb the venom. This is not to say that the bite can not kill a 1000lb cow. Its just very unlikely.
Venom is injected into horses and their antibodies are harvested to make antidoute. I know they use horse cause of the body mass and horses antibodies work very rapidly and are very easy to work with.