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Fred Belknap

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Knew that would get your attention. Question is, I had a cow that was in heat and the the bull was trying to mount her. The nest day I found her dead in the edge of a pile of log cut offs. She was a three year old cow, in good health with a two month old calf. The bull will weigh around 1500lbs. Any ideas what could have happened and will the calf be ok??? :?:
 
Fred Belknap":2bwc972n said:
Knew that would get your attention. Question is, I had a cow that was in heat and the the bull was trying to mount her. The nest day I found her dead in the edge of a pile of log cut offs. She was a three year old cow, in good health with a two month old calf. The bull will weigh around 1500lbs. Any ideas what could have happened and will the calf be ok??? :?:

I'm too old for rough sex so was not interested in it - figured cow and bull story - guess I am also a man of no imagination.

The reason for death - a strong possibility:

Cast

Very common and leaves one wondering - "Why did the cow die in the field?"

No marks and no muss no fuss.

If no poisions or other obvious hazards this one is the one that makes everyone ask the question.

Only takes a two inch hole in the ground to do it - or a stick to be laying right where she laid down and she fell over it - could not right herself. Death takes about 30 - 60 minutes - suffocation or heart compression or both.

Bez+
 
The calf will be OK if it is eating around 2 pounds of grain a day.. I would pull it from the herd and supplement it.

I had an extra calf besides all of the twins this year, cow broke her leg and had to be put down. He was at that crappy age ,5 weeks old. To old to bottle feed (no way would he take a bottle) and to young to ween luckily he latched onto a Gelbstein that took him in.

You could try to get it on another cow if you have one, but should be OK with just grain and forage if he consumes enough.
 
I had a cow one time who was in heat, seen the bull chasing her around. The next day she was paralyzed. I'm not sure what happened to her, but I also wondered the same thing as you, did the bull do this to her. It may be something you never do figure out unless you whiteness it. I dont see why it couldnt happen by some chance.
Along with the older post about it taking a hole to suffocate a cow. I had my cows escape in the night, the next morning one was found dead in a hole, so that is a possibility also.
 
See this is an older post brought to the top. Reminded me of a picture from the other day and question I had.

I was in the pasture with my herd and noticed one of the heifers, about 800 lb, had these marks on her back. My bull weighed 2000 lb last time through the chute. I was concerned about him with a few of these heifers.

I assume breeding was the source of these marks?

Otherwise she looked fine. (pictures taken same day as cow frame size pics posted on breeding/calving board).

IMG_0766.JPG


Jim
 
One of my cows got a big knot just above her stifle below her hook bone. I noticed it one day, and the next her leg was starting to swell so I called the vet out and he looked at her and asked if she'd been bred yet. And I told him yes, we actually just had put the bull in the week before and she had been in heat that week. And the bull had evidently been too rough and gave her a blood blister when he rode her. I never dreamed that would have been the cause of it!
 
Fred, Do you have neighbors that like to plink away with their handguns or 22's? Or was the cow by a road where there are drive by shooting at signs.
I lost a cow a few years back, didn't have a clue. Fine healthy animal just laying there dead. No blood, I could se some sign in the grass that she had leg movement for a bit before death.
I decided to do a dr mnmt autopsy. :cowboy: When I rolled her over with the loader there was a small bit of blood about midway down the neck. Skinned the area, found a small hole.
dr mnmt concluded; Cause of death. 22 cal bullet to the spinal cord in the neck.
There where also fresh bullet holes in signs along the road. I think they simply took a potshot at the cow.
Anyway, in this case my insurance company settled OK.

My brother also had a calf shot and killed with a 22. He let some town kids shoot gophers. :roll:
 

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