Shall I Eat It?

[bugjuice]

I don't mind revealing my stupidity to you all, but I kindly ask that you answer me without lecturing.

Last night, I gave a 400 pound calf an injection of 18 cc LA200. The calf died this morning and the carcass is hanging in the cold barn. The lungs are dark red with numerous white nodules or lesions. The vet said it's pasteurella and sent me home with medication for the rest of the herd. He said the meat would be safe to eat. I didn't mention the LA200 to the vet because I know very well there's a withdrawal period before slaughter and he wouldn't make himself liable by telling me otherwise.

Now, I'd like a real-world opinion from fellow cattlemen that hate to see food go to waste. Would I be putting my health at risk by eating this meat?

Maybelle

 

[IluvABbeef]

Shall you eat it? One word: NO. Would you be putting your health at risk by eating the meat? Absolutely!

Check here: http://www.drugs.com/vet/liquamycin-la-200.html

Discontinue treatment at least 28 days prior to slaughter of cattle and swine.

I would HIGHLY recommend you take a read on the bottle to see if there are any withdrawal times posted on there. I would be really surprised if there isn't anything on there.

 

[milkmaid]

Hmmm... I've been in animal science classes where the question has been asked, and probably 80% of us said we would eat milk/meat that we knew had antibiotics in it. Did you give the injection SQ, IM, or IV? I wouldn't eat the neck (assuming that's where you gave the injection) but depending on how desperate you are (a 400lb calf isn't going to yield a lot of meat) I might eat the rest of the animal. Personal preference here. I wouldn't eat guts, liver (esp liver/kidneys as they filter the blood), etc and I wouldn't feed company with it as they'd probably object, but for your consumption... it's up to you. A calf that was just injected the night before wouldn't be my first pick for the freezer but it is edible. Hang him for a week and think about it if you like.

 

[snake67]

Been away for a long time but do cruise once in a while

This question forced me to come on and say something

The answer to your question is a resounding no! I repeat - NO!

You could not slaughter this animal inside the withdrawal period and sell it for commercial consumption

I would not feed it to you if you came to visit

I would be totally PO'd if you fed it to me and told me after I ate it.

Burn it, bury it or whatever - then learn from your mistakes.

And for that matter this animal might have died anyways - so maybe you did not make a mistake.

Any time you have livestock, you will have deadstock

Part of the game.

Regards

Bez

 

[wbvs58]

I think I would split it up for the dogs only. The issue with the antibiotics is about people eating it with allergies to the drug, also the development of resistent bugs to low doses of antibiotics. With the animal dying of natutal causes and no immediate bleeding of it, how long was it lying there before being found, I know it is winter there, but I think the dressing of the carcase would be far from ideal and hygenic. I think dogs only.
Ken

 

[ANAZAZI]

Been away for a long time but do cruise once in a while

This question forced me to come on and say something

The answer to your question is a resounding no! I repeat - NO!

You could not slaughter this animal inside the withdrawal period and sell it for commercial consumption

I would not feed it to you if you came to visit

I would be totally PO'd if you fed it to me and told me after I ate it.

Burn it, bury it or whatever - then learn from your mistakes.

And for that matter this animal might have died anyways - so maybe you did not make a mistake.

Any time you have livestock, you will have deadstock

Part of the game.

Regards

Bez

:welcome: back; missed you!

 

[bugjuice]

Thank you for your replies, Ken, Bez, Karin, and milkmaid. Repeating myself, I know there's a withdrawal period. I also said I'm considering eating it myself, not selling it or feeding guests. Answering milkmaid's question: The injection was SQ in the neck.

I appreciate your opinions.

Maybelle

 

[mwj]

Been away for a long time but do cruise once in a while

This question forced me to come on and say something

The answer to your question is a resounding no! I repeat - NO!

You could not slaughter this animal inside the withdrawal period and sell it for commercial consumption

I would not feed it to you if you came to visit

I would be totally PO'd if you fed it to me and told me after I ate it.


So good to see you and I hope that you will drop in more often

Burn it, bury it or whatever - then learn from your mistakes.

And for that matter this animal might have died anyways - so maybe you did not make a mistake.

Any time you have livestock, you will have deadstock

Part of the game.

Regards

Bez

 

[1982vett]

Glad your still around BEZ... good to hear you again

Eating a sick calf is....well sick

 

[Isomade]

If I was starving to death and didn't have a penny to my name, I'd eat it. If there were other options I would not.

 

[Cabo]

If I was starving to death and didn't have a penny to my name, I'd eat it. If there were other options I would not.

If I tried to eat that unless I was starving, I'm thinking the first bite would just get bigger and bigger til I had to spit it out.

Good to see you back Bez been missing your common sense posts.

 

[TexasBred]

Thank you for your replies, Ken, Bez, Karin, and milkmaid. Repeating myself, I know there's a withdrawal period. I also said I'm considering eating it myself, not selling it or feeding guests. Answering milkmaid's question: The injection was SQ in the neck.

I appreciate your opinions.

Maybelle

Forget about the injection. Why in the world would you want to eat an animal that died from a disease? Why not go for road kill instead.

 

[Alan]

Thank you for your replies, Ken, Bez, Karin, and milkmaid. Repeating myself, I know there's a withdrawal period. I also said I'm considering eating it myself, not selling it or feeding guests. Answering milkmaid's question: The injection was SQ in the neck.

I appreciate your opinions.

Maybelle

Forget about the injection. Why in the world would you want to eat an animal that died from a disease? Why not go for road kill instead.

:nod: :nod: I just can't get the picture out of my head of walking out to a sick calf that died and thinking the thing to do is gut it and hang it to be butchered. Coyotes need to eat too.

Pick out a nice 700 or800 lbs steer, worm it, grain it for 60 to 90 days, shoot it, gut it and hang it in the cold room for 16 or 20 days then eat it.

 

[Alan]

Oh and yes, it's good to hear from you Bez!

 

[jedstivers]

Thank you for your replies, Ken, Bez, Karin, and milkmaid. Repeating myself, I know there's a withdrawal period. I also said I'm considering eating it myself, not selling it or feeding guests. Answering milkmaid's question: The injection was SQ in the neck.

I appreciate your opinions.

Maybelle

Forget about the injection. Why in the world would you want to eat an animal that died from a disease? Why not go for road kill instead.

That's what I'm thinking.
Glad to see Bez back.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Thank you for your replies, Ken, Bez, Karin, and milkmaid. Repeating myself, I know there's a withdrawal period. I also said I'm considering eating it myself, not selling it or feeding guests. Answering milkmaid's question: The injection was SQ in the neck.

I appreciate your opinions.

Maybelle

Regardless whether you're only feeding yourself or not, if I were you I would seriously consider NOT eating the carcass of that calf, I don't care where or how you injected the med. It's just not worth the risk. Drag it out to the back pasture and let the coyotes have at it. They'll be happy for the free meal.



ETA: Welcome back Bez, good to hear from you again.

 

[alisonb]

Burn it if it died from Paturella....

 

[hillsdown]

Well it really is up to you ,but have to agree with everyone . The fact that she died of an illness is more of a factor for me than the WD on the meds used.

I would feed her to the coyotes or burn her .

 

[3waycross]

I'd be surprised if the coyotes ate it. We had one a couple of years ago the was injected with anitbiotics and when we finally shot it we tried to use it for coyote bait. They never touched it.
The birds ate most of it and we finally burned the rest.

 

[Old_man_emu]

My boss is a city guy and has little to no farm sense, I have been told he asked the previous manager on several occasions if the animal found dead in the paddock could be eaten! The thought turns me green!
Don't eat this animal!