Skinny cow

[turklilley]

I had a 5 yr old Angus cow that had gotten very skinny on pasture. I thought the big calf was drawing her down. Weaned the calf 3 weeks ago, got the cow in the barn, and started feeding ground corn & oats with minerals & vitamins. I don't have an analysis, been feeding it for years. Started feeding about 4 lbs per day, going up to 16 lbs after 3 weeks. With free choice hay. She ate good last evening, then this morning she was almost dead, died later. There was 5 others eating the same, and they are fine. Any Ideas?

 

[Aaron]

Only way to even guess would be to have the vet do a post-mortem on her. My guesses would be hardware, Johnes, BVD/respiratory, leukosis, etc., etc.

 

[greybeard]

If she started falling off after the calf was born, it could be too that something happened during the birth.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Hard to tell without more description, but some good friends of ours just lost two yearling heifers to pneumonia. No typical signs, the night before they died they were breathing a little heavy like they had just ran around the field, and the next morning they were dead. These are people that really watch their cattle closely, so no neglect at at. They were really shocked to have lost two big heifers....

 

[denvermartinfarms]

How long ago had she calved.

 

[turklilley]

She calved on March 23, 2012, and I thought possibly 2 calves were nursing on her. I don't now think 2 calves were on her. If she had signs of being sick, I would have gotten the vet. I have had necropsy's several years ago, and never got a good answer, so I didn't want to waste the money.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

In that case there is imo no way it happend from the birth of the calf. Sounds like it cold have maybe been worms but at this poin who knows and it don't really matter as long as it don't happen again.