We bought a bred heifer in July, she calved in September....she never was very big, but the day she calved and thereafter she looks so skinny. We have wormed her and she is eating as well as the rest of them, even gave her some range cubes for a few days. She acts like she feels good. Should we pen her up and feed range cubes every day? She is just so poor looking. Open for any suggestions, we are thinking of loading her up and having vet take a look at her....just thought some of you may have experienced this before. We have considered taking her calf off of her also.
skinny cow
- Thread starter kaykay
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certherfbeef
Well-known member
What kind of cow? Was the calf real big? Maybe she is just gonna be hard doing or is outting all her energy into feeding the calf. Have you given her a magnet? Does she stand humped up? Maybe she has hardware.
I am not real sure just what she is, she is black and has a white and black face, we have mostly angus mixed cows but she came from a dispersal sale at sale barn. The calf was not big at all.
What is a magnet?? and what do you mean by hardware???
I have not noticed her standing humped up, but her tail does seem to stand out too far.
What is a magnet?? and what do you mean by hardware???
I have not noticed her standing humped up, but her tail does seem to stand out too far.If she has been wormed and is not showing signs or symptoms of any illness and seems to be eating and drinking fine, I'd say she is just a thin cow. One of my favorites from our herd of "old girls" is a little thinner, but after she calves she looks like a holstien, even with the big bag. No holstien in her tho. Just a big framed Angus X Hereford, that milks enough for 2 calves, and she has always bred back.
She seems to be just fine, eats and drinks good.....real good momma. Before she calved her bag was so big that it was sticking out between her legs. I too thought she looked like she had holstein in her. I was wondering if there was anything we need to be doing to fatten her up before winter. I keep saying maybe she is just a thin cow, but she looks so poor.
certherfbeef
Well-known member
kaykay":detf4ou5 said:
Hardware Disease, they pick up nails and wire and staples and then there is the possibility that those objects will puncture internal organs, resulting in death. Some times they stand humped up cause they are in pain. A magnet is exactly that. In the shape of a medicine boluse it will gather the hardware, supposed to keep it from doing any damage. Hpe it makes some sence. In any of my experience once they show too many out ward signs it is too late for a magnet.
But she might just be run down from calving.
TLCfromARK
Well-known member
How old do you think she is? Sometimes a heifer will calve about the same time they're losing their baby teeth ( ~ 2 yrs? ). The combined stress of the calf growing/using more of her resources and her not being able to process the food she's eating properly makes it hard for her to put any flesh on. I agree with your thoughts about if you plan on keeping the cow you might think about selling the calf early and giving her a chance to recover. Of course as one poster stated, she might just be one of those skinny cows.
;-)
;-)
J Baxter
Well-known member
I wouldn't worry too much about fattening her up for winter. Our temperatures are mild enough in Arkansas that she will make it through.
JB
JB
She sounds to me like she might be part holstien. If thats the case then she looks that way because dairy cattle are not "beef type" cattle and will look "skinny". Plus she is nursing a calf and that will bring her down as wel. If she is acting normal otherwise then I wouldn't worry about her.
txshowmom":2il9f8hw said:
I agree, the "Hillbilly Hybreds" do tend to alwasy look poor. Especially when you have a bunch of beef cows to compare with them. If she breeds back, and still looks pretty rawboned, I wouldn't worry about it.
dun
