Springing, but no bagging?
- Thread starter ksmit454
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Travlr
Well-known member
Have you wormed her?
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Yes, she was just wormed by oral Safeguard back about a month ago. I don't give them grain. They get a good quality loose mineral salt and have just been turned out to green pasture about 2 days ago. Our winter was really rough, had some serious amount of rain and the guy I got her from literally does nothing more than grazing - no loose minerals or supplements. So, I take great care of my cattle, I appreciate your concern. I have not had her that long and I know her nutrition from where I got her from is not great.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Can you please elaborate? All my cattle are given a good quality loose mineral, and they were getting fed hay twice a day. Just moved them to green pastures to graze a few days ago. The guy I got her from back in September does nothing with his cattle - nothing more than letting them graze and supplementing with hay in winter.
In my opinion that heifer is in poor condition to have and raise a calf.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Yes, I agree. I purchased her from someone who does not practice good management, and some to find out, lets his bull run with all of his cattle. I spoke with my vet about giving her a Lute injection, however, since she was with the bull the whole time, we did not know how far along she was (or if she was even bred upon purchase). Poor management on the person I purchased her from. So... I am doing my best. Do you suggest I separate and give her a grain supplement? She has free choice grazing 24/7 and the loose mineral.
aprille218
Well-known member
I would deworm her again with either injectable Ivomec plus or oral Valbazen.
Travlr
Well-known member
I wouldn't grain her. If she's wormed and doesn't gain enough weight to be in decent condition on spring grass I'd send her packing. Grain just makes poor quality cattle look like good quality cattle on nothing but grass.
She does look wormy, so as @aprille218 says you might want to do it with something different. The way you describe the place you got her from she might be inbred too. That could affect how she looks.
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Yes, you have no idea when she will calve, could be tonight and she is now where you only see her a couple times a day. We check heifers every two hours. Dead calves or heifers don't pay bills. If you feed her some supplement and she loses calf anyway she will be well on the way to your first goal with her anyway. A heifer her size and in her condition could easily use 6 to 8 lbs of grain to come ahead.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
My initial plan was to use her as a feeder calf and finish her out to butcher.
You are likely a believer that feeding grain makes big calves too.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
She is actually right next to my house now so I can check her every hour and have been. Thanks for your advice.
I have had Angus heifers like that. No bag until after calf was born.
Not so much the calf but the momma. Fat cows calf harder.
Travlr
Well-known member
Well if you've read my posts you probably know I'd wean six hundred pound calves without grain. The only grain I fed was enough to teach the lead cows to come when I called.... and to finish something for my own freezer,
And yeah... I think over fed cows tend to have larger calves. Just like anything else, there are ways to get good results by doing many different things. I tend to look for high quality, easy keeping cattle so I don't need to pump feed to them.
EDIT: And come to think of it... I don't use easy calving, low birthweight bulls because I like cows that can produce big calves. Anything under 80 pounds is a problem, to me.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Yes also true… thanks for the input! I will try deworming her again with something else.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Ended up having to pull the calf last night. He was pretty lethargic and not wanting to stand. Tongue was swollen so would not take a bottle of colostrum. Took to vet and they tubed him, have him BoSe, and Draxxin. Got him up and standing this morning but very uneasy. Going to try to give a bottle here in a little bit. How long do I have to try to put him with mama? Just want to get him some strength before trying as he's still pretty lethargic. Just ordered Orphan No More and will be here tomorrow.
Good save and glad you got him to the vet. I'd put him with mama right away but watch closely. In a perfect world, she'll immediately claim him. But sometimes they can be a little testy or indifferent after a hard pull. Orphan No More works fine - if the cow wants a calf in the first place. Otherwise, that and all the other tricks require quality time in the chute and a lot of patience (of which I have none for that kind of nonsense - the cow has one job, to raise a calf).
If the tongue is still swollen, you might try coating it with sugar and Vitamin B Complex is always good for a boost of energy.
If the tongue is still swollen, you might try coating it with sugar and Vitamin B Complex is always good for a boost of energy.
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ksmit454
Well-known member
Thanks TC! I think we got him out right in time otherwise he would have been a goner… his tongue is in his mouth so not swollen anymore. I would like to put him with mama this morning but he's still not getting up on his own. I'm thinking see about getting him up a few times today, and then introduce them again tonight or tomorrow morning. I just don't think he will thrive if I take him back out right now. Do you think by tomorrow morning at the latest is too long to wait? It would be approx 35 hours away from mom if I waited till tomorrow morning
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That would be too late. Get him back with mama and do physical therapy there - assuming she's docile enough. Plan B: separate her while you're working on him.
Did the vet say why he's not getting up? You might want to try the Madigan Squeeze for a "dummy calf". Link below and there are tons of videos online. Another reason may be damage from pulling. Are his joints in place? Nothing looks broken?
Give Weak Calves A Boost With a Big Squeeze
Calves that have incurred traumatic births are often are lethargic, clumsy and have little interest in nursing. These babies may benefit from a simple procedure called the “Madigan Squeeze Technique.”
