Tranquilizer dart guns.

[ohiosteve]

Has anyone on here used a tranquilizer to work on their cattle? I am very interested in learning about this.

 

[3waycross]

Has anyone on here used a tranquilizer to work on their cattle? I am very interested in learning about this.

Depending on the particular cow I prefer a 300 Win Mag.

Serious answer is no.

 

[ohiosteve]

It may sound crazy but I think there is some merit to this idea where large bull calves could be shot with a dart and tranquilized long enough to be castrated. No stress.

 

[turklilley]

I bought a gun, thinking I was going to use it to check a cow with foot trouble. My cattle are not wild, but they will not let me walk up and lift their feet. I tried to buy drugs from several vets, and they would not sell it to me. In PA you have to have training to use a tranquilizer. The vet said it would take two doses @ $120 to put a 1200 lb cow down. Then you have to have another drug to bring them back. I sent the gun back. I was going to rope her and take the chute out in the pasture. She got better before I ever got it done.

 

[Lucky_P]

Had a Cap-Chur gun in the practice I worked in, right out of vet school. Used it at least twice a week - way too many of our clients had virtually nothing in the way of working facilities - no corral, no alley, no chute or headgate; I often wondered how they ever got 'em up and off to the salebarn. Hated the d@mned thing. Swore that if I had my own practice, I would never have one of the things.
You could shoot two 1000 lb cows with the same dose - one might be out like a light in 5 minutes and be down for HOURS, the other one MIGHT slow down enough in 20 minutes that you could slip up and pitch a rope on her - and she'd be right up and ready to run or fight. Too much variation in how individual animals respond, too many cases of the dart not delivering the full dose, etc., etc., the list goes on.
Tranquilizer dart gun may have it's place, but it's NOT for routine use on cattle that you intend to keep around. Most folks use Rompun(xylazine) on cattle - when it works, they're down for a while; even if you 'reverse' it, it's not like they just jump to their feet and are immediately back to normal. It's not 'stress-free', and I've had more than one die as a result of being tranq'ed with a dart gun - and I was a trained, experienced 'professional'.

 

[oscar p]

Tranqulizer guns have their place. They are great if you have an idiot that you cant get up to deworm or one you have to give meds to. But if you have a cow that you need to do this to, you just need to go ahead and ship her, more now that weigh cows are up. Listen to Luckey P.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have a cap sure tranquilizer gun. I use rompun in the darts. Gun works fine, cows react very differently to the drug. In fact shot enough, and you'll kill one. It has it's place in an emergency situation it's fine. I would never use it to knock one down to doctor it. I have given antibiotics with it, if I thought getting the cow or calf up would cause more harm than good. I use it sparingly on wild cow catches.

 

[TravisWolford]

I dont know how the rest of the states work but in Indiana you need a class 3 narcotics liscense to purchase the tranq drugs. Also the state has to come inspect your drug storage facilitys before you can qualify. I do nuisance wildlife control for a living and have tried to jump through all the hoops, mostly just to buy sodium penabarb for skunk euthanasia. It was a giant pain in the rear and I finally gave up and just stuck with c02.

 

[ohiosteve]

I would really rather not have the state come inspect my drug storage facilities. That never turns out well.

 

[Amo]

Hmmm, I thought a dart (Co2) gun and a dart gun were the same I guess. Learn every day.

I have a Co2 gun. Use it for antibodics. I have pastures that are several miles away from a chute. Plus I can't rope a dummy head on a straw bale let alone being right handed, and trying to rope left handed off the 4 wheeler! With patients, and being very square to the animal so it hits at a right angle Ive had good luck with a Co2 gun. Well worth the investment in time savings and getting a treatment done sooner!

Ive used rompum also. Didn't know you had to "reverse" it. All Ive ever used it for is to mother up a cow. I give .25-.75 cc and let them lay down in the corner with a calf. 90% of the time it works...if done shortly after calving. So what do you give to "reverse" it?

 

[Scroote]

ohiostevey,

I have had my vet tranq some mature bulls for hoof issues as I do not have a chute large enough and they are far away from facilities. You have to be very careful with older bulls as they can become very sensitive to tranqs. I think it is a controlled substance and would not be very wise to use in your proposed situation. You can very easily kill an animal if you are not careful. It does not really take the place of a good chute for younger animals.

My 2 cents, bro

 

[ohiosteve]

Well I bought one.I went ahead and spent a little extra and got one capable of being used from a helicopter. Tomorrow some buddies and I are stocking up on Old Millwaukee and firing up the XJ-3500 and are going to practice on the neighbors cattle. Actually, maybe I'll just work on my catch pens like ol' Scrootareeno suggested.

 

[wbvs58]

Problem I have had with the Capchur darts, the detonation charge has been too great for the plastic tails and the gas leaks out the back and so they don't get the full charge. I have not had the same problem with the old mop heads as the base is aluminium.
Ken

 

[Way of the Cross Farm]

Hey from Georgia....I have a question and hope someone on here can help me. :nod:

We have a 4 yr old female Bison, and we have her sold. She killed on one of my LGD's and now she has to go. We have her sold to a man that has a herd of them and he raises the bull calves for meat. Our issue is we can't catch her, we have built a catch pen and she wants no part of that. So my vet suggested darting her. The vet has the meds to knock her out and bring her back, just no gun. I have heard that they can be tricky, putting them to sleep. Anyone have any experience with Bison? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. :???: Thank you

 

[greybeard]

. Plus I can't rope a dummy head on a straw bale let alone being right handed, and trying to rope left handed off the 4 wheeler!

That conjures up a really scary mental picture. My nephew tried it on a young steer--once. I tried to tell him, but wouldn't listen--after that tho, He wuz a quick learner.

 

[oscar p]

Kbell, The biggest thing is to not get her excited. Just drive out to her and shoot her. Then drive out of the pasture. Give her 15 minutes to go out. You will just have to shoot her heavier than you would a cow. I've had buffalo in the past, with no problem. I tranqulized a buffalo cow and sewed her jaw up for a guy several years ago.

 

[oscar p]

Went and met Kbell today. Tranqulized and loaded her Buffalo today.Had a few issues, with the vet and the guy that bought the buffalo from her.Other than that it went fine. Bought 2 good nubian male goats from her, also.

 

[davee]

Ok, have enjoyed the comments on darting to work cattle with anesthesia but ah "Where's the beef"? No real substance to get zeroed in on if it really is all as unsafe as most are saying, or in the case of more experienced hands nothing of procedures/materials to help us much at all. I have however come across an interesting if not rare professional article that helps me for one, much more. Unfortunately it is written in medical language which vets will totally get but others may have to read it a few times to make it out enough to give some hope that this is not a dead end. It would be a big help for a lot of stock producers to have this in their bag of tricks! It's likely most might need an interested vet to participate at least the first time or so anyway in this new method. The way I read it, in over 50 darted free range cattle, some wild, no deaths or injuries. This as well would be a good selling point for people who desire a gentler, more humane handling of their meat. I am seeing this nitch grow rapidly along with totally grass fed critters. This and not to mention danger to man and beast which now in days could be very expensive or even catastrophic for an operation. Getting enough help that knows how to handle your cattle as you would like may be hardest yet!

Pmc3788660

 

[AJM Georgia]

What is the best drug to use with a calf that we cannot catch.....Rompin?

 

[Warren Allison]

None. Just a good horse and a good roper. Where in GA are you?