working heavy bred cows

[tncattle]

We just bought 20 heavy bred cows all due to calve in 4-6 weeks. There also all 4-5 years old. My partner wants to run them through the chute and put a fly control ear tag in each ear. I'm thinking with them being heavy bred and just coming into a new place along with the high heat humidity we're currently having it could stress them too much and maybe cause one or more to abort. Am I completely wrong??

 

[JMJ Farms]

I personally would pour on some ultra Sabre and turn them out.

 

[talltimber]

No, you're not, imo. I wouldn't move or work a thing right now unless absolutely necessary.

 

[callmefence]

I would wait

 

[js1234]

I wouldn't. Get calves on ground and process the cows at branding time.

 

[Anonymous]

put fly rub ,maybe spray them as they go through gate but why stress them more than you have to god gave them a tail to swat flies .

 

[dun]

put fly rub ,maybe spray them as they go through gate but why stress them more than you have to god gave them a tail to swat flies .

Yup!

 

[tncattle]

It's mainly the flies on their face I'm worried about.

 

[bird dog]

Spray them while they are in the trailer if you haven't already brought them home.

 

[cattle60]

Wait, No way in this heat

 

[Anonymous]

you can get cattle rubs with face flaps!put it up where they go through gate to an from water or shade if possible .

 

[angus9259]

It's much cooler where I am but I wait for the coolest possible morning and use ultra sabre or ultraboss in a syringe - you can shoot that a good 10 feet. I don't run them through the chute but get them when they come up for water in my smaller pen. You could do it in the trailer as mentioned.

I have a window coming up where it will be 60 in the am and 80 max during the day. I will run my heavy breds through first thing in the am on a day like that to give them their scourguard and a fly treatment. I wouldn't do it any warmer than that.

 

[backhoeboogie]

If you're going to work them, do it at daylight. You said 20 head. That shouldn't take long. At daylight the temps aren't extreme.

Or wait.

 

[Lucky_P]

I follow the 85:70 rule.
If daytime temps are 85 or higher, and nighttime temps not below 70... you don't want/need to do anything to/with cows that's not an absolutely life-threatening deal. You can kill 'em... and if temps are not within that range, any vaccines you might give... probably are not gonna work to give you the protection you need.

Agree with those folks above... if temps are within the 85:70 parameters... do 'em at daybreak and get it done fast; or wait til things cool off a bit.

 

[Rafter S]

I follow the 85:70 rule.
If daytime temps are 85 or higher, and nighttime temps not below 70... you don't want/need to do anything to/with cows that's not an absolutely life-threatening deal. You can kill 'em... and if temps are not within that range, any vaccines you might give... probably are not gonna work to give you the protection you need.

Agree with those folks above... if temps are within the 85:70 parameters... do 'em at daybreak and get it done fast; or wait til things cool off a bit.

That would pretty much keep me from working cattle from June through September. This time of year our highs are rarely below 95, and the nighttime lows rarely below 75.

 

[Williamsv]

They are already stressed and that would stress them some more. Plus it is too hot. I would definitely wait.

 

[TCRanch]

If flies are you main concern and it's too hot to work them, we simply dump some cubes & spray our herd while they're eating (and we don't use ear tags for fly control).

 

[angus9259]

I think there's also a vast range of what it means to "Work cattle".

There's bringing them up from the range land, crowding them into pens with no shade while they wait in a mass group hours for their turn through the chute where they will be weighed, tagged, vaccinated, etc.... and squirting some fly control on them when they are in a trailer. Or, in my little bitty small case, opening the gate from the field holding 20 cattle into my green grass and shaded catch arena where they are ushered back out in groups of 3-4 to spend 5 minutes in the chute while I do this or that to them. Even the chute is in the shade and the animals are docile - not range - so the process isn't really working them up.


THAT said - in this particular case, I would be more concerned about catching, loading, and hauling these heavy breds with these temps then getting some fly control on them there after.

 

[greybeard]

I'm always watchful running heavy breds down a narrow alleyway anyhow, and won't do it unless I just absolutely have to. They go down, got no room for their ribs to expand and I've seen 2 in North Texas suffocate before they could get the alley tore apart or a fel positioned to get them up.

 

[Coosh71]

We had worked a small group of heavy Breds this spring, but just to get a close look at feet, eyes etc. only poured them and released. And we use rubs at all watering holes. Love them!! No Branding or vacs for sure for new heavy breds. Neighbor had worked some like that last year and had a cow abort. Need all the calves you can get at these prices so take care of those mommas.