Ya'll Be Careful!

[Jogeephus]

Yesterday I spoke with a guy who just got out of the hospital after being run down by a mad heifer. Brangus no less. He has been out of work for four weeks. Was in intensive care for three of those weeks. He said his bill was $60,000 and climbing. He's only 53 and in good shape. Wirey, lean and strong. Just not fast enough to get out of the way when she snapped.

It could happen to any of us. So don't get complacent. Just be careful.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

It is pretty ease to let your guard down. I for one sure ain't getting any faster or tougher.

 

[grannysoo]

I've had a mad young bull get after me before and it sure was not fun. Such a nice, fun loving creature that turned into the Spawn of Satan in the blink of an eye.

Much more careful these days....

 

[Jim62]

Bummer !!

But, $60,000 for 3 weeks in ICU is a helluva bargain.

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

I don't trust them any further than I can throw them. And it's one of the reasons for me having my dogs. I love my dogs, but if need be,..... they are going to be my rodeo clowns! :clap:

 

[xbred]

i'm very sorry for the injury...i am in the process of installing a sweep i my working pen...the only thing worse than getting hurt yourself is someone else getting hurt...

 

[backhoeboogie]

A guy here was kicked in the leg, broke both bones, by a calf that weighed 185 lbs. He had his eye on the cow and the calf was on his blind side.

 

[bandit80]

You can never use too much caution when working around any form of livestock. Sometimes they just snap and can cause great harm if you aren't prepared to get out of the way. Probably 99.9% of us on this board aren't getting any faster.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

A guy here was kicked in the leg, broke both bones, by a calf that weighed 185 lbs. He had his eye on the cow and the calf was on his blind side.

boy it musta packed a wallop. cant count the time's ive been kicked by pups like that. they can fire back like lightnin' with those hooves

 

[bigbull338]

i learned along time ago tobe real careful around cattle.an to never put myself in a postition where i could get hurt.so we all need tobe careful around cattle.but sometimes they snapp an go crazy.an that can get you hurt bad or killed.

 

[hillsdown]

It sure is an eye opener ,sometimes you become complacent when things become routine.

My guardian angel worked over time last winter, I sure hope she doesn't take holidays.

 

[Brute 23]

Never turn you back on them.


I was putting some cubes out the other day and a cow managed to get her horn in where my elbow is. I was holding a feed sack so my left arm was holding the open end of the bag. Had to drop the bag to get loose. Too close for comfort... :shock:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Jogeephus, thanks for the reminder. I got rid of my 'bad apples' a long time ago however any one of them at any time is capable of doing serious damage, intended or not.

As far as a broken leg from a 185 lb'er, I guess that calf hit him 'just right'. I've been nailed on several occasions by calves that size and smaller. Got a bit bruised, but not broken.

Katherine

 

[backhoeboogie]

I guess that calf hit him 'just right'.

Yes. You know I have heard all the specifics from that guy a few times, and I don't really remember the exact details. He is always ranting. I'm sure I will hear it again some time. To break both bones, the angle had to be precise in the first place.

It is less painful when they don't get the bone. The last one that got me hit me in the wrist next to her head, with her hind foot. There is not a lot of meat in your wrist.

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

There's a reason that farming is listed up near the top on the "most hazzardous" jobs. And working with livestock can be the most hazzardous. You can usually predict what a tractor is going to do, but an animal is different. It's almost like they have a mind of their own. :dunce:


I'm sure I've shared this one before, but a few years ago, I was kicked by a two week old calf. I'm guessing it was probably around 100 lbs. I was reaching for her back leg, and as my right had was going forward with my fingers partly curreled around in a leg grabbing hook shape, her leg shot backwards and met my hand in mid air. *CRACK* And in that split moment, I just knew.... it was broken. I did that at about 7:30 pm, so I got my neighbors kids to help with that one last calf, so I could turn the group back out to the pasture, then I carefully took a shower and went to bed. Went to the Dr. the next day, and after some X-rays, he said, yup.... that bone, and this one over here shows a fracture, and then I got to wear a hard cast for 6 weeks.

I still havent gotten those six weeks back! :devil2: I'm just thankful it wasn't a broken leg or an ICU experience.

Moral of the story...... they hit the ground dangerous!

 

[Jogeephus]

Moral of the story...... they hit the ground dangerous!

I learned that a few years ago when a calf was trying to get by me. Didn't look that big so I bull dogged it. Those black hides will deceive you on their size I assure you. We wrestled in the mud and pies for quite some time. Had the boy fought another five seconds I'm pretty sure I would have let him go just for his valiant effort. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[jcarkie]

2 years ago i was catching a month old calf to cut with my 20 year old son, like we have a dozen times. i grabbed the back leg and lost my balance, as i went to my knees he came up with the other foot and got me in the face. cut me below my eye and the force of it hit me in the forehead, i was bleeding like stuck hog. luckily i am hard headed but i was lucky, the little ones can lay you open with those hooves. we get so use to doing things that we don't take precautions that only take a few more minutes. i have been knocked in feed bunk by a cow scrambling to eat, with her stomach brushing by. just a couple of my finer moments, always in hurry too much to do.

 

[hillsdown]

I have a six pack look going on my left quad when I was kicked twice in quick draw precision by a yearling last winter when I startled her by accident.
It hurt like h@ll but nothing was broken ,I sure didn't think that the indentations to my muscle would still be there now though. That was mild compared to a couple of other close calls early on in my cattle experience. I almost had my head taken off while reaching for the teat dip cup,,,didn't make that stupid mistake twice though...Hubby was almost an instant millionaire that time.. :cry2:

Sometimes you need to slow down and evaluate the situation but like I said before we get complacent. :dunce:

 

[born2run]

I get a little too complacent even with dairy cattle. So used to them being predictable, but now and than they can turn into holy terrors. Had one come right at me, defying total logic. She is a little Jersey/X, a little TOO little for a holstein parlor. I had about 2 seconds to think on that one. Grabbed the rafters (yep the ceiling is low) and let her go right underneath me. Hard to explain, but there was no where else to go. Scared me spitless.

 

[Boldcat]

I had a nutty heifer calving this spring and she hiplocked then got up and ended up sitting on the calf and killing it .So I went out to put her in the chute to pull the dead calf out and she charged me and chased me all over the pen . I was covered in mud literally running for my life.
As soon as I could get my trailer backed up to the loading chute she was gone to slaughter.
She was part of a nutty group of 12 heifers I bought from a retired vet that raised good calves until his wife left him .
After 4 more of this group wean their calves , I will have culled out 7 of the 12 just based on their temperment.Even though their phenotype is flawless.
I bought my original stock from him before I went out of the bison business and they were real calm and still are.