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Barnyard Buddies:  cow question  |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 1:32:31 PM
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butter bucket, our dexter cow, is doing something weird. we are not sure if she is bred but could be about 7 months along. she has not appeared "dry" (her teats have stayed thick and full looking. she has a very small udder)but now she is picking up her hind leg and licking her udder. she has never done this before so just wondering what it might mean? i know we could get her vet checked but that is cost prohibitive. the vet charges $500 plus milage (we are 30 miles out)to just show up. then she charges for checking her and probably would want to sedate her since she is pretty wild yet. any ideas?
today we are making a small pen to "corner" her in. she has a halter on that is getting way to small and we have to take it off! she has gained alot of weight since we got her. she never had grain where she was and was pushed away from the hay alot by the angus cattle that she was pastured with. wish us luck!! peace connie in alaska |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 1:54:02 PM
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Connie:
Give the Farm Site a chance. Someone will come along and give you a great response. Sorry, I can't. I do feel for the cow. If that were my cow, I would give that certain area a good bath. I don't think that would hurt. The cow may get some relief.
I'll be checking back in to see if you find some kind person to give you good advice.
Have a happy day!
Marly |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 2:10:19 PM
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| thanks marly. i would give her a good washing and brushing if i could get near her! we are hoping once we have this pen up where she can be "cornered" that we can start taming her a bit. right now you cant get within arms length of her! its gonna be really interesting to milk her when she does come fresh! i knwkow for a while it will taek 2 of us for milking time unless she tames down a whole big bunch! peace connie in alaska |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 3:08:49 PM
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Hi Connie!
I don't own cows, but I have worked at a vet clinic before. Was she recently weaned from a calf? You might want to call the vet and ask for some over-the-phone advice. Also I would suggest since she is now loving her grain, to tame her using the grain bucket. Get her cornered in your pen that you are building and when you give her the grain, stand there and talk to her until it is all gone. each day do that and call to her as you are walking up with the grain. Soon she will associate you and your voice with grain. And since grain=goodness you should soon be her favorite person. Hopefully you can toss a rope over her neck one night and get the small halter off. If you haven't been able to measure you can make a temporary rope halter. Here is a link on how-to:
http://www.ansci.umn.edu/practical-techniques/pg51-56.pdf
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 3:34:04 PM
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Connie:
Keep us posted on your cow. I'd like to know if she is getting better. I sure hope she does.
Alee always gives such wonderful information.
Happy day to you, and to the cow, too.
Marly |
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ranchmama
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Elise
Rosebud
MT
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 4:20:42 PM
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Hi Connie,
I asked my husband, he knows more about cows than I do and we live on a cattle ranch... and he says that if she has had a calf, she could still be lactating and she is licking herself, tasting her own milk. Or if she is bred right now, same thing. She is making milk and her bag is filling up and she is liking herself because her milk is flowing and she can taste it. Cows are wierd like that!
hope this helps
Elise |
Edited by - ranchmama on Jul 26 2008 4:21:47 PM |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 4:43:24 PM
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| thank you all so much! her calf was taken off her about 2 months ago at about 14 months of age. we are praying that she is bred and hopfully about 6-7 months. we are gonna check her belly when we get her cought. we have a new halter for her which i hope fits! i dont want to traumatize her anymore than we have to. everyday when we feed grain (twice daily) we stand out there and talk to them all for a good 30 minutes. we have actually been watching carefully to see any signs of heat which we havent! she will come up like she wants attention but will not get within arms reach. we had the pen up yesterday without a gate and fed here there. she goes in pretty good but when we would try to push the poles across to keep her in she would leave quickly. hubby almost has the gate finished and we will be able to close it by "remote" with a rope around a tree and us standing far away from the pen. as long as she lets her greed get the best of her she should be cought lol. then the trick is to get the old halter off and the new one on. once we get her tied hubby will give her loves and if she isnt too wild so will i. poor thing has had trauma after trauma since we came into her life. heck i cant blame her for not liking us when we walked her behind the 4 wheeler 3 miles home! i am sure with time and patience she will come around. i will post after we catch her and let you kmow if we feel a baby in there *grin* keep your fingers crossed! oh i thought about putting the lasso on the ground around the feed pan to catch her if nothing else works! peace connie in alaska |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2008 : 9:36:51 PM
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I was thinking the same as Elise.
If you are patient I bet she will calm down and want to be your friend eventually...good luck!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2008 : 07:14:17 AM
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| wwe got her in the pen and once hubby got a hold on her halter she was sweet as can be. we got the halter changed with out any problems and we both tried checking from the outside to see if we could feel anything in there. we are not sure but possibly! her udder and teats are nice an soft like they should be so no mastitus! it is really weird that when we let go of her halter she quit being sweet and went back to her old self *sigh* i wonder if we will ever get her back in that pen. she woudlnt even eat her grain there which we had withheld all day to use as bait. a neighbor stopped by with her 2 yr old child and that crazy cow let her actually touch her nose! our next project is to get her stanchion built so that she can start getting used to that. oh by the way, we put a small calf halter on her and its almost too big!! it looks really pretty on her. brown cow with bright blue halter *grin*. thanks again for all the imput! we have so much to learn! peace connie in alaska |
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kelliraeb
Farmgirl in Training
29 Posts
kelli
Michigan
29 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 1:10:08 PM
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| Connie, sounds like you are having a real time of it with your cow. I can't help but laugh a little when I read your posts. I am sure you will win her over eventually, but it sounds like it is going to be a while... |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 1:16:06 PM
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Connie- It sounds like she might just need to learn to trust you. I would suggest getting a good curry comb and horse brush. Next time you catch, spend a good half hour brushing her (if she seems to like it...if not maybe just a quick brush). The most stand offish horse that ever dealt with turned to butter under my hands as I was grooming her and she then only let me catch her in the corral!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 2:50:31 PM
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Mona loves those stiff rubber curry things...all over her back and sides. The black oval ones with the strap on back for your hand.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 8:25:31 PM
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| i do have one of those brushes jenny. that is gonna be our next "experiment" *grin* once she is cought she seems to be fine its jus thte catching her. i know it will take time. i am just a bit impatient! we are still hoping she is pg. hubby said next time wwe catch her he is gonna take a stethescope and see if he can hear anything then compare that to our other cow who is definately not bred and compare lol. hey if nothing else we are "resourceful"! will let you know what happens. peace connie in alaska |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 9:24:34 PM
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Hey...I am never able to do this right myself..but on my favorite family cow website www.keepingafamilycow.com in the tree of knowledge section of the forum there are instuctions for "bumping" a cow to see if she is pregnant..something about pushing somewhere and the calf pushes back I think. I am not coordinated enough to do it right..but maybe you are..there are even pictures if I remember right!! check it out!!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 10:16:09 PM
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| thanks jenny. i am heading there now to check it out! peace connie in alaska |
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Barnyard Buddies: cow question |
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cow question
