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Barnyard Buddies:  Cow Question? Update!  |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 05:29:19 AM
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My older heifer Rose is limping on her back right hind leg. She is nursing a calf right now. She went straight from nursing one to nursing a new calf. She is looking really boney in the hips. Do you think she just needs worming or do you think all the nursing is just pulling her down. I have been feeding her cattle cubes high in protein every other day. We still have some grass out in the pasture as we have not had a hard freeze this year. Should I pin her and the baby up by them selves and start feeding her something else? I am worried about her.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
Edited by - Dorinda on Feb 04 2013 1:58:54 PM |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 08:23:10 AM
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Thanks Laura. But where do I get beet pulp?
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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wincrestnubians
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Jennifer
Ohio
USA
76 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 10:10:46 AM
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Sounds like she some grain....Increase her calories for the nursing calves.
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 10:47:29 AM
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Beet pulp pellets can usually be bought at the feed store. They come with or without molasses and in pellets or shredded. You will want to start with just 1 cup to 1/2 a large regular coffee can of water. Our horses get 7 cups morning and evening which makes a big ole bucket of soaked beet pulp twice a day. They also get the same amount of alfalfa pellets, but I don't know if you would give that much of either to a cow, especially not the alfalfa. Not sayin you couldn't just sayin I don't know cause I've never fed anything but hay and a little sweet feed to cows. But I do know a fellow who gives his cows beet pulp and he is pleased with what it does for them. Jennifer or one of the other ladies I would imagine knows more about how to feed cows especially dairy type cows.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.nmbarrelhorses.com
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 11:03:16 AM
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Thanks Laura for the info. I have someone coming by to look at her.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2013 : 11:04:31 AM
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I sure hope your xow gets better. Seems like a lot of us are going through something with our animals right now.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2013 : 07:47:43 AM
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we have had dairy cows now for about 6 years. when we want weight we feed alfalfa. you can also feed the beet pulp. the concern is to much to fast. the other is weight in the rumen of food. pictures are a big help. when she is done eating how many short ribs show on her left side. what kind of cow? i missed that. are you milking? soaking pellets is important. this time of year pastures are poor. i feed alfalfa for weight gain. it does raise cream content also. she will put some into her condition. my concern is where are her carbs coming from. she needs carbs. i would be feeding something she can use for energy. otherwise you will get into a negative state. ketosis can happen anytime in lactation. i always have ketone strips on hand to test my girls. if you are staying away from soy and corn then beet pulp and oat would be a good choice. i like a rolled oat. i find when i lower the food competition my girls do better. she may need to be separated for extra time to eat. just throwing ideas. hope this helps some. happy days to you.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2013 : 07:49:18 AM
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i wanted to add....how are you dealing with the limp? what is it about? i am wondering since it sounds like a different issue.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Farmgirl1131
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Kim
Viola
ID
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2013 : 10:46:32 AM
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Dorinda,
My first concern is the limp on her back leg. It does sound like you should be feeding her more or adding some supplements. Nursing, gestation and then nursing again, takes a lot out of a cow. Beet pulp is good. It is high in Fat but I think finding a feed that is high in fat and protein would be best. I would suggest going to the feed store and looking for the feed that have the highest crude protein (CP) and crude fat (CF). I have used Mare and Foal horse feed before when I had skinny cow that I wanted to get some weight on fast. The feed also has extra supplements for lactating animals. It does cost, like horse feeds costs. Remember to slowly increase the feed. Rich feeds can make a cow bloat easily. When I'm trying to put weight on an animal, I usually start with half a coffee can and work up to two a day over 10 day or so. If she is just on pasture, you could try feeding extra hay first to see if she starts to put on weight. If she is not putting on weight then you might worm her as well. We do first frost and last frost worming here in Idaho but worming regiments change a lot depending on where you live, with a warmer climate you have to worm more often.
About her leg. How long has she been limping? Have you looked at the hoof and the hock? Is there any swelling? Does she limp when putting the foot down or picking it up? Can you feel heat anywhere on the leg?
It may be as simple as a bruised hoof or it may not, if it persists for more than 3 or 4 days you will want to check it out more.
I would put her in a pen with the calf, you can increase her feed without increasing every ones feed. You could also separate her just for feeding times.
What breed is she?
Feel free to write back to me if you have any other questions,
Kim Jones
Livestock Manager
kimjones@maryjanesfarm.org
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2013 : 2:10:20 PM
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Okay so the cowboy came by and put her in a squeeze shoot. I bought her and a calf that came with her 3 years ago. The guy I bought her from said it was her first calf. So I was thinking she must be a young cow. Since then she has gave me 2 more calves. The cowboy said she is just an old cow. By looking at her teeth he estimated her to be about 14 years old. And the limping was just part of old age. I said really so the guy I bought her from must of told me a story about that being her first calf and all. So anyways I ask him should I breed her anymore? Or just retire her. He said he would still breed her or either send her to the market. But I love my cow (Rose). She was my first cow. I do not want to take her to the market. So my DH saids to me so what are you going to do just let her walk around till she dies. The cowboy saids it is up to me. He is bringing a bull in next month to breed the other heifers. He said just go ahead and breed her again. I don't know what to do. She is nursing a calf right now. Oh he also wormed her and put fly stuff on her back. Oh well poor Rose.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4313 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4313 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2013 : 2:40:18 PM
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good luck with your cow. I hope she does okay for you, on whatever you decide to do. It is hard to get rid of animals. But if she is hurting or having problems, sometimes you got to. Unless you plan to keep her till she goes to cow heaven. If she is that old, and limping, not sure I would let a bull breed her, but that is up to you. good luck
Michele |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2013 : 7:05:00 PM
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Dorinda with my horses I breed them every other year. Or even less. I provide retirement for my old horses and being a rancher's daughter I do so understand the business aspect. It's a hard decision but I would say that one the one hand you might not want your hubby working to support an aged animal, on the other hand you might not want her to go through the horror of being hauled off to a strange place and killed. But a couple of other options are for hubby to shoot her and bury her on your place if you have enough land and a friend with a back hoe, or to have her put down at the vet's office and pay them to dispose of the body probably about 500 dollars. Or maybe she could be put down with a shot at your place and buried. They have to be buried because the drug that puts them down can kill anything that eats the body and one can get fines if an eagle or something dies from it. And of course the option of keeping her till she dies and go ahead and breed her just not so often. You could just skip this year and see how she is next year. I'm just giving you some ideas about some other options. If you sell her there is nothing wrong with that. It is love for the well being of your family. If you want to keep her till she dies there is nothing wrong with that either and no one should judge you about that. Some animals are just special and that is the way it is. Be true to your heart Hon. Decide when you are ready to and not before, and feel confident in that.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 06:17:29 AM
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i still hold to my post. pics are needed. there are a lot of cows over 14 still calving. if she has had the limp for a while it may be nothing. if she holds condition well and calves easy i would breed her. we would breed her for warm spring day calf. cows live a long time and can be productive to the end. i have a 2 teat cow here. belle is my best cow only with 2 teats. she is a rescue. i treat her for her special needs. if her leg is causing pain it could be arthritis. you could give her cow asprin on her tougher days. if you dont milk give her a calf. hope this helps you out some. happy days to you sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 06:45:09 AM
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Thank You girls for the info. I am not sure what kind of cow she is. Here is a picture of her maybe you can tell me. I am trying to learn this. They probably told me and I forgot. I am going to have to start keeping a journal on this. Kim there was no swelling on the leg or hoof. I am going to separate her and the calf for a while from the rest of the herd. Laura we have a backhoe and I am good friends with a large animal vet if we have to put her down. We would bury her here on the property.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3139 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3139 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 12:42:07 PM
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I am a dairy farmer not a beef farmer, but based on the picture your cow doesn't look too skinny to me. (Again - I am used to dairy cows so other opinions may be different). I would say Rose is very happy to be on your farm. I understand how hard it is to get rid of animals - they become part of the family. It's even harder when they were born and raised on your farm. We don't like to get rid of them unless we have to either. If it's just old age and Rose is still holding her own within the herd I would say go ahead and try breeding her again. If she is getting pushed around too much by the other cows so she can't get enough to eat or is having problems getting up I would not breed her again. Good luck.
Farmgirl Sister #4701 |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 1:40:26 PM
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She looks like a cow I use to have and she was a beef cow. She was a Limousin/red angus cross. I do not think she looks thin. Her ribs are covered and she looks like a pretty nice cow. We had an older cow that was limping and she had fallen at some point and partially dislocated her hip. If you stood behind her you could see the difference in the hips and the vet told us thats what it was. I can't tell by looking at her but she looks pretty good but if she is getting pushed when grain is fed try to feed her seperately.
Good luck to you.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 1:57:50 PM
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Oh Linda that picture was taken a while back. Last year....
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 1:59:33 PM
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I will go out and see if I can get a more recent picture of her. Sorry for that.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 3:22:06 PM
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Okay I will check back with you later.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 4:25:32 PM
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Okay here's a pic. I took of her today. She was walking toward me.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 6:33:44 PM
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Wow now I see why you are so worried. She is really thin and looks like she is not feeling well. I am sorry this is happening to your cow. Did you have a vet access her yet? He may be able to diagnose and help you figure out what your next course of action should be.
But for now I would definately give her some grain with a dairy pellet in it. Maybe put her somewhere where she does not have to compete for food. Maybe some extra hay.If she is an old cow maybe its best to let her retire. If she is not an old cow I would be worried about John's disease which is a wasting disease in cattle and goats and hits them when they are older. They usually have loose poop at this point. But I would consult a vet to see what he thinks is best for your cow. Let me know how things go with her. Goodluck and I sure do hope she improves. She has a sweet face for sure.
Tomorrow when you have some light check and see if her gums and eye membranes are pink and have good color. Sometimes when they are run down the worms tend to take hold. If she is pale maybe give her a safe wormer like safeguard to help her out.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Feb 05 2013 6:35:58 PM |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 6:55:55 PM
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We wormed her this past weekend. Yea I think I am going to call my friend she is a large animal vet. Just to be safe.
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2013 : 05:02:09 AM
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Good luck and keep me posted. Its nice your friend is a large animal vet.I hope she has some answers for you. Take care.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Barnyard Buddies: Cow Question? Update! |
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Cow Question? Update!
