I’ve spent the afternoon watching a cow slowly dying. I just checked her again, not long now. Disgust barely begins to describe what I feel right because it was not necessary! She is dying because of out right neglect.
Most of you have heard my rants over the last 2 years about my great nephew who we turned the cattle operation over to. No point in rehashing all the things that led to this but he’s been a total failure as a cattleman.
I first noticed this cow last Monday. I told dad then she’d be dead before thanksgiving if things didn’t change. Frankly I got distracted by another young cow with a calf that was in worse shape than this black cow.
This black cow has a calf that should weigh 200-225lbs. I doubt the calf weighs 140lbs.
Anyway, I noticed the cow was down about noon, called the nephew. He doesn’t take calls from either dad or I anymore, just have to leave a message.
A cow that goes down like this almost never lives. But I did what I could to save her anyway. She was laying on the upper side of a terrace in the depression with her feet pointed up the hill. A weak/sick cow can’t get up from that position. She hasn’t got the strength to roll her body up the hill to get her feet underneath her. Also, in this position their breathing is restricted. Sometimes their lungs begin to slowly fill with fluid.
I took the tractor over, using a rope I pulled her out of the depression onto the peak of the terrace. I then rolled her over so her feet were now pointing downhill.
It was the best I could do. At that point it’s up to the cow and her will to live. I was hoping being better able to breath would allow her to regain a little strength.
That boy show up about 5pm. He took her a 5gal bucket of water and dumped some feed on the ground then left saying he be back later to check on her and if necessary put her down. What was he thinking? The cow can’t lift her head to drink out of a bucket, stupid.
I went back over just before dark. I kept hearing a calf bawl. It was hers. It took me a half hour to “herd” him to his momma. I had to be careful with him, he’s already spooked, upset. I didn’t try to drive him, just walk him. I just kept moving to locations where he’d see me then calmly decide which way he wanted to go, which of course was towards his momma who couldn’t answer his bawls. Anyway, they are together now. I moved him for his protection. Right now the herd stays on the other side of the farm. If a coyote came by that calf would be dead in minutes. A coyote will hesitate if a cow were present.
The first pic last monday, she’s about 350lbs under weight.
The rest of the pics, how I found her, next dad untying her so we could roll her over. The last is the calf I was moving after dark, can barely make out the black calf. (I had to artificially increase the photo brightness so it looks washed out)
Most of you have heard my rants over the last 2 years about my great nephew who we turned the cattle operation over to. No point in rehashing all the things that led to this but he’s been a total failure as a cattleman.
I first noticed this cow last Monday. I told dad then she’d be dead before thanksgiving if things didn’t change. Frankly I got distracted by another young cow with a calf that was in worse shape than this black cow.
This black cow has a calf that should weigh 200-225lbs. I doubt the calf weighs 140lbs.
Anyway, I noticed the cow was down about noon, called the nephew. He doesn’t take calls from either dad or I anymore, just have to leave a message.
A cow that goes down like this almost never lives. But I did what I could to save her anyway. She was laying on the upper side of a terrace in the depression with her feet pointed up the hill. A weak/sick cow can’t get up from that position. She hasn’t got the strength to roll her body up the hill to get her feet underneath her. Also, in this position their breathing is restricted. Sometimes their lungs begin to slowly fill with fluid.
I took the tractor over, using a rope I pulled her out of the depression onto the peak of the terrace. I then rolled her over so her feet were now pointing downhill.
It was the best I could do. At that point it’s up to the cow and her will to live. I was hoping being better able to breath would allow her to regain a little strength.
That boy show up about 5pm. He took her a 5gal bucket of water and dumped some feed on the ground then left saying he be back later to check on her and if necessary put her down. What was he thinking? The cow can’t lift her head to drink out of a bucket, stupid.
I went back over just before dark. I kept hearing a calf bawl. It was hers. It took me a half hour to “herd” him to his momma. I had to be careful with him, he’s already spooked, upset. I didn’t try to drive him, just walk him. I just kept moving to locations where he’d see me then calmly decide which way he wanted to go, which of course was towards his momma who couldn’t answer his bawls. Anyway, they are together now. I moved him for his protection. Right now the herd stays on the other side of the farm. If a coyote came by that calf would be dead in minutes. A coyote will hesitate if a cow were present.
The first pic last monday, she’s about 350lbs under weight.
The rest of the pics, how I found her, next dad untying her so we could roll her over. The last is the calf I was moving after dark, can barely make out the black calf. (I had to artificially increase the photo brightness so it looks washed out)
