Bred heifer question

Terry W · #1 12/01/07, 08:56 AM

My Amish neighbor got some heifers back he had taken to another farm to get bred, and one heifer is in some sort of trouble.

First, she is underweight-- not something Isaac is very happy about. She is getting extra rations and gaining at a nice rate.

Second, she came back with sores over the boniest parts of her hip structures. They seem to be drying up and starting to heal. her coat is thin, not growing in a winter coat.

Third--Her bag is developing, and the right front quarter is hard and slightly warm. Isaac is treating her with penicillin, and it is getting better. I am thinking that using something infused maybe a better way to go, as there is a problem with her back legs--

Fourth... Her left rear leg, seems to be tender, to her, below the hock-- she will pick it up if I touch it. She does not like bearing weight on it, and is rocking her weight back and forth between the two legs. I told Isaac the percieved mastitis would be causing her discomfort when putting weight on the right rear leg, so she shifts to the left, and then the left leg, possibly her foot, is casuing her pain, so she shifts back to the right.

I will be going over this evening, and we will do a thorough cleaning of the feet to see if anything is causing a problem with the hoof itself. I am thinking of going ahead and getting a teat infuser and some mastitis medication for the one quarter before I leave town. This cow had no issue with me, a stranger, touching and prodding her all over yesterday. Compared to the other cows in the herd, she looks like Twiggy with an added 20 pounds. She is not wanting to go outside, and in this cold, that is probably good, as the current cold would cause her to need a lot more food in order to gain weight.

Ralph in N.E.Oh · #2 12/02/07, 05:17 AM

Pull her off the drugs, get some weight on her then butcher her. If she has this many problems before even starting into the milking string, you're just asking for trouble. She is a cull you don't want her genetics in the herd anyway. If Isiach has her mother, check her out and see what a troublemaker she is as far as "high maintainence"

SHELBY · #3 12/02/07, 09:13 AM

I am wondering if maybe she got pushed around a little bit by the other cows, and wasn't able to get to the feed. Or loosing weight due to parasites.

The bull could have caused the hip sores and leg problems if he was too big for her. I would think.

agmantoo · #4 12/02/07, 11:06 AM

Sounds to me as if she is a parasite host. The hide sores are from lice and the weight loss and hair coat problems due to internal parasites.

luvrulz · #5 12/02/07, 11:19 AM

Sounds like the bull was a rough one. See how she mends and gains weight with the added attention - I wouldn't cull her yet! I've seen many come back with a little TLC and Issac might be happier with her overall!

Terry W · #6 12/04/07, 08:20 AM

She is gaining weight-- And I bought a tube of "Tomorrow" for her-- the mastitis is clearing up at a nosticeably faster rate, the past couple days. I could feel a difference in the mass size when I felt her up yesterday.

Isaac buys weaned heifers at auction, raises them, has them bred, then sells them as springers. He actually clears about 4K a month doing that. This is the first time he has bred a heifer to someone elses bull, though. He states, "Never Again"--

We discussed at length yesterday, the pros and cons of continueing to do as he has, especially since there are so few local dairy farms. The auction we went to yesterday (and didn't stay-- more buyers than animals, due to weather) was the best site I had seen yet-- and this is where he prefers to get heifers from-- better quality from the get-go.
There is a lOT I can learn form this old Amish farmer, but he is getting older, and it takes a longer time now to care for the animals. I offered to help, but that irritates him, as the 'boarder' on his property is supposed to be doing all the barn chores-- Ah well, the young lady in waiting is more comfortable.

I found no signs of skin parasites or fecal loads that would be considered 'unhealthy' by organic/natural standards. She is a nice 'little' cow-- actually talks to anyone who comes into the barn..