Gummer cow--advice?

Jan in CO · #1 09/03/09, 10:29 PM

Long story short, but three years ago, I bought a pregnant cow from the sale barn. Hereford/Angus cross, she was tame, but very thin. The vet told my husband 'good luck with that one' when he went to pick her up later that day. However, she was tame, and seemed to respond to good feed and kind treatment. She was preg checked and said to be 5 months along, and the auctioneer called her a full mouth cow. (Yeah, right) I haven't got a chute, so never checked.

She had that calf on schedule, took excellent care of him, and we bred her a few months later to an angus bull. That calf also arrived without any help from us, and has been doing well. The rancher that bred her the year before offered to do so again, so we took cow and calf to be put in a large section pasture with his cattle and bull. We would drive by and check on her every week, and see her in the distance with her calf, but couldn't get close as the gate was locked. Then last week, the rancher called and said we needed to 'gather her up and give her an antibiotic, as she was limping badly, and he felt she had hoof rot in a rear hoof'. With his help, we did get her loaded, treated and brought her home. She was in such poor condition, I was shocked! While in the chute, he checked her mouth and she had not a single tooth in her head! I felt terrible. She hadn't been able to eat much while in the pasture, and had lost a lot of weight.

Now, my question. Sorry to be so long winded. The rancher recommends selling her, cutting our losses and using the money to buy a younger heifer. I want to feed her back to health and let her have her calf, hoping for a heifer this time, then put her in the freezer, as I'd worry that someone else would buy her and put her in the pasture and she would starve to death. I know it's not a good way to do business, but we only have her and three calves, so I can afford the time to feed her good alfalfa torn up so she can eat it. Would feeding her beet pulp help put weight back on? Any other suggestions? Thanks, Jan in Co

Ronney · #2 09/04/09, 05:46 AM

Jan, if you want to keep her through this calving and rearing of same, your in for a long, expensive haul with feed as you are now coming into winter. Are you prepared for that? If you are, by all means keep her.

We have something called Chaffhage over here - finely cut hay, straw, molasses and heavens only knows what else but an excellent feed for your type of cow. Along with beet pulp, good quality hay, molasses, boiled crushed barley etc.

If she really is toothless, I wouldn't even comtemplate putting her in the freezer - she would likely as not relieve me of my teeth, but nor would I onsell her to somebody else as that is only passing on the problem. If she was fit enough to travel she would be sent to the works. Doesn't sound pleasant either but far better than starving and you will at least get some money back from her to invest in another cow.

Cheers,
Ronnie

dezeeuwgoats · #3 09/04/09, 09:41 AM

I am by no means an expert - but wouldn't she still be ok for hamburger? Granted, that's a lot of hamburger, but then I have a young family. It would get used.

farmmaid · #4 09/04/09, 09:54 AM

I think you are the only one to answer the question you are asking. You could buy a complete feed with pellets and soak beet pulp/and cubes. If you limited her survival stress............blanket her for the winter, bed her heavy, water and minerals, no stress to compete for feed, she should be able to hold her own until calving, hoping for a heifer. Remember, hay is also expensive to buy.
You also have to weigh the question: Is this potential heifer worth this and maybe a bull.
What would I do: blanket her and give her a chance..not practial if you are running a commercial herd. VERY doable if family cow or one of a few..........Keep us informed.

Trisha in WA · #5 09/04/09, 10:31 AM

farmmaid, I have never seen blankets for cows. Do they make such a thing or do you alter a horse blanket?
sorry, don't mean to steal the thread...just wondering.
Trisha

ErinP · #6 09/04/09, 10:56 AM

What you've done Jan is a fairly common practice. That of buying cheap, older cows, getting a few calves off her to start your herd and the selling her as a canner.
It's highly unlikely anyone will put her in the pasture to starve. More than likely she'd be bought as a canner cow and sent to IBP.

Now, all of that said, I'll give some experience.

We used to work on a ranch where the boss didn't believe in selling the old cows. We ran them until they died of old age. (Cows are productive far longer than I'd realize and will live to early 20s with no special care) Of course once they're old, they don't have teeth.

We wintered on corn stalks that had a lot of corn left behind. The gummers would pass a lot of corn straight through, but they must have absorbed a lot, too. Without fail, they'd lose condition on summer grass, and gain it on winter stalks.
So that'd be my advice if you're determined to keep her.
Keep a hot ration in front of her, as much as she wants...

farmmaid · #7 09/04/09, 11:30 AM

It is soooooooooo surprising how an animal kept warm can funnel their energy into improving their condition. Corn mash at bedtime would go a L-O-N-G way too in keeping her warm and putting on the weight.
You can modify a horse blanket, make one out of old light weight carpet. Something cheep so you can throw them out when they get dirty or wet. If they get soaked you need to take off and change out to another. Also need to check often for little critters that might also like the warm blanket.
This sounds like a LOT of work, if a family cow really isn't,. You get into a routine.
Put an ad in your pennysaver.Wanted: Old blankets for sick cow. They could be washed and reused. These blankets are NOT fancy, just something over her back and down her sides. Tied around her back hegs (high), sursingle around belly and closure in front

copperhead46 · #8 09/04/09, 07:57 PM

When she goes through the sale, they will mouth her and her age or a 0 will be on her tag. she will go as a canner/cutter. No one will buy her to take back home. I can't believe she'd be fit to butcher either, even for ground beef. I'd take her to the sale, if she's in that kind of shape, I'd wonder if she is even bred.
P.J.

Ronney · #9 09/05/09, 05:44 AM

Have any of you done a search for cow covers? I don't know where you would look - Tractor Supplied, saddelry outlets? We can buy them here and they come in various sizes to fit calves, Jersey's and the larger breeds. I don't have one but a friend has several, people showing cattle use them and they are used frequently in the winter in the South Island.

Cheers,
Ronnie

ErinP · #10 09/05/09, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copperhead46

When she goes through the sale, they will mouth her and her age or a 0 will be on her tag. she will go as a canner/cutter. No one will buy her to take back home. I can't believe she'd be fit to butcher either, even for ground beef. I'd take her to the sale, if she's in that kind of shape, I'd wonder if she is even bred.
P.J.

*chuckle*
You might be surprised.

Without fail, we'd have some crippled old cow that was a bag of leather-wrapped bones, come hobbling through the chute.
Please Doc. She's open right??

"Bred!"

*sigh*

agmantoo · #11 09/05/09, 09:51 AM

I had a mature cow that calved yearly but she was starting to have some teat problems (too large). I knew she was bred. A woman barber was telling me she wanted to get started in having cattle and I told her that I was going to cull the cow after giving birth and weaning. The lady said she wanted to buy the cow and calf and would I let the cow get rebred. I said yes as the cow was sound but told her she may have to bottle feed. No problem was the answer. It has now been 3 calves later and she still has the cow. The cow is getting advanced in age and the teats are enormous now. I spoke with the lady when I got my last haircut and reminded her that she was to have sent the cow to market a couple of years ago. She keeps telling me that will happen but it has not. I concern myself with when the cow actually goes down who will be the one that gets credit for selling a defective animal.

Jan in CO, from the practical point of view send the animal to market. She will sell for ~ 40 cents per pound and you can get a replacement. If the cow goes down this Winter you will be faced with vet bills, frustration and finally disappointment and still end up disposing of her, either in an expensive hole or at a sale.

copperhead46 · #12 09/05/09, 09:56 PM

Erin, I know exactly what you mean, I have an old Dexter, 14, that I saw the bull breed all winter, she never settled, so I was going to butcher her, but thought, what the heck, I'll have her preg tested. Yep, 6 months along, but, she is in good shape.
P.J.

ErinP · #13 09/06/09, 12:44 PM

DH got to the point that, for the sake of curiosity, he'd call the vet when a cow would die to have him run her Bang's tag to see when she was vaxxed. We had a lot of cows that were 18-21 years old!!

Not all of them were still producing at those ages of course, but several of them were.