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12/28/10, 11:20 AM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Tana Mc: My rescued heifer (Pics)
Tana, I didn't want to hijack your thread, but wanted to share some pics of my heifer with you.
I bought her on Dec 21 last year. She was 3 months old and in bad shape. She was malnourished, parasite loads, mineral deficient (especially copper), very anemic, and weak.
Here she is 6 months later.
Her best pal last summer was a Holstein steer.
Last edited by Timberline; 12/28/10 at 06:59 PM.
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12/28/10, 11:27 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,441
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That is quite an improvement.
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12/28/10, 11:32 AM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Thanks, linn. I need to get some recent pics of her. She's filled out more and expecting her first calf this summer. She's bred to a real nice, very small Dexter bull (not a shortleg).
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12/28/10, 11:33 AM
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Dariy Calf Raiser
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 2,004
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Do we have to ask for a NOW PICTURE ?
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12/28/10, 11:41 AM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Yes, you do! I need to get some new ones taken. Here's one that I was taking of the cabin, but she goes everywhere she can follow me, so got in the picture, too. This was a couple months ago.
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12/28/10, 12:30 PM
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Apprentice in Christ
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: South Eastern OR
Posts: 1,284
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How neat, thank you for sharing! She has really improved.
__________________
Shara
"The only point to this life is to raise the children right."
~William K. Gilmore
"Being slightly paranoid is like being slightly pregnant - it tends to get worse."
~Molly Ivins
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12/28/10, 12:31 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ks
Posts: 1,012
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OH MY GRACIOUS!!! That is just miraculous! (sp??)--- you get my drift! LOL!! I absolutely LOVE the picture with the Holstiens.
I have another "little project" as my hubby calls them. A holstien heifer calf born during that really cold nasty weather a couple of weeks ago. Basically she froze.
I am going right now to take pictures of her..... the jury is still out on how successful this project is going to be.....
Maybe we should start a threads on these kinds of "projects" so we can keep a record and share how-to stuff. Hopefully it would not just be rescue/abuse stuff....... you know all kinds of interesting things happen when you have animals.
I don't have anybody nearby that is the least bit interested in my new calf pictures or the stories behind them. Hmmmmmmm--- you may have created a monster now that I know about photobucket!
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12/28/10, 02:37 PM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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I know what you mean, in my area, there are a few large beef cattle operations and most people live here in retirement or summer homes, and have no cattle at all. The ranchers think I'm nuts (they're probably right). In a big operation a heifer or cow like ours obviously wouldn't fit, too much investment in time and money for much profit. But on a homestead scale, they can make the best family milk cows. They seem to appreciate being in a place where they are cared for.
Do your know if the little Holstein heifer's hooves froze? It can take a long time to know if the hooves were frozen and will eventually slough off.
I am the worst with photobucket, constantly posting pics of the mountains and things. Luckily HT hasn't booted me off of here yet.
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12/28/10, 02:42 PM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tana Mc
I absolutely LOVE the picture with the Holstiens.
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Thanks. She slept on that steer all the time. He was very gracious and wouldn't get up until she did. He was sold a couple months ago and I thought she might pine for him but she didn't. She is currently sharing a corral and barn with an 8 month old heifer and has sort of adopted her. By the way, I named my heifer "Charity." It seemed to fit.
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12/28/10, 03:23 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ks
Posts: 1,012
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You guessed it--- I am watching her hind hooves. The swelling has gone down considerably, she does have feeling in them and she can walk.
It has been just over 2 weeks since she was born/frostbitten. Right around her ankles there are a few places that are seeping fluid but not blood.
Is this a high-jacking??!! LOL!!!
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12/28/10, 03:30 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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What would you feed a rescue animal in these cases to bring them back up to weight?
I know you would provide free access to minerals and water. What kind of feed and how much?
I know people have their different methods, just wondering which you chose and how well it worked?
Do you mind me asking here, or would you rather me start a new thread? The reason I posted here, was I was very impressed with your results. 
Last edited by wolffeathers; 12/28/10 at 03:32 PM.
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12/28/10, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ks
Posts: 1,012
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Access to all the grass hay they want. Grain is good and they need it but their rumens need to be full of fiber and functioning before giving them very much grain. I feed alfalfa hay sparingly because I am just cheap that way!! LOL! I also like to give a big dose of probios.
Everything that gets off of the trailer at my place is de-wormed before their hooves hit the ground.
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12/28/10, 03:48 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,231
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What probios do you give and how much? Also, where would you get it from.
I hear ya on the deworming. Everything here gets hit with a regular deworming, the only exception being the rabbits and the ducks.
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12/28/10, 04:14 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: the flat land of Illinois
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Chalk Creek,
we NEED to know your young beauty's name, please! pics are nice but we need names, too!
job well done.
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12/28/10, 05:29 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 1,706
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Wow, what a heart-warming, positive thread. Very nice to see this! Good luck with her and please post when she calves!!!
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12/28/10, 05:37 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: W Mo
Posts: 9,182
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You really turned her around! Congrats.
LOVE the "snuggling with steer" photo.
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12/28/10, 06:38 PM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cathleenc
Chalk Creek,
we NEED to know your young beauty's name, please! pics are nice but we need names, too!
job well done.
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Thank you. Her name is Charity.
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12/28/10, 06:46 PM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wolffeathers
What would you feed a rescue animal in these cases to bring them back up to weight?
I know you would provide free access to minerals and water. What kind of feed and how much?
I know people have their different methods, just wondering which you chose and how well it worked?
Do you mind me asking here, or would you rather me start a new thread? The reason I posted here, was I was very impressed with your results. |
I gave her free access to all the grass mix (about 10% alfalfa) hay she wanted. My vet "prescribed" a twice daily ration of soaked beet pellets (not shreds which have molasses), soaked alfalfa pellets, with a couple tablespoons of kelp and a couple handful of COB thrown in. She loved it and did very well on it. My vet also had me give her a few tubes (once a week for a month) of a super nutrition paste. I can't for the life of me recall the name of it right now, but I will look it up. The heifer was very anemic and the paste was to help her with that as much as anything. After a couple weeks when she was stronger, she was vaccinated with "Cattlemaster 4+VL5" and "Vision 8 with spur" vaccines. She had booster of these 4 weeks later, along with another worming. At 9 months she received her Bangs vaccination.
When she first got here my vet gave her an injectable vit B complex, vit K and a copper bolus and wormed her. She also drew blood for a BVD test. I waited on pins and needles and wouldn't let myself get my heart set on her until that negative result came. My vet is a wonderful person and played a huge part in this heifer's recovery. If I didn't live where there was a good vet, I think I'd have to move!
Last edited by Timberline; 12/28/10 at 07:01 PM.
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12/28/10, 10:33 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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Thank you so much for the detail you gave.
I was curious how much beet pellets you gave her? Did the vet recommend against the shreds? Is molasses a no-no, when trying to put weight on an animal? I do not feed sweet feed, I prefer regular pellets myself; but was curious about why you chose pellets over shreds. (Shreds are more common around here). I am curious simply because we have a cow we are trying to put weight on. We have her on horse quality bermuda hay and 17% goat pellets(the feedstore wanted to special order dairy feed, but at the price of about $13 a 50# bag, the goat feed is $9).
I would love to know what that paste is, if you find it. I was looking at the TSC site and found the tube of probios. They also have the Vit B complex, but they do not state if it is IM, IV, or a subq, do you recall?
You sound like you have a wonderful vet! I love the picture where the heifer is lounging against the steer.
Last edited by wolffeathers; 12/28/10 at 10:41 PM.
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12/29/10, 12:03 AM
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Keeper of the Cow
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,913
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wolffeathers
Thank you so much for the detail you gave.
I was curious how much beet pellets you gave her? Did the vet recommend against the shreds? Is molasses a no-no, when trying to put weight on an animal? I do not feed sweet feed, I prefer regular pellets myself; but was curious about why you chose pellets over shreds. (Shreds are more common around here). I am curious simply because we have a cow we are trying to put weight on. We have her on horse quality bermuda hay and 17% goat pellets(the feedstore wanted to special order dairy feed, but at the price of about $13 a 50# bag, the goat feed is $9).
I would love to know what that paste is, if you find it. I was looking at the TSC site and found the tube of probios. They also have the Vit B complex, but they do not state if it is IM, IV, or a subq, do you recall?
You sound like you have a wonderful vet! I love the picture where the heifer is lounging against the steer.
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The reason we didn't use shreds was because a lot of sugar (molasses) could have changed the ph of her rumen when she was so delicate. It probably wouldn't bother a healthy animal. I used about 50/50 beet and alfalfa pellets, maybe two cups of each before I soaked it (I didn't really measure, just put it in a big tupperware and soaked overnight). It expanded a lot! Then I added the COB and kelp. The Vit B was subq.
I do have a great vet. I worked for her for 2 years and she was my vet for several years before that. We've become friends over the years.. She lives 2 miles from me, which is very convenient.
I've used the soaked pellets for other animals, too, mostly to keep weight on my milking animals. It worked great for my milk goats, too.
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