Yearling Issue

InvalidID · #1 02/17/12, 04:31 PM

One of my Holstein yearlings was down, and I thought he was dead. Laying on his side, head stretched out, front leg kinda twitching. I thought, dang lost my 2nd one.

So as I'm walking over I said his name and he starts spazzing out. He can't get up but he's wiggling like mad. I run over to help him, all I had to do was push him a little and he gets right up. He seemed a little out of it for a few seconds, he's rubbing on me and being real friendly. Then goes back to eating like nothing ever happened. He appears fine now.

So, what was that about?

pancho · #2 02/17/12, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvalidID

One of my Holstein yearlings was down, and I thought he was dead. Laying on his side, head stretched out, front leg kinda twitching. I thought, dang lost my 2nd one.

So as I'm walking over I said his name and he starts spazzing out. He can't get up but he's wiggling like mad. I run over to help him, all I had to do was push him a little and he gets right up. He seemed a little out of it for a few seconds, he's rubbing on me and being real friendly. Then goes back to eating like nothing ever happened. He appears fine now.

So, what was that about?

Was the sun shining?
He was probably asleep.

InvalidID · #3 02/17/12, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

Was the sun shining?
He was probably asleep.

It was like 2pm and I've never seen a cow sleep with it's legs splayed out in front of it before.

myersfarm · #4 02/17/12, 05:21 PM

I have seen them SUN ON THERE SIDE ALL FOUR STICKING OUT

my Horse is so good at it,,scares the %%%% out of me...I had a few calfs that did it for a few months but stopped it as they got older....

myersfarm · #5 02/17/12, 05:22 PM

Mine also have got caught with there feet up hill and can not get up...does not take that much of a hill or hay pile

pancho · #6 02/17/12, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvalidID

It was like 2pm and I've never seen a cow sleep with it's legs splayed out in front of it before.

Just enjoying the warm sun.

InvalidID · #7 02/17/12, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

Just enjoying the warm sun.

It's wet and chilly. I think Meyers is right, I think he kinda rolled over too far. He couldn't get up when I went out there. He was on a slight hill, though I wouldn't have thought it was too much for him until Meyers mentioned it.

pancho · #8 02/17/12, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvalidID

It's wet and chilly. I think Meyers is right, I think he kinda rolled over too far. He couldn't get up when I went out there. He was on a slight hill, though I wouldn't have thought it was too much for him until Meyers mentioned it.

If the sun is shining it doesn't matter if it is wet or chilly. The sun shines on their skin warming them up.
Have you ever heard of any livestock dying because they layed down on a hill? If they couldn't get up they would starve. I hacen't ever seen one do that yet.
Some areas there isn't anywhere else to lay down. It is either lay down on a hill or keep standing.

**gone-a-milkin** · #9 02/17/12, 07:01 PM

Absolutely I HAVE seen animals lay with their back and head downhill and be unable to right themselves.
They DO die.

It isnt a joke at all.

InvalidID · #10 02/17/12, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

Absolutely I HAVE seen animals lay with their back and head downhill and be unable to right themselves.
They DO die.

It isnt a joke at all.

I kinda thought so but I wasn't 100%. I think that's what happened here, I just happened along in time to save him. He clearly couldn't get up, as I described above. Just didn't seem worth arguing about.

**gone-a-milkin** · #11 02/17/12, 07:11 PM

I have a handful of personal experiences with this phenomenon.

The worst one was a neighbors Appaloosa gelding. His pasture was pretty steep and at the bottom was a 4 foot rock wall.

That horse got himself down with his back against that wall and his feet uphill and I found him the next morning.
He had clearly thrashed the heck out of the area and finally just panicked himself to death, or twisted a gut, something.
He had lived in that field for nearly 20 years.

pancho · #12 02/17/12, 07:23 PM

If an animal is blocked somehow it is possible for it to become stuck. Like a rock wall on one side and a hill on the other if the hill is steep enough. Seems like there is an old saying pretty close to that.
If it is just on a hill with its feet on the high side it won't get stuck unless there are other factors involved.
I grew up on a place where there wasn't room for a steer to lay down that was not uphill or downhill. The whole area was much like that. We had some animals die but never from having its legs on the uphill side.
If you have an animal; that does die from such a thing you need to take another look. There is another problem.

Most likely the steer was asleep enjoying the sun when he was scared by Invalid. It is possible to sneak up on a cow asleep like that and startle them, just like if you are sleeping and someone comes up on you and startles you.

**gone-a-milkin** · #13 02/17/12, 07:28 PM

Pancho, I am not going to argue with you but I do disagree.

myersfarm · #14 02/17/12, 07:39 PM

YES I have seen died calf with feet uphill. Out in the open. As I said before it does not take much of a hill. If they can not get feet under them selfs. The can not roll up to put feet under

tinknal · #15 02/17/12, 07:42 PM

My first thought before even reading a response was that he was laying down with his feet uphill.

InvalidID · #16 02/17/12, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

My first thought before even reading a response was that he was laying down with his feet uphill.

ONe of those, bet you won't do that again moments I think.

pancho · #17 02/17/12, 08:03 PM

An animal may die if it is too weak from other problems but just because it has its feet uphill won't kill them. With the effort of trying to get up the animal will move around to a position that will allow it to get up.
Things or condition may stop then but it won't be the hill alone.
Haven't you people ever seen a rodeo?
Ever caught and thrown a cow or calf?

myersfarm · #18 02/17/12, 08:27 PM

Pancho I think your right EVERY RODEO I EVER SEEN HAS A HILL RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THAT THEY THROW THE CALFS ON....

And I guess since you have not seen it ... it never happens.....

pancho · #19 02/17/12, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myersfarm

Pancho I think your right EVERY RODEO I EVER SEEN HAS A HILL RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THAT THEY THROW THE CALFS ON....

And I guess since you have not seen it ... it never happens.....

Like I said earlier there are many pastures where there is no level ground. It is either uphill or downhill every single inch. Notice when you see cattle laying down they all do not all point in the same direction. All cattle laying the wrong way do not die. Also a cows leg bends in the middle on the front. They are not stiff. It is possible for a healthy cow to get up on their front legs even if the rear doesn't work.

myersfarm · #20 02/17/12, 09:29 PM

Pancho said It is possible for a healthy cow to get up on their front legs even if the rear doesn't work.

JUST how many cows have you seen get up...a cow moves her head to swing herself up on her FOLDED front legs PUSHING WITH HER HIND LEGS...NO cow can get up if her REAR LEGS DO NOT WORK

I think I need to stop now it is clear to me and everyone that owns a cow