Dead calf possibly cause?

opportunity · #1 12/01/12, 05:54 PM

I went out to feed today and found that my youngest calf died, she was laying in the bushes on the other side of the fence then the rest of the herd (about 30 animals).
She was 2.5 months old her mother is a herford heifer and the dad was an angus. She looked fine to days ago when I last checked them all out no sign of illness or anything she was running around with the others.
There is a small spot of blood (less then the size of a pencil eraser) on her back end about 2 inches form her butthole and a small amount of blood on the ground below that where she was laying about 3 inch area with splats of red. No other abnomalitis just looked like she was sleeping.
Wolfs and other wild life are around but they usually eat what they kill.
Weather has been mild in the 40's during the days and dropping to just below freezing at night.

agmantoo · #2 12/01/12, 05:57 PM

Gun shot maybe?

opportunity · #3 12/01/12, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Gun shot maybe?

I will have to atopsy to tell might be if it is I will be even more upset it was my favorite calf

G. Seddon · #4 12/01/12, 07:36 PM

Oh no!

Your vet can probably do an on-farm necropsy....or take the calf to a state lab and they'll do a necropsy. If you opt for one of these, you need to do it quickly.

Stray shot from a hunter?

topside1 · #5 12/01/12, 08:06 PM

If you could post a photo I'd could tell you if it's been gunshot...Topside

topside1 · #6 12/01/12, 08:15 PM

Without a photo it's just a guess, maybe the spine was hit....most animals will not just die from being hit in the rump/round....Topside

opportunity · #7 12/01/12, 08:25 PM

I got a better look when I went out with our my toddler, the wound is very shallow and small so it can't be a gun shoot so now I'm stumped.

G. Seddon · #8 12/02/12, 07:12 AM

Hopefully, it's not any type of disease. But you won't know unless you have the animal examined by a vet who can take tissue samples for analysis if necessary. And if I had 30 other animals, that is what I would do.

Jay · #9 12/02/12, 09:39 AM

If you watch the Alaska Frontier show, he butchered a cow that was head butting and injuring calves. He'd found a calf that was injured/down, as he tried to help the calf up, this cow head butted the calf right in front of him. It clicked in his head of how previous calves 'injuries' were probably caused by this cow.

Just an idea for you.

myersfarm · #10 12/02/12, 10:30 AM

Fast acting Pneumonia. with the tempature change.....they are hard to spot