Calves and trash

BobbyB · #1 12/17/13, 07:55 PM

This is just a sort of FYI for ant raising calves. The trash involved with my calf may not be the same as some one else's, but you never know.

I came home from work today and our Holstein steer calf who is about 8 weeks old now was laying by the fence. He is in a trap just over an acre in size planted in oats with a strip of trees and brush along one side.

I noticed he was laying normal and appeared to be chewing his cud. He's syill getting a bottle twice a day, ut he grazes and eats feed, so, I didnt think much of it until I noticed he had foamy slobbers coming out of both sides of his mouth. Karla looked and slobber was floating all over the water in his trough.

He came to us wanting his bottle, but never stopped the chewing and his breathing was raspy. I watched him a minute and was running possibilites thru my mind and went in and he came up to suck my finger. I could see something green in the back of his mouth and when he took my finger I touched it before he pulled away.

I caught him and threw and pinned him down and reached into his mouth and grabbed what I thought was a wad ofr oats or weeds , leaves or something, but when I pulled it out it was about 16" long , a knot on the top end and long strands trailing down that had been down his throat.

I thought it was from an old rug or something. But after closer inspection, I realized it was a length of what we call mule tape which is a flat poly strap used to pull cable thru electrical and telephone conduits. I have a roll and I use it for various things around here. I guess I had dropped this piece and it was grown up and I had never seen it. But he obviously found it and decided to give it the taste test.

Anyway, lesson learned, he's fine and I'll have to keep an eye out a bit closer for junk like that.

Like I said, just an FYI for those raising calves that may have access to stuff not necessarily good for them.

Raymond James · #2 12/17/13, 08:12 PM

I had a hog 220 lbs find a compression ring ( the metal adjustable ring that is on a radiator hose) . It was over his snout and making it hard for him to eat and drink.

Came off easy enough after he was cast. Unfortunately no video to put on Americas funniest. Not fun for me or the hog but the crowd watching had a ball. Evidently big time hog wrestling is hilarious.

Glad you found it hope your calf is ok.

Oakshire_Farm · #3 12/17/13, 11:30 PM

I find that calves I have raised have a knack for bailing twine! They love the stuff, if I had something tied together with it they will find a loose end and suck and chew on it!!! If I do not catch then in time they will chew it off then I find them in the same situation you explained!

I should add a HUGE pet peeve of mine is bailing twine laying around, but I do use it to fix just about anything. So it is tied up in many places around the farm so it is easy to get to when needed.

haypoint · #4 12/18/13, 01:00 PM

I heard of a guy that had a metal scrap pile in his pasture. When China drove up the value of iron, he hauled it to the scrap yard. Well most of it. He left the batteries for another time. The lead killed a couple, the other 15 were on annual tests as their lead levels go down to zero. Been 4 or 5 years and all but one is cleared.

Waiting Falcon · #5 12/18/13, 01:16 PM

Have never figured out how the heifer got what looked like a tuna can with out top or bottom on her pastern just above her hoof.... had to cut it off there was no way it would go over her hoof.

nosqrls · #6 12/18/13, 02:17 PM

I hate when neighbors trash ends up in the pasture. Mainly walmart bags caught calves a couple of times trying to eat them.

Wolfy-hound · #7 12/18/13, 05:42 PM

I read once about a cow that got a golf ball stuck between some teeth or something. Some people were thinking rabies or something dire, but the vet just ended up popping it out and the cow was fine.

My neighbor called me once to come help her with her mustang. She left the hose laying in the pen, and he managed to get it AROUND his body and tied in a knot. Still not sure how.

BobbyB · #8 12/18/13, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfy-hound

I read once about a cow that got a golf ball stuck between some teeth or something. Some people were thinking rabies or something dire, but the vet just ended up popping it out and the cow was fine.

My neighbor called me once to come help her with her mustang. She left the hose laying in the pen, and he managed to get it AROUND his body and tied in a knot. Still not sure how.

That would have been Ben K Green in the Village Horse Doctor. He talked about a young vet that was scared to put his hand in the cow's mouth. He pried the ball out with a screw driver and then flushed the socket out with a water hose.

I was thinking about that very story when I went in to see what I could feel in his mouth.

Calves are worse than goats in my opinion. They have to mouth/taste everything

Wolfy-hound · #9 12/18/13, 08:30 PM

THANK YOU! I've been trying to think of the title to that book for years. Google never seemed ot help me out since I couldn't get enough data to come up with the book. Now maybe I can find another copy since I rreally liked that book!

BobbyB · #10 12/18/13, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfy-hound

THANK YOU! I've been trying to think of the title to that book for years. Google never seemed ot help me out since I couldn't get enough data to come up with the book. Now maybe I can find another copy since I rreally liked that book!

Off topic I guess , but I have all of his books except the study on horse colors.

He was a colorful character in his youth and thru out his life.

DamnearaFarm · #11 12/21/13, 09:11 PM

LOVE Ben K Green!

Miss Kay · #12 12/22/13, 04:00 PM

With the wind around here, bags and trash travel for miles. I never know what I might find in our pastures. I just hope I find it before they do!