Rosemary has a cough...

OntheMountain · #1 08/14/14, 02:27 PM

Hello All!

Just over a week ago, we brought home our first cow - a small two-year-old Jersey named Rosemary and her seven-week-old bull calf, whom we named Bayleaf.

I have one slight concern with Rosemary - whilst I am milking her in the morning, she will generally cough a couple times. Nothing major, just one or two 'bouts' with no more than three individual coughs each time. It is a dry cough. It doesn't sound hacking or bad, though I do feel her lurch a little as she coughs.

It is generally just after she finishes up her feed. Her previous owner (who has been FABULOUS about answering all my many queries!) says neither Rosemary nor her herdmates were/are coughing at her place, and is slightly concerned. She thinks it is likely due to mouldy feed, so Sunday I started her on a new sack, although I couldn't smell any mould in the old one.

I'm not sure if the cough has improved since then. I don't think her calf has it - I have heard him cough ONCE in the eleven days we have had them. Any ideas? Rosy's milk production is GREAT (1 1/2gal plus a pint in the morn, the rest to the calf) and she seems perfectly healthy, so lungworm doesn't seem to be a contender.

Thank you in advance!

aoconnor1 · #2 08/14/14, 08:34 PM

Per a thread that just had this topic, it could well be that Rosemary is hacking up cud to chew. If she has no other sypmtoms and is eating/drinking well, I don't think there are any worries.

Hopefully someone with more experience will answer...and that is what they say as well.

idigbeets · #3 08/15/14, 05:29 AM

Yep that's pretty normal, our cows do that too from time to time.

G. Seddon · #4 08/15/14, 06:23 AM

You might also take her temperature....normal should be about 101.5....much higher than that would indicate something's going on.

New (to you) cow and calf! We must have photos! And please tell us where you are?

OntheMountain · #5 08/15/14, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aoconnor1

Per a thread that just had this topic, it could well be that Rosemary is hacking up cud to chew. If she has no other sypmtoms and is eating/drinking well, I don't think there are any worries.

Hopefully someone with more experience will answer...and that is what they say as well.

Well, I have read that, so I have been eagle-eyeing her when she coughs, and I can't see her bringing up/chewing any cud at the time. I'm not sure how obvious it is with cows, but with my goats you could see the cud travel up their throats!

I'm in NW AR. I'll see if I can add pics sucessfully...Rosy Posy looks pretty skinny and bony in photos. She IS bony, but not THAT bony. We have loads more grazing than her previous home, so I'm hoping she'll put on some fat!

OntheMountain · #6 08/15/14, 07:01 AM

Proud little Bayleaf.

aoconnor1 · #7 08/15/14, 07:34 AM

They are beautiful! What a cute little calf, he looks great! They both have a soft eye...Hoping you find the answer for Rosy Posy:-)

OntheMountain · #8 08/15/14, 10:41 PM

Just an update...I checked whilst milking her this morn, and she definitely did NOT bring up or chew any cud after coughing. :-/

idigbeets · #9 08/16/14, 05:34 AM

How dusty is the hay you're feeding while milking?

Got a stethoscope handy to listen to her lungs?

OntheMountain · #10 08/16/14, 12:58 PM

idigbeets - she doesn't get any hay whilst I'm milking - she is having grain (14% cattle feed) during milking and is on pasture. I keep offering her hay but she doesn't want it. She chows down on that grass and vacuums up her grain though, so no appetite problems. I haven't got a stethoscope, though. I've been looking for a thermometer but my local feed store needs to order one in.

idigbeets · #11 08/17/14, 05:13 AM

If you cut back on the grain, she'll take the hay. Not sure what else to tell you about the cough... could be the start of a number of things, but without any other symptoms I dunno =/

G. Seddon · #12 08/17/14, 07:48 AM

Sometimes ordering online is faster than waiting on the feed store:

Valley Vet:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...as=thermometer

Rosy and Bayleaf (love that name) are very pretty!

OntheMountain · #13 08/17/14, 07:18 PM

G.Seddon - thank you for that link! The thermometers being sold locally vary from $8-$26! I think I will browse some other prices there. I had a digital rectal thermometer for the goats I had previously (just a regular one from the children's first aid supplies!), and suddenly realized that was NOT going to be any use for the cows.