Just Killed a Calf

Ken Scharabok · #1 03/25/05, 07:24 PM

Calf is out of what may be my best cow. She has had 6-7 for me already and has always let me approach soon after birth. This one she would get up and head across the field. Calf didn't look healthy first time I saw it and I couldn't tell if it had nursed at all (cow has huge bag but small tits). This morning I brought her and the calf up to the corral as the calf seemed very weak. Tubed it this AM and afternoon and then decided to try bottle this evening. Calf seemed to be getting it down, but almost immediately afterwards started spitting milk out its nose. Apparently it took a goodly part of the milk replacer in her lungs. Died within minutes. Wish now I had tubed her until she started sucking strongly.

Seldom do calves like this make it, but...

Ken Scharabok

LuckyGRanch · #2 03/25/05, 07:33 PM

So sorry about your calf. I've done the same to really bad off goat kids that I know in my heart never would never have made it but, I still feel so terribly guilty for causing their demise.

tinknal · #3 03/25/05, 09:32 PM

Ken, I've done it too. They will always chew on the tube when it is in the right spot. The one I killed I just thought it was too weak and wouldn't chew. Knew as soon as I did it what I done.

Ken Scharabok · #4 03/26/05, 06:12 AM

Lesson learned: When in doubt tube even if you are concerned it is uncomfortable to the calf.

Ken Scharabok

tinknal · #5 03/26/05, 09:06 PM

Ken, that particular spring I was working on a ranch, calving 200 hiefers and 600 cows. It rained every day for a month. I spent every morning from 7:00 to noon just treating scours. Had a pokey old gelding, and anything he could get close enough to to rope was considered sick enough to doctor!