Bull Calf with possible Snake Bite?
This morning (Friday, August 16, 2019) I noticed I was missing a young Bull Calf, perhaps 600 #, and when I checked the fence there was a section mostly down. After cobbling a quick repair using rusty field fencing, I saw a bull calf with the neighbor's herd, but then decided he was not mine. Making a tour of the fields, I found this, and immediately called dear wife to help with the situation:
At this point, we decided to call the Vet in Dale, and I left that chore to Donna while I drove into Lockhart to buy more range cubes for the cows, and to make quick grocery run. (Using the electric Leaf) Upon returning home, I saw the calf standing in the field, but unable to move. Looked like this, minus the water bucket. (This was a real surprise,because I thought he was a "goner" ) :
Notice the right foreleg. Swollen to almost double normal size, and the calf will only take a few steps. Calling the Vet again to report the theoretical "improvement", she suggested it may have been bitten by a rattlesnake, because they have been seeing LOTS of snakebites lately. Or, it may be a dislocation caused by a run-in with our herd bull because they were all chasing a cow who was in "heat". We brought the calf some cold air-conditioner water, and he drank. We could not convince him to take more than a few steps toward the shade, and the temperature was rapidly approaching the 102° forecast.
After lunch, I came up with the idea of soaking a blanket in water, and using clothes pins to fasten it to the edge of the tractor bucket. As I approached him, he moved a bit toward the tree line, and then stopped, so I draped the wet blanket over his back, and sprinkled some water on his head and ears. He really liked that!
An hour later, I found him standing is the hot sun, after once again trying to reach a tree line, and obviously in distress, so I re-soaked the blanket and repeated the process, leaving him standing in the shade of the wet blanket as shown above.
Currently, as I write this, it is 3:15 in the afternoon, and hot as 'ell.
Update August 17 At sunrise, he was still out in the front field. 2 hours later, he limped over to the trees along the fence, and along the fence for a couple hundred yards, and then into the wet-weather creek bottom, into the brush, and joined the rest of the herd where they spend most of the day napping. Might live after all!
August 18: Last night, just before dark, he was out with all the other animals, grazing with great Zest. Swelling has gone down quite a bit, and he still has a limp, but nothing like it was. I offered him some water in a bucket, but he was not interested. Looking much better.
August 25: The animal is now back to normal with only a slight limp now and then. I don't think he would have survived without the wet blanket/shade we provided. The sun and heat would have killed him.
November: This calf and another larger calf (same age) were sold at the Lockhart Auction. The buyers are ruthless! They immediately recognized this poor guy as runted (probably because of his small body and big nuts) and paid almost nothing, compared to his half brother. Because of the drought, cow and calf prices are extremely low. A neighbor told me that old cows are being sold for fifteen cents/lb. My oldest cow, Jumper, has a young white-faced calf, but she is really thin...ribs showing, and constant diarrhea. (Other cows do not have diarrhea). If we take her to the auction, she might bring less than two hundred bucks. A neighbor who used to work in a Zoo told us that she fed charcoal to buffalo when they got the runs. So, I bought some sweet feed and have been mixing 1/3rd charcoal granules into it, and putting it out for the cow. She gulps it with great relish...but still has the runs. I see no sign of charcoal granules in the cowpies/soup I'm collecting for the compost pile. We will see. Still over a half bag of the sweet feed left. I've been throwing massive amounts of hay to the cows, because due to the lack of rain, even the burr clover is runted. Just took delivery of 24 round bales. Caldwell County Feed charged $87 for the last round bale, and Mr. Homann charges $85/bale. The guy that brought the round bales told me that the price of calves is at a record low. If there is no rain, then there is no winter wheat pastures, and the demand for stocker animals is not there.
An hour later, I found him standing is the hot sun, after once again trying to reach a tree line, and obviously in distress, so I re-soaked the blanket and repeated the process, leaving him standing in the shade of the wet blanket as shown above.
Currently, as I write this, it is 3:15 in the afternoon, and hot as 'ell.
Update August 17 At sunrise, he was still out in the front field. 2 hours later, he limped over to the trees along the fence, and along the fence for a couple hundred yards, and then into the wet-weather creek bottom, into the brush, and joined the rest of the herd where they spend most of the day napping. Might live after all!
August 18: Last night, just before dark, he was out with all the other animals, grazing with great Zest. Swelling has gone down quite a bit, and he still has a limp, but nothing like it was. I offered him some water in a bucket, but he was not interested. Looking much better.
August 25: The animal is now back to normal with only a slight limp now and then. I don't think he would have survived without the wet blanket/shade we provided. The sun and heat would have killed him.
November: This calf and another larger calf (same age) were sold at the Lockhart Auction. The buyers are ruthless! They immediately recognized this poor guy as runted (probably because of his small body and big nuts) and paid almost nothing, compared to his half brother. Because of the drought, cow and calf prices are extremely low. A neighbor told me that old cows are being sold for fifteen cents/lb. My oldest cow, Jumper, has a young white-faced calf, but she is really thin...ribs showing, and constant diarrhea. (Other cows do not have diarrhea). If we take her to the auction, she might bring less than two hundred bucks. A neighbor who used to work in a Zoo told us that she fed charcoal to buffalo when they got the runs. So, I bought some sweet feed and have been mixing 1/3rd charcoal granules into it, and putting it out for the cow. She gulps it with great relish...but still has the runs. I see no sign of charcoal granules in the cowpies/soup I'm collecting for the compost pile. We will see. Still over a half bag of the sweet feed left. I've been throwing massive amounts of hay to the cows, because due to the lack of rain, even the burr clover is runted. Just took delivery of 24 round bales. Caldwell County Feed charged $87 for the last round bale, and Mr. Homann charges $85/bale. The guy that brought the round bales told me that the price of calves is at a record low. If there is no rain, then there is no winter wheat pastures, and the demand for stocker animals is not there.
We checked again at 4 and re-positioned the tractor to give him shade if he doesn't move much. He is looking good and healthy except for the whole swollen leg. The traveling vet is not available until Tuesday so we will continue to monitor and keep the calf comfortable and see how it works out.
ReplyDeleteAnother one of Donna's comments from Facebook: Friday evening he was looking kinda OK/ better. Laying down but not flat. No bloat, but huge swelling of right front leg from shoulder to hoof. We are monitoring and keeping him hydrated and comfortable- providing shade for him in the open field. He cannot put any weight on that leg, so getting him to move is not an option. Working with a 600# animal in 105 temps is challenging. Wise vet said: if you have live-stock you need to expect dead-stock. We are hoping that rest and time will save this one.
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