What can you do?

[cowman]

Last night I had a calf born with his guts pushed out through his naval. So off to the vets to get him sewed up. The vet was telling me it is not a very happy year out there! He said he's never seen such gloom in the last few days. He suspects that a lot of guys are going to be doing a lot more shooting than calling the vet this year. Well if they registered their guns that is!lol
But what can you do? Now I'll probably get a $150-200 bill for this calf and who knows what he will be worth in the fall? Maybe it would have made more sense to knock him on the head but somehow that just doesn't sit very well with me. I figure if your going to own the damned things then you should take care of them? Its just like these guys who say "Cows don't need any straw. They can just bed down in the snow"! I'd sure like to see them bedded down in the snow when its -40 with a southeast wind!
I guess I need to quit because I just will never be able to compete if it means I have to be so tight I don't take care of them properly.

[pandiana]

Your absolutely right on cowman. The only joy left in the cattle business these days is getting out amongst the cows. When things seem to stressful, I go out a watch the calves playing. Its the only sanity left in this world.

[Bruce14]

You did the right thing Cowman. Open navels can be heritable so if it was a heifer calf ship her.

[cowman]

It was actually a bull. But the vet and I had a good talk about it. I told him I noticed a lot of the char cows sort of had a bulge right about where their navel is. He said Charlais tend to be more susceptable. Calf is doing fine.

[kato]

We were castrating a steer last week, and his insides came out the same way. (I guess he wasn't a bull, just a rupture.) He got put back together as well, and is doing just fine. You gotta do what you gotta do.

This is one year when neglecting the cows welfare is going to come back and bite some people in the behinds. Once a cow is open, then the money really gets lost! You've got to keep them healthy and keep them bred.

[ALICIA]

You know we really are a butch of loosers. They aren't worth any thing but free food for the higher ups (or think they are) and we just keep going.
On Christmas night I gave each cow a dish full of grain. Well next night one was sick, slight fever, arched back, head hanging, on know hardware. What to do call vet. $60.00 for vet to drive in drive way, $20.00 to get out of the car, then what ever he desides to do plus meds. Cow is 3 yrs old, worth $50.00. This is Friday night. Saturday drove to local feed store, One magnet $5.75 and 12cc Pen. Saturday night cow seems fine. Eating well any way and I felt her calf still moving in side, so I guess every things oka. But I would of called the Vet Monday if cow wasn't better. Maybe she just had the flu, but a sick cow sure put the fear of god in me aspecially when asked if shes falling down. I think we should sue for stress pay.

[cakadu]

Cowman, you what pretty much any of us would do in the same situation - despite it having been a tough decision to make under the current circumstances.

I've always figured that if they are going to fight, then I'll help them to fight to live as much as I can. Sometimes I know it is better to put them down humanely and despite knowing it's for the best, I still feel bad, as most livestock producers do.

We also have felt that if we've got them to look after, then that's what we had better do. We've never wanted to just throw feed over the fence to them and have a better look at them on the weekend. When it's this cold, I feel that they have to be kept fed and bedded down.

For now, I'm glad we're in the position that one of us can be around for the better part of the day. If things keep going the way they have been, it might not be too much of a concern in the future. Only time will tell that one.

[cowman]

The way I was raised just won't let me do anything else. My father used to always say that some people just shouldn't be allowed to own animals. We do have a duty to that animal whether we like it or not. It really can't be all about money. If it is we shouldn't own them...sell out and let someone else have the responsibility is the way I see it. I still believe if you take care of them they will take care of you!
I never look at a vet expense as being paid for by one animal, but as being spread out over the entire herd. Therefore a cesarian doesn't cost $350 for that animal but adds $3.50/cow in vet costs. Doesn't alter the fact that you have to fork over the $350 but makes it easier to bare? Well maybe I have some strange ways of thinking, but it works for me!