Sad day on the farm.

[jupiter57]

Cattle started up for feeding around 6:30 this morning.
As usual, had a few scragglers, so back out to the field I go.
One poor calf, who was born slightly defective, was standing in the pond, which was unusual since the calves NEVER get in the water.
Called and coaxed, but he would not budge. I carefully drove the Polaris down to the pond, thinking he may be stuck in the mud, but he wasn't stuck, and no amount of coaxing or enticing would make him come out.
Drove back to the barn, got a lasso, lassoed him and when I gently pulled him toward the bank, he laid down on me, head mostly under water. Jumped in, got his head out of the water, and pulled him closer to the bank so that his head was out of the water.

OK, this is getting TLDR, so the calf died in my arms a couple hours later.
I've been in a sour mood all day.

On the bright side, the pool is clean and should be full by tomorrow morning.

 

[lxskllr]

Bummer. What do you suppose was wrong with the calf? Strange behavior, standing in the pond.

 

[Newbian]

On the bright side, the pool is clean and should be full by tomorrow morning.

Also now you have veal.

 

[jupiter57]

Bummer. What do you suppose was wrong with the calf? Strange behavior, standing in the pond.

I'm thinking Pneumonia, excaberated by exhaustion & heat, he's had breathing problems since he was born (in a cattle trailer as they were delivering his Mama here).
I'm gonna send him to the Diagnostic Center at UK tomorrow, just to be sure it don't have anything that would infect the rest of the herd.

 

[brianmanahan]

dairy or beef?

 

[Twista]

You guys making jokes are all wrong.

Is it bulk size like a car alternator?

 

[Perknose]

Cattle started up for feeding around 6:30 this morning.
As usual, had a few scragglers, so back out to the field I go.
One poor calf, who was born slightly defective, was standing in the pond, which was unusual since the calves NEVER get in the water.
Called and coaxed, but he would not budge. I carefully drove the Polaris down to the pond, thinking he may be stuck in the mud, but he wasn't stuck, and no amount of coaxing or enticing would make him come out.
Drove back to the barn, got a lasso, lassoed him and when I gently pulled him toward the bank, he laid down on me, head mostly under water. Jumped in, got his head out of the water, and pulled him closer to the bank so that his head was out of the water.

OK, this is getting TLDR, so the calf died in my arms a couple hours later.
I've been in a sour mood all day.

On the bright side, the pool is clean and should be full by tomorrow morning.

I feel your sadness, brother. Experiencing up close and personally the death and dying of another living being can suck the joy right out of you.

I often think of this when the juvenile keyboard warriors here call for the death of some miscreant or strap on (out of what, incessant fear?) and go out in public. May they never have to end another's life. They all think this won't affect them at all. They have no idea, none, literally.

Sorry for going off on this tangent. :'(

Of all the posters here who think they are men, you, sir, actually are one, in a truer and higher sense of that word. :thumbsup:

 

[Chunkee]

i hope you get the answers you are looking for in the autopsy..good luck to you sir

 

[Blitzvogel]

I feel your sadness, brother. Experiencing up close and personally the death and dying of another living being can suck the joy right out of you.

I often think of this when the juvenile keyboard warriors here call for the death of some miscreant or strap on (out of what, incessant fear?) and go out in public. May they never have to end another's life. They all think this won't affect them at all. They have no idea, none, literally.

Sorry for going off on this tangent. :'(

Of all the posters here who think they are men, you, sir, actually are one, in a truer and higher sense of that word. :thumbsup:

I always wondered how cattle ranchers felt about this. Even the free range ranchers trying to stick to good 'ol grass fed, healthy cattle and beef I'm sure feel a bit of disdain raising the animals only to know they are going to someone's plate. C'est la vie I guess.

Maybe the calf, knowing itself to be sick was going to kill itself? Animals seem to have a bit of a self kill instinct, especially once they know their time is up.

 

[jupiter57]

I always wondered how cattle ranchers felt about this. Even the free range ranchers trying to stick to good 'ol grass fed, healthy cattle and beef I'm sure feel a bit of disdain raising the animals only to know they are going to someone's plate. C'est la vie I guess.

Maybe the calf, knowing itself to be sick was going to kill itself? Animals seem to have a bit of a self kill instinct, especially once they know their time is up.

Most of the producers I know tend to be mad when they lose livestock, try to blame something or someone.
I always say it is an acceptable risk, one you must accept.
I never get mad, but no matter how many die, it always breaks my heart.

I also can accept shipping them to slaughter, but even as much beef as I eat, I simply cannot bring myself to slaughter one for my own consumption that I have raised, loved, worried over, petted, etc.

As for the calf, I tend to think he was burning up with fever and was in the pond trying to cool off.
Temps have been in the 90's here the past several days.
Typically, when a Bovine knows it is dying, they will hide, isolate themselves from the rest of the herd & myself.

 

[Azraele]

Sorry to hear that. It's tough to watch another creature die.

 

[Sluggo]

I drive through semi-rural areas quite a bit going from job to job. This is the first year I had noticed the young calves running and playing just like puppies. I always think of cows to be sedate, slow moving creatures, watching the calves run was really entertaining and always brought a smile to my face.

 

[Texashiker]

OK, this is getting TLDR, so the calf died in my arms a couple hours later.
I've been in a sour mood all day.

Sorry to hear that op.

One time I had a cat abound a kitten, so I tried to bottle feed it. The kitten choked on the milk and died.

I still feed bad about it 20+ years later.

 

[DaTT]

Sorry to hear that op.

One time I had a cat abound a kitten, so I tried to bottle feed it. The kitten choked on the milk and died.

I still feed bad about it 20+ years later.

I know what you mean. When I was a child, I found a birds nest in a tree fort at my cottage. Full of freshly hatched young birds waiting on mommy to return with food. I decided I would feed them bits of bread because they were hungry.....they all choked and died

 

[skyking]

Bummer deal. It takes me back.........
When I was a teenager I was the "man" at the next door neighbors, the husband was up in Alaska working. They never had any business having livestock and with him gone it was worse, much worse. They'd call, I'd come over and do the hard deeds like trying to get a bloated calf or cow going. It was always hard to lose one.

 

[edro]

I'm gonna send him to the Diagnostic Center at UK tomorrow, just to be sure it don't have anything that would infect the rest of the herd.

Wow, what's that cost? Do they take any dead farm animals and do autopsies? Why not just send a blood sample?

 

[DrPizza]

Sorry for the loss of one of your animals, OP. One our ag teachers told me, "when you have livestock, occasionally, you're going to have deadstock." We had a llama cria born a couple weeks ago. When we found it, it was hypothermic, body temp 92 degrees. We worked for hours reviving the thing. Purchased milk replace, colostrum, etc. The first few days were touch and go, but eventually, it got on its feet and was able to hold itself up wobbily. (They're usually up in about 15 minutes and running within an hour.) But, due to what appears to be a birth defect, we may end up having to put it down.