knabe
Well-known member
I think my management suffers as well. for me, probably the only thing i would do different is to pre-innoculate the vet a little earlier. that way they have a little more time to plan for you, or if they can't can offer an alternative vet, or you can call another one. i probably would ask their advice on if they should be there or at least be notified the day of inducement. i don't have drugs down like i did when i was younger, so i don't rely on myself for that anymore either. this year i'm going to take cowboy's advice and feed less the last 3 months. since i only do this for a hobby now, i don't trust my judgment anymore. i'm not saying don't trust yours, but a little tiering of options can take some of the stress away.
back in the day, i remember pulling lots of chi calves on angus and amerifax cattle and it was no fun after say the first 5 or 6. the biggest one i pulled was about 160, the smallest, about 120. the heavy one we couldn't get the mucous out of it's mouth, so i swung it in a concentric circle and landed it on it's lungs and then started massaging and scraping it away. it' lived. from what i remember, it's cannon bones were 17", i can't remember how big the diameter at the ankle was. this cow we also did an episiotomy on as well, and had to severely angle down to get it out, while the cow was laying down as she was worn out. it took two of us. i'm thinking that era was the beginning of a change. i personally feel that it is extremely difficult to outselect mother nature for calving ease.
probably my worst day ever with cattle was with some purebred hereford bulls just off pasture at college. the "strategy" was to give them alfalfa hay and some grass hay. since i knew they would overeat, especially just coming off pasture i was a little hesitant to bring up that they might bloat, especially since i was a crop science major and not an animal science major. what i was doing managing the feedlot and student projects is another story. but anyway, this one kept bloating, i kept tubing, giving him boluses, put him on grass only, and he wouldn't stop bloating. i told the instructor about it, but it was too late, he died. i've remembered that time and extremely paranoid about diet change and alfalfa and bloating and that it can get out of hand fast if you aren't there for a living system. classes interfered that time, but never again. the most impressive thing about bloat is just how much volume can come out, and the problem still isn't solved.
i guess i could bring up my second worst day. went checking on calves in a pasture for someone, and the best (in my opinion) straight friesian calf that year was dead and i had to graft a new baby of course. i think i was cussing the entire time, but that didn't stop me from making that skin graft the best that i could possibly make it. i wanted that calf grafted immediately so i carefully made sure the anus was intact with the calves poop intact as well. momma took that calf in about 5 whiffs. the calf had died of pnuemonia and had black lungs. he looked like i wish some cattle could look today.
back in the day, i remember pulling lots of chi calves on angus and amerifax cattle and it was no fun after say the first 5 or 6. the biggest one i pulled was about 160, the smallest, about 120. the heavy one we couldn't get the mucous out of it's mouth, so i swung it in a concentric circle and landed it on it's lungs and then started massaging and scraping it away. it' lived. from what i remember, it's cannon bones were 17", i can't remember how big the diameter at the ankle was. this cow we also did an episiotomy on as well, and had to severely angle down to get it out, while the cow was laying down as she was worn out. it took two of us. i'm thinking that era was the beginning of a change. i personally feel that it is extremely difficult to outselect mother nature for calving ease.
probably my worst day ever with cattle was with some purebred hereford bulls just off pasture at college. the "strategy" was to give them alfalfa hay and some grass hay. since i knew they would overeat, especially just coming off pasture i was a little hesitant to bring up that they might bloat, especially since i was a crop science major and not an animal science major. what i was doing managing the feedlot and student projects is another story. but anyway, this one kept bloating, i kept tubing, giving him boluses, put him on grass only, and he wouldn't stop bloating. i told the instructor about it, but it was too late, he died. i've remembered that time and extremely paranoid about diet change and alfalfa and bloating and that it can get out of hand fast if you aren't there for a living system. classes interfered that time, but never again. the most impressive thing about bloat is just how much volume can come out, and the problem still isn't solved.
i guess i could bring up my second worst day. went checking on calves in a pasture for someone, and the best (in my opinion) straight friesian calf that year was dead and i had to graft a new baby of course. i think i was cussing the entire time, but that didn't stop me from making that skin graft the best that i could possibly make it. i wanted that calf grafted immediately so i carefully made sure the anus was intact with the calves poop intact as well. momma took that calf in about 5 whiffs. the calf had died of pnuemonia and had black lungs. he looked like i wish some cattle could look today.
