# Lost my favorite cow. :(



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

Last Tuesday my favorite Jersey milk cow went down with what we think was winter tetany. She was lying on her side with her head kinked back, paddling her legs. I tried everything we could think of, called the vet, and still she never got back up. She lingered all week, and finally breathed her last this morning. 

I'd just gone to the vet for a sedative so that my dh could put her down this evening. As of Saturday evening, she refused water and food, and she just wasn't getting any better. I think my hubby is relieved a bit that he doesn't have to put her down. I know he wasn't looking forward to it. (who would be?)

I had Lady for right at a year and she was the most wonderful cow. Very sweet, cooperative and affectionate. Her heifer calf is 9 weeks old, and thankfully, my other Jersey mamma cow has plenty of milk and will nurse her for me. I'm hoping to keep the heifer as my next milk cow.

We sent some blood to the vet to make sure Lady didn't have Johnnes disease. If it's negative, I'll keep Lady's baby girl and hopefully she'll enjoy a nice long life here on the farm. 

What a sad, stinky week.


----------



## havasu (Oct 11, 2013)

I'm sorry to hear this. Hopefully there are better days ahead soon!


----------



## Hereford_Show_Girl (Jan 15, 2014)

So so sorry! I couldn't imagine loosing my Buffy... My heart goes out to you.


----------



## DoubleR (Jan 15, 2014)

I'm truly sorry for your loss.
I understand hubby's relief as both I and my hubby have had to put animals down that were/are very dear to our hearts. It's never easy.
I'm sure you already know this but I'll say it anyways to make me feel better.  Remember to take the transition slow with the "new mom" and watch for scours. A change in milk can upset tummies along with her wanting her momma and not the "new" mama she may not want to eat.
I hope the transition goes smoothly and this little heifer grows up to be just like her mama.  Try to learn something from this to use in the future. 
Your in our prayers.


----------



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

DoubleR said:


> I'm truly sorry for your loss.
> I understand hubby's relief as both I and my hubby have had to put animals down that were/are very dear to our hearts. It's never easy.
> I'm sure you already know this but I'll say it anyways to make me feel better.  Remember to take the transition slow with the "new mom" and watch for scours. A change in milk can upset tummies along with her wanting her momma and not the "new" mama she may not want to eat.
> I hope the transition goes smoothly and this little heifer grows up to be just like her mama.  Try to learn something from this to use in the future.
> Your in our prayers.


yes. Ordinarily this would be an issue; However, baby girl has been in the pen with the other cow and calves. They all have this mentality that any udder is a good one. I have noticed that Baby Girl is escaping to the main pasture more often. I know she;s missing mama just a bit. Thankfully, she already is adjusted to the other mama cow and the calves. I'm so thankful to have another good cow to help me raise calves. Blossom, the other Jersey, is an excellent milk cow. With the addition of Holly (Lady's baby) she's raising 3 calves, no problem. I have to feed her 12 lbs of grain a day, but she's doing well.

Going out later to get a High mag block for Blossom.

Supposed to hear from the vet today about the Johhnnes bloodwork. If it's positive, then Lady had it. If it's negative, they will do a fecal culture just to make sure.

Looking back, I think Lady was a chronic Grass Tetany case. The symptoms are obvious, now that I know it. However, I was attributing her issues to ketosis or milk fever.


----------



## DoubleR (Jan 15, 2014)

Fairfarmhand,
I'm so glad she's adjusting so well! That's good news!
I really hope the blood work comes back clean. Sounds like it will.
Keep us posted!


----------



## RanchWife (Jan 31, 2014)

Hope your little heifer is healthy, did you hear back from the vet??


www.calving2014.wordpress.com


----------



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

RanchWife said:


> Hope your little heifer is healthy, did you hear back from the vet??
> 
> 
> www.calving2014.wordpress.com


ugh....yeah, heard back from the vet.

Lady was Johnnes positive. 

Which totally stinks. Gonna be some bloodwork and culling in our future.

I suppose it's a good thing we lost her, as bad as it hurts. She was only on the farm for a year too, so this kind of minimizes the animals that were exposes to the disease since they can only pick it up in the first week of their lives.


----------



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

and, yes. baby girl's doing really well. However, she's not gonna get to stay because of the Johnnes report.


----------



## DoubleR (Jan 15, 2014)

That really stinks.  I'm sorry. 
So was that what she passed from or just a coincidence? 
What will you do with your culls?


----------



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

DoubleR said:


> That really stinks.  I'm sorry.
> So was that what she passed from or just a coincidence?
> What will you do with your culls?


culls can be sold for slaughter. Which is okay. I guess. At least we don't have to destroy them outright. We do get some financial payback from selling them. It could be much worse, I suppose.


----------



## DoubleR (Jan 15, 2014)

True. I was just wondering.  I'd be worried someone would buy your heifer from auction not knowing she was positive. Here people buy from the butcher pens all the time. I have a green butcher only tag put on mine. 
No offense meant. Was just curious how other places work


----------



## Fairfarmhand (Dec 4, 2013)

DoubleR said:


> True. I was just wondering.  I'd be worried someone would buy your heifer from auction not knowing she was positive. Here people buy from the butcher pens all the time. I have a green butcher only tag put on mine.
> No offense meant. Was just curious how other places work


none taken. I would never want to put someone else's herd at risk. We'll sell them all for slaughter along with the beautiful black baldy that had a vag. prolapse right after calving. Wouldn't want to pass that problem on to someone else either. 

It's been a crummy year.


----------



## DoubleR (Jan 15, 2014)

Ok good  I feel the same way. Just was curious how it works other places.  Does your auction yard have butcher only tags? Ours does. It allows me to be as sure as possible they will only be butchered.
I truly am sorry for all this year has thrown at you. Absolutely devastating. It's been a rough one for us and our herd also. Not in the same way but a rough one. My thoughts are with you guys in this tough time. I hope you'll start again.


----------



## RanchWife (Jan 31, 2014)

You should do a write up on Johnnes. I don't know much about it.


www.calving2014.wordpress.com


----------



## saskcattle (Mar 17, 2014)

Any time a cow goes down I have rarely seen one stand back up. We have hooked straps behind front and back legs and lifted with tractor everyday for a week. I have found once a cow goes down you might as well shoot her saves you time and the cow suffering


----------



## rene (Mar 14, 2014)

I give them 3 days, that's what I have been taught. they say that the rarity of one standing back up after 3 days is very minimal. now they have told me that there was a few cases that the cow laid down for a weekand one day stood up and kept going.


----------



## rene (Mar 14, 2014)

Fairfarmhand said:


> ugh....yeah, heard back from the vet.
> 
> Lady was Johnnes positive.
> 
> ...


Yea I've dedicated an isolated area for new calves and a different isolated spot for sickies .


----------



## Paigehobbyfarmer (Apr 17, 2014)

i lost my bull to


----------



## Dion (May 7, 2014)

oh no. sorry to read this


----------



## brahman (Sep 11, 2014)

Give them three days really when a cow do sent get up is when her hips are broke it means your bull is to heavy we had a Brahman hefier that had 132 pnd Brahman hefier and she was down for a week and got up.


----------

