Coyote Attack

[West Wind Acres]

We started raising Scottish Highland Cattle, we are trying to raise them natural and are rotationally grazing them. On July 4 our first calf was born very healthy. Monday night he must have gotten out of the fence and was attacked by something (coyote probably) his mother jumped the fence and saved his life. Today I was able to catch him, he was covered in maggots. We washed him fairly well, cleaned his wounds with peroxide and sprayed blue kote on them. There are still a lot of maggots on him, including around his anus. I am reluctant to worm him, and give antibiotics. What would you do?

 

[()relics]

invest in a donkey, a standard jenny if you can find one...once it is used to your cows, it won't let anything near them, maybe even you, without a confrontation...I use one to keep the coyotes/dogs away from the goat kids. Even my GSP's have learned to stay out of her way.

 

[West Wind Acres]

I had a couple of donkeys they chased my cattle till they jumped the fence. That was after several weeks of being together.

The calf was also outside of the fence when it was attacked

 

[jhm47]

I assume that you are concerned more with the maggots than with what to do about the coyote in the future.

I'm guessing that he has an infestation of maggots living on his skin under his hair, similar to the infestation that sheep sometimes get near their tails/anal areas. The maggots will continue to irritate the skin and cause the calf to eventually dehydrate and die a horrible death.

If you wish to save your calf, you will need to eliminate the maggots, and some type of systemic insecticide is what you will need. I would suggest washing him off as well as possible with soapy water, and then using ivomec or dectomax. These are parasiticides that control both internal and external parasites. Some other kinds of wormers are only internal, and will do little to kill the maggots that are external. I realize that you are trying to be orgainc, but this is VERY serious for your calf. You must do this ASAP, or the maggots will prevail.

It would also help to get the calf inside, away from the adult flies that are laying the eggs that hatch into maggots.

I have had the unpleasant experience of having to treat several sheep that got maggot infestations, and it is most definitely NOT a pleasant job.

 

[Ilovecows]

I've used a product called, screw worm spray, on maggot infested wounds with other animals before. It kills the maggots and keeps any remaining eggs from hatching.

 

[jhm47]

The screw worm spray would be good to use too, but I've not been able to find it lately.

 

[West Wind Acres]

Last night we washed the calf the best we could removing most of the maggots, until it was shivering very bad. We dried him and then applied blu-kote. I returned him to his mom he nursed as soon as he returned.

This morning I applied another blu-kote again, he did have fresh maggots but no where near as many. I also dusted him with diatomaceous earth.

I will administer ivomec this afternoon, wash him again and give him another application of blu-kote.

Any idea where to find screw worm spray?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Try looking at farm supply stores.

 

[amysflock]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your coyote attack. This normally only occurs with Highlands when, as in your situation, a calf gets outside of a hot fence away from mama. Sounds like mama did the "normal" Highland thing and moved quick to help her baby.

How many Highlands do you have? Often other cows will help protect the calves as well as its own mama. Our Highlands (ususally the older calves first) our always our first indication something is odd. Our 2008 heifer calf "loved" coyotes and would stare and then chase them, probably to say "hi," although the coyotes didn't think so.

Is there a way in the future you could designate a calving paddock closer to your house where (possibly) a coyote wouldn't be so brazen?

 

[West Wind Acres]

Day 2 evening treated calf by cleaning with water and brush, dried him, peroxide and then sprayed blu-kote on the wounds.

Day 3 Morning: new maggots much smaller applied blue coat and diatomatious earth dusting... See More

Evening: Couldn't find the calf

Day 4 Morning: Found calf brought him our of the bushes, mom came over wanted to nurse so I put a rope around his neck and let him nurse while I got supplies out of my truck. Came back 2 minutes later he was gone. Searched for 15 minutes couldn't find him, mom was a little upset and calling for him. So I let her out of the paddock, she found him for me. I went to pick him up and she charged at me, a few minutes later I was able to get the rope off the calf and over moms horns to tie her off to a tree. I brought the calf to a small corral made of 4 steel gates. I treated him by brushing out as many maggots as I could and then doused him with Screw Worm De-worming spray, tried to give him a bottle of electrolites he didn't want anything to do with them. So now I had to get the cow in with the calf. I untied her and tried to walk her, as she thrashed her head around. She calmed down a bit and I got her into the corral. Watered them, mom came over to be pet, and I left for work

Evening: I left work early so that I could bathe the calf and clean off all the maggots, treat the wounds and make the corral bigger.

When I arrived I watched as the calf played around a bit then took a nice long drink of water. I replenished the bowl and he took another. I built the corral bigger and separated mom so I could work on the calf. Not one maggot on him a few flies, and he was happy as could be, I brushed him out to look for maggots, none to be found. I sprayed him down with Screw Worm again and left him for the night.

Question: should I administer wormer, and or anti-biotics? Let me know your opinion.