Lost one of my milk cows today

[animalfarm]

Went out to do the milking today. Called the girls (3 jerseys) into the barn and one didn't show up. Strange because I had just walked past her on the way in and she looked fine. Go out to find that Elly cannot get up. Thought maybe she had lost circulation in the hind leg she was laying on so I rolled her over. She tried to get up but the back end wasn't working. Had a bad feeling about that. Called the vet who came and verified that her back was broken and one leg was paralyzed. The vet's prognosis was that she was pooched.

The only good news is that she wasn't bred yet. She most likely broke her back because she was in heat last night and she tends to get real loopy with bucking about.

 

[daisychick]

Sorry you lost a cow.

 

[dwbonfire]

aww very sorry for your loss

i have to ask, what is pooched?? cows can break thier backs from bucking? had no idea..

 

[animalfarm]

aww very sorry for your loss

i have to ask, what is pooched?? cows can break thier backs from bucking? had no idea..

Pooched is vet talk for up $h!t creek without a paddle. There is no fixing it. Vet says he gets upwards of 3 cases a year from cows getting jumped by other cows or acting like broncs. They can really torque their backs when they get going. Elly was pretty wild when she was in heat. We always had to skip milking then and let the calf do it she was so mental. The rest of the time she was a lamb.

 

[Cricket]

I had a steer go down on the ice a couple of years ago and we had to tail him up for weeks. He seemed to be getting a little better, but ended up having him butchered at home just because I was worried he'd end up with pneumonia and I'd lose it all. Some sections of steak were great, some sections so tough they were inedible. What a hard thing for you for a milk cow--so sorry!

 

[greybeard]

Could a bull have been involved in her injury?

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

So sorry to hear that. It is heartbreaking especially when unexpected.

 

[animalfarm]

Could a bull have been involved in her injury?

Nope. She was with 2 other Jersey cows and their 6 month old calves. No bull. I have a Black Angus bull and a Belted Galloway bull but no girls for them until July. They are in the all boys club far far away from the girls until July. I AI the Jerseys and a AI tech. was on the way when she went down. It is possible that it was caused by another cow jumping her.

 

[redtailgal]

We had an old SNOT of a cow kick another cow a while back. The kicked cow was dead before she hit the ground, didnt even twitch. I saw the snot kick her right in the chest, with all the power she could muster. I think a rib busted and pierced her heart.

We lost two cows that day. The snot went down just as quick with a bullet.