OT/Recliner's gonna feel good tonight

I weaned calves 2 months ago to the day. I always wait for them to settle in and get going good on feed before I castrate and vaccinate. Time got away,but we finally got them put through the chute today. First time in memory that I don't have black and blue shins,but with some of them weighing over 800 pounds,I'm worn right out. Glad that job's done for another year.

Same thing last Friday as I helped a farmer friend turn their minds from a$$ to grass.

Makes for a long day and cleaning up the treasures afterwards makes the day longer yet.

I'm a old man and a special sorted group ofsix went through the chute first. I called the vets attention to the fact one was bleeding real bad. He said he would check, but that's the way it is in the real world. I was busy and did not see if he actualy did check, but the next morning the 800# calf had all four in the air.

I have never had this take place before, but it sure looked like something was arise. Farmer is upset and wants to let the vet know in loud words. After thought is I wish I had not mentioned telling the vet to the farmer. I realy thought the calf needed the vets attention.

Seems I can get into situations without trying.

How many of you guys have lost critters from taking the bulls pride away? I don't do this every day, nore do I have any cattle myself. Over the years we never have turned them out to the corn fields as they left the chute. They did last Friday, however the one that died was one of the group of 6 calves that was kept in the yard. The group of 6 was calves that the stock cow got lame, trouble calving etc. and the stock cows of these calves were sold early summer.

The dead calf was as usual, one of the biggest of the bunch, total around seventy. Was a real stockey lookin Angus.

I have lost them before.

Some from bleeding some from infection.

If you are gonna have livestock around you are gonna lose a few.

Gary

we castrate @ afew weeks old they heal quicker also always when the moon sign is in the feet they bleed less done a whole bunch a few weeks ago when the moon was right they barely bled a week later looked like they all gained about 50#

It happens. I can't believe the number of ets that still use a knife on those big guys. I have gone to only using a bander. I have done 1000 pounders that just walk out of the chute and go to eating. The vet that works a local sale barn won't use a bander on anything under about 600#. Sad to say the last feeders bought there that needed his attention turned out to be a disaster. Another lesson relearned. Don't buy cattle that aren't ready to take home with vet work done and 30 days or more after weaning weaning. It was evident today at the sale that producers are losing $20/cwt for not having their cattle preconditioned.
I just wanted to stand up and scream at some of those producers today for letting their cattle bring $50-65/cwt just beause they didn't vaccinate or castrate an weaned them on the truck. The economy may be tough but, those producers don't have a chance at making a profit.

We always clamp them when they are young. We've never had many so we don't have anything like a chute, so cutting them is out of the question. Never lost any either.

i have helped dehorn cattle twice when a animal went into shock and died from the dehorning

Your post brings back a bad memory. When I was just starting out with cattle, in about '73, I had 5 calves to cut. My dad had been cutting bulls all his life, he did the surgery. Nothing at all out of the ordinary- calves were 500 to 700 pounds, in good condition, not really stressed during the process (I had a good chute, easy to get them caught up). No bleeders. We did it on a nice October day, and that night it got fairly cold and foggy (mid-30's temp.). Checked on them before going to bed- they weren't kicking up their heels, but looked fine. Next morning, 2 were eating hay, 3 were dead. Never could figure out why, other than maybe they were a little shocky, and got hypothermia when it got cold and foggy. It hit dad pretty hard- I think he had lost maybe one other in 40 years, and that from obvious bleeding. Next time I saw him, he gave me an Elastrator set, and advised me to band them when little, as his castrating career was over. I had cattle for about 10 years, always banded when newborn, never had any more trouble.