O.T. Downed beef cow

[CB in central NY]

Nor exactly tractor related, but I had to "airlift" her from the pasture to the barn with my Ford 2910.

Some days ago this young Hereford heifer (now a cow; freshened a few days ago while down, calf is fine) fell into a ditch and severely sprained one of her back legs (maybe even tore tendons and ligaments, I don"t think anything is broken). She has not stood up since even though she has tried. The vet has been out and is not sure which way it"ll go. We have had the cow up with a hip hoist every day to the point where the hips are getting raw.

The cow eats and drinks like a healthy animal. The vet recommended getting a sling and putting her in it for several days. No one around has one and I don"t really want to spend $600 for one. The way I see it, my choices are to put her to hamburger or to try and rehabilitate her. I don"t know how long it would take if ever. The vet thinks there is nerve damage in the hoof area.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

[Tom in TN]

CB,

I'm an old man. I've been around, worked on, and played on farms off and on my whole life, but I've only actually been farming for the past 12 years.

I have a small herd of black Angus cattle (40 head, 26 of which are mommas). I sell my calves when they are 7 months old.

In my very limited experience, I've never seen a down cow recover when it has been down for more than 4 or 5 days. I've tried hip hoists and belly slings on them, but nothing has ever worked.

Speaking just for myself, I've concluded that a cow that is down for 5 days has to go. If it has been sick, I'd kill it and send its body to the rendering plant. If it was wounded (as your apparently is), I'd sell it to the "knacker" or try to butcher it myself.

Your call. This is just one old man's obeservations.

Good luck,

Tom in TN

 

[TimV]

CB: I'm with Tom in TN--I can only think of a couple of times in 40 or so years around cows that we've managed to get a cow down more than a couple of days to come around again, regardless of the time, effort, or money expended. If she's fine otherwise and not full of antibiotics, I'd tap her on the head and turn her into burger.

 

[TMo]

Appears she has nerve damage to the pelvic limbs. If downed cows don"t recuperate and get up in a few days, there chance of getting up and walking is slim to none.

 

[TGIN]

I am with everyone else . I have seen everything tried but after a few days if she is not getting up on her own she wont . Be sure if you are going to eat her she is not showing signs of fever . I have eaten them like that but not after a day or two .

 

[RodinNS]

We had one down for 3.5 weeks one time and she finally got up. That was one of those times where we were already in too deep to stop digging...
Generally speaking... if they don't get up in 2-3 days around here they're coyote bait. The 3.5 week experience pretty well cured me of trying to rehab downers that are still worth nothing after they get up.
You can try tumbling her from side to side a few times a day if she's not doing that herself... keep her outside where she's got good footing and see what happens if it's not costing you too much time... but I'm about the point with those things if they don't sit sternal on their own... they get the 12 in the head.

Rod

 

[Tyler Jackson]

Yep put her out of her misery and put one inbetween the eyes. Unless she's a special one

 

[kyplowboy]

I have found that behind the ear is better for me. I can shoot all kinds of critters with out think'n about it, but when it's one I "know" like a cow or dog things go better when they are not look'n at me. A 30-30 behind the ear of an old cow is about as quick as any thing I have ever seen.

Dave

 

[jdtractor]

hi i mite be the only one here to say this but at one time i had 150hd beef cattle 75 were mamas, and i have pulled my share of calves and i have had my share of down cows.they will get up and i have kept them and sold them , if you have the patients and care enough about your animals you can save them, at least to sell for a little return. it takes time and i have had them down for 3 -4 weeks and kept working with them to the point of quiting ,and i mite add i have put a few more then i care to admit down only after exhausting time and finally i gave up but they can and will get up if you keep trying when you least expect it! its your call but if its only been a few days i would keep trying you got nothing to loose and all the gain! good luck just my point of view.

 

[LAA]

If you have a good running creek sling her up in the cold rushing water for 4-6 hours at a time.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I fed a cow in the paddock for 3 weeks because ,while calving, a nerve made her hind legs inoperative. She eventually got up and was a good cow thereafter so don't be in a hurry to follow those with lead on their mind. Give it a chance.

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 05:44:46 06/16/11) If you have a good running creek sling her up in the cold rushing water for 4-6 hours at a time.

LAA
I agree. There's a local dairy that built a cow swimming tub just for that purpose. They lift them up and put the cow in it and leave her for a few days. Then the cow walks out.

 

[jackinok]

Quite honestly ,in the 60+ years ive been around cattle,ive NEVER had one survive if I tried to sling it up.Ive had I dont know how many get up if you can just turn them every day and keep food and good water to them.Sling just stresses their body too much I think,and puts a lot of pressure where it shouldnt be.What I try to do is get them up if at all possible as soon as possible of course,but if not i go out two to three times a day and roll them side to side,and make sure you keep thier legs straight under them .Watch how a cow gets up and you will see what i mean,the best of them have to have their legs under them straight to stand.If one leg gets splayed out a perfectly healthy one will lay there and die.If they are hurt in a shoulder and down,they will normally instinctivly turn themselves to take pressure off it,and to get legs back under them.If you get a leg thrown out front of one they CANT get it back,just because of the way they are made.IF thats the case you will have to roll one completly on its back to get her legs back,in other words roll her completly over before she can stand.might even have to get a rope on her legs and tie them back in proper place before you roll her back onto her belly,and then untie her.if she has her legs under her right she will probably get up.if she has a big bag you may have to milk her also laying down.that will help a old cow get up once in a while also.hope this helps!,believe it or not,best place probably to have her was on a side slope,and not on a flat surface,best chance of her getting her legs back under her on her own and getting up that way!before you sling her up,make sure vet can check her several times day,,if thats more money than you want to spend on her,then I agree with the others who say put her down and out of her misery ,thats the right thing to do.dont just sling her up and leave her,thats simply torturing a dumb animal,something nobody wants.

 

[jackinok]

let me ask you a question if i may,is she laying with leg streched straight out with no bend at knee?most of them do.and thats the problem.she simply cannot get up with her leg in that position.heres what happens,a cow and most other four legged creatures really cant swing their legs sideways very far,simply due to the way their hips and shoulders are made.a little but not far.you and i can swing our legs and arms sideways but not a cow.this is why they tend to go straight up and down a steep hill.now,say that heifer was walking along the top of bank and it gives way,or a more dominate cow butts her,and she steps off the edge .her normal instict ,just like ours is to throw her leg out as far as possible.If her foot slips because bank is too steep it will tear her hip up just like you expect it to.Most times its ok if ditch isnt deep and she may gimp around a while and be fine.Other times she simply cannot get enough leverage with one good leg to lever herself out of a hole..
now think about this,what if you had a full cast on your leg up to and above your hip.couldnt bend your leg side ways or at the knee,when you got up out of a chair you would have to turn sort of sideways enough to get your one good leg under you and stand up.same problem she has.SO to help her you would need her laying on a side hill with her bad leg (hip whatever)on the down hill side.This way she could use her one good hip to help herself up and sort of roll her bad leg down hill.IF you want to sling her.tie one side of sling to floor,with sling under her,and sort of lift and roll her to weak side as she tries to stand.Once she's up leave her be!just let her stand.every thing has to get moving again.as long as shes eating and drinking theres a good chance you can save her,but she probably will have a stiif leg either for a long time or even the rest of her life.I kept one for 20 years with one hip bad.After she figured out how to lay with her bad side downhill and get up ,she did fine except she was always slow getting around.