Numerous limping cows

[Turkeybird]

Shot of excede

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Here is a picture of one of the worst ones we have. She still gets around, albeit tenderly.
The picture is turned sideways, because it was uploaded from my phone. You see her dewclaw, then in the hairline the open sore (abscess that burst), then her heal.

This picture actually turned upside down, but it is closer to the wound than the picture on the top


Our cows are on good mineral (Vitaferm), are healthy, and have adequate flesh. I really think we are having an outbreak because of the drought, and really bad, dry, rocky soil. Ron has explained, in the creek area and anywhere there is no pasture, the rocks are VERY sharp and range in size from grape to orange, just not round! I have now treated 8 cows with a limp, and three of them have wounds like above. I am hoping my trimmer friend who does the dairy cows next property over can get me on his short list to get these cows looked at on the table.

[True Grit Farms]

Here is a picture of one of the worst ones we have. She still gets around, albeit tenderly.
The picture is turned sideways, because it was uploaded from my phone. You see her dewclaw, then in the hairline the open sore (abscess that burst), then her heal.

This picture actually turned upside down, but it is closer to the wound than the picture on the top


Our cows are on good mineral (Vitaferm), are healthy, and have adequate flesh. I really think we are having an outbreak because of the drought, and really bad, dry, rocky soil. Ron has explained, in the creek area and anywhere there is no pasture, the rocks are VERY sharp and range in size from grape to orange, just not round! I have now treated 8 cows with a limp, and three of them have wounds like above. I am hoping my trimmer friend who does the dairy cows next property over can get me on his short list to get these cows looked at on the table.

I've never seen nothing like that yet, we've had cracked hoofs and pads wore and sore. You need to get that under control that looks bad. What are you doing to prevent infection?

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Well, the vet suggested LA300, so that is what we gave. I bet when the trimmer puts her on the table, he will have me give her a MEGA dose of penicillin. He has been doing feet on cattle for 30 years, and does mostly dairy cattle. He is booked months in advance. He knows his stuff. He swears penicillin gets to the site better, and that the dosage needs to be higher than normal because it has to make it to the extremities. He will dig it out, then put a pad on her foot (like a shoe on a horse - but it is glued on the good toe to get the weight off the bad heal). I will take pictures if I am there when he does it, and post them.
Unless you SEE our ground, with the sharp rocks, you just can not understand how horrible our ground is! The grass makes it better, but the traffic ways are nothing but rock, and there is no way to get around it or move it.

[elkwc]

I have never seen anything just like that. Have had a few one last year with foot rot where it would swell and split open at the hairline but nothing that severe.

[TCRanch]

I've never had foot rot that severe. But I did have a cow with an abscess earlier this year and the vet said 60cc penicillin for a 1400 lb cow instead of Draxxin or LA300, leave the wound/abscess open so it would drain (no Kopertox or anything that would coat it). Penicillin did the trick! Fire Sweep, good luck - that's downright ugly!

[snoopdog]

We have had more cases of lameness this year also , been dry and we do have rocks. I would buy the cows, Drax or exceed has cleared up every case of ours . My bull was the only one that had it in a front leg, and he had a substantial amount of swelling . I do suspect the mineral and or salt situation this year , and I don't have any evidence to back that theory .

[gizmom]

Jeeze that looks bad, sorry your having this fire sweep that looks painful.

Gizmom

[bird dog]

Does the calf go with the deal? Are the other ones bred? I'm like the others. If I had room and some grass it sounds like a good risk/reward but only if they are bred back.

It worries me they have been limping that long and have a low body score. I have a few limping right now but it has been wet and they are heavy bred. It usually takes two or three weeks for them to get over it. Much quicker if they calve.

[Bright Raven]

The parent bedrock in the region where Fire Sweep lives near Springfield MO is a sedimentary rock called chert. Very similar to flint, in fact, flint rock is a type of chert. It is very common on the surface of the soil. If you dig a fence post hole, you encounter it all the way down to as deep as 3 feet. It goes all the way down to the parent bedrock. The chert occurs in sizes from pea gravel all the way up to stones the size of a persons skull. The stones fracture with very sharp edges. I would be a nervous wreck if my cows had to walk on that. I think her cows get a lot of bruising to the sole of their hoofs. Those bruises abscess and the abscess breaks out around the coronal area.

[Farm Fence Solutions]

The parent bedrock in the region where Fire Sweep lives near Springfield MO is a sedimentary rock called chert. Very similar to flint, in fact, flint rock is a type of chert. It is very common on the surface of the soil. If you dig a fence post hole, you encounter it all the way down to as deep as 3 feet. It goes all the way down to the parent bedrock. The chert occurs in sizes from pea gravel all the way up to stones the size of a persons skull. The stones fracture with very sharp edges. I would be a nervous wreck if my cows had to walk on that. I think her cows get a lot of bruising to the sole of their hoofs. Those bruises abscess and the abscess breaks out around the coronal area.

....Play some back home, come on music. That comeeesss from the heart.......

[True Grit Farms]

I thought you were supposed to put the LA 200 - 300 directly into the fetlock?

[Redgully]

I have used Ilium dexapent on cows who start to limp and it seems to sort it out pretty quick. If it doesn't you know there is something more than a bruise or swelling.

[JMJ Farms]

Does the calf go with the deal? Are the other ones bred? I'm like the others. If I had room and some grass it sounds like a good risk/reward but only if they are bred back.

It worries me they have been limping that long and have a low body score. I have a few limping right now but it has been wet and they are heavy bred. It usually takes two or three weeks for them to get over it. Much quicker if they calve.

Calf is for sale but I don’t want him. He’s stunted and I don’t thing he’ll ever be any count. Not sure if they’re bred back. My guess would be that 2 out of the 4 are probably 2nd trimester and the other two are probably open. Judging by BCS, I doubt they were in good enough condition to breed but I’ve seen stranger cases.

I’m gonna make him an offer. All he can say is no. I ain’t interested in another job. If there’s not some room for a decent profit I will just go fishing instead of doctoring limping cows.

[Banjo]

Our cows are on good mineral (Vitaferm), are healthy, and have adequate flesh. I really think we are having an outbreak because of the drought, and really bad, dry, rocky soil. Ron has explained, in the creek area and anywhere there is no pasture, the rocks are VERY sharp and range in size from grape to orange, just not round! I have now treated 8 cows with a limp, and three of them have wounds like above. I am hoping my trimmer friend who does the dairy cows next property over can get me on his short list to get these cows looked at on the table.

Could you describe your good mineral...whats in it?