Post by BlackWillowFarm on Sept 14, 2014 16:00:24 GMT -5
On Sunday and throughout the week the cow had very stinky discharge. It smelled rotten. I only saw the cow last Sunday and the bloody stuff smelled horrible. She was acting completely normal but I have not spoken with the owner since Thursday so hopefully she is still fine.
Maybe she had a retained placenta? I am planning on going over to see the cow and talk with the owner either today or tomorrow. Is there anything in particular I should look for?
If all is well with her I will probably buy her next Saturday. I'm hoping she is fine because I am getting excited about having a milk cow!
What would be the dangers in breeding her again? She lost her first calf, had a successful second birth and now this. I guess I wouldn't get my hopes up for another calf but I would just make her into hamburger when she dries up anyway so why no try to breed her again?
I'm not sure what to think about this cow. A week has gone by and the owner hasn't gotten a vet out to see why she has a horrible, rotten smelling discharge. We can only guess what's happened to her. Like others have said she probably lost the calf or has a dead one inside her. She may not be acting normal by now. Why the owner hasn't had a vet out to see her is something I can't explain. Do you know if he did? If she were my cow I'd need to know she was being cared for in the best way possible and not left to fight off an infection that might kill her or cause her to become sterile. I personally would not buy this cow without a veterinary exam and a clean bill of health including reproductive exam and the assurance she is fine for breeding. Even then, I might pass knowing her history.
It's easy to say you will beef her if she won't breed back, but after you've been milking her for a year or maybe longer, you might have a different feeling about that. If you've never owned a milk cow before, let me say, you will become very attached to her unless she's a real nasty tempered animal or you're the kind who doesn't get attached to animals. You're going to come to like or even love your cow after a time. Sending her off for burger might lose it's appeal then.