Another pair

Thursday Dan asked if I could help him load a cow/calf pair.  He was thinking of buying the pair but first had to take them to the vet.  The really old couple who owned the pair had an old and simple loading facility and if the cattle didn't want to be loaded it could be a real chore.  When we arrived they already had the cow in the short run with boards blocking the way and no gate.  We got the cow loaded with not much effort.  Her calf was in the small outer area with another calf.  It took both Dan and I to separate the calves and get the right one loaded.

The cow had a limp and the vet found the hooves were too long and several hooves had cracks and splits in them and one hoof's tip had broke.  Initially the cow was put in a squeeze chute but to trim the hoofs they needed to lay the cow on her side.  When the cow lept out of the squeeze chute it must had caught the broken tip and broke it all the way off.  The hoof was now bloody.

The vet and his two helpers wrapped a few ropes around the cow's head and neck and body and easily laid the cow on her side on the ground.  The vet showed his helper apprentice how to trim the hoofs with a grinder to shorten them and to reduce the pressure on the splits.

When the ground is soft and not rocky hooves don't get ground down. The vet said being in wet conditions causes hooves to enlarge and sometimes they crack when drying out.  He thought the one hoof with a crack all the way to the hairline would take 8 months to grow out.

I need to watch Momma.  I noticed this Spring her hooves were long.  Her back hooves more so and reminded me of slippers.  She had no problems walking.  I checked when I got home and her hooves are just as long and still no problems walking or signs of cracks.

With no major problems causing the limping Dan decided to take a chance and buy the cow/calf pair.  He wanted to immediately breed her as it is getting late in the season to breed cows.  That meant he wanted to pasture them at my place.  With no rain the grass is not growing so I am not eager to have more cattle right now.  If Dan couldn't pasture the pair with my bull he wasn't going to buy the pair, so I relented.  What's one more cow?  Besides, the bull appears to have satisfied all the cows I have and a new female would make him happier.

When we unloaded the new cow the bull immediately came over.  He hasn't left her side since then.  With his attention, if she is not in heat she may be quickly.

The new cow is the light brown cow.

The bull often sticks his nose up close and the cow's smell can be quite strong.  That is why he then makes a face.