# Coyote Attack



## West Wind Acres

We started raising Scottish Highland Cattle, we are trying to raise them natural and are rotationally grazing them. On July 4 our first calf was born very healthy. Monday night he must have gotten out of the fence and was attacked by something (coyote probably) his mother jumped the fence and saved his life. Today I was able to catch him, he was covered in maggots. We washed him fairly well, cleaned his wounds with peroxide and sprayed blue kote on them. There are still a lot of maggots on him, including around his anus. I am reluctant to worm him, and give antibiotics. What would you do?


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## ()relics

invest in a donkey, a standard jenny if you can find one...once it is used to your cows, it won't let anything near them, maybe even you, without a confrontation...I use one to keep the coyotes/dogs away from the goat kids.  Even my GSP's have learned to stay out of her way.


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## West Wind Acres

I had a couple of donkeys they chased my cattle till they jumped the fence.  That was after several weeks of being together.

The calf was also outside of the fence when it was attacked


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## jhm47

I assume that you are concerned more with the maggots than with what to do about the coyote in the future.  

I'm guessing that he has an infestation of maggots living on his skin under his hair, similar to the infestation that sheep sometimes get near their tails/anal areas.  The maggots will continue to irritate the skin and cause the calf to eventually dehydrate and die a horrible death.

If you wish to save your calf, you will need to eliminate the maggots, and some type of systemic insecticide is what you will need.  I would suggest washing him off as well as possible with soapy water, and then using ivomec or dectomax.  These are parasiticides that control both internal and external parasites.  Some other kinds of wormers are only internal, and will do little to kill the maggots that are external.  I realize that you are trying to be orgainc, but this is VERY serious for your calf.  You must do this ASAP, or the maggots will prevail.

It would also help to get the calf inside, away from the adult flies that are laying the eggs that hatch into maggots. 

I have had the unpleasant experience of having to treat several sheep that got maggot infestations, and it is most definitely NOT a  pleasant job.


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## Ilovecows

I've used a product called, screw worm spray, on maggot infested wounds with other animals before. It kills the maggots and keeps any remaining eggs from hatching.


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## jhm47

The screw worm spray would be good to use too, but I've not been able to find it lately.


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## West Wind Acres

Last night we washed the calf the best we could removing most of the maggots, until it was shivering very bad.  We dried him and then applied blu-kote.  I returned him to his mom he nursed as soon as he returned.

This morning I applied another blu-kote again, he did have fresh maggots but no where near as many.  I also dusted him with diatomaceous earth.

I will administer ivomec this afternoon, wash him again and give him another application of blu-kote.  

Any idea where to find screw worm spray?


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## aggieterpkatie

Try looking at farm supply stores.


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## amysflock

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your coyote attack. This normally only occurs with Highlands when, as in your situation, a calf gets outside of a hot fence away from mama. Sounds like mama did the "normal" Highland thing and moved quick to help her baby.

How many Highlands do you have? Often other cows will help protect the calves as well as its own mama. Our Highlands (ususally the older calves first) our always our first indication something is odd. Our 2008 heifer calf "loved" coyotes and would stare and then chase them, probably to say "hi," although the coyotes didn't think so.

Is there a way in the future you could designate a calving paddock closer to your house where (possibly) a coyote wouldn't be so brazen?


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## West Wind Acres

Day 2 evening treated calf by cleaning with water and brush, dried him, peroxide and then sprayed blu-kote on the wounds.

Day 3 Morning: new maggots much smaller applied blue coat and diatomatious earth dusting... See More

Evening: Couldn't find the calf

Day 4 Morning: Found calf brought him our of the bushes, mom came over wanted to nurse so I put a rope around his neck and let him nurse while I got supplies out of my truck. Came back 2 minutes later he was gone. Searched for 15 minutes couldn't find him, mom was a little upset and calling for him. So I let her out of the paddock, she found him for me. I went to pick him up and she charged at me, a few minutes later I was able to get the rope off the calf and over moms horns to tie her off to a tree. I brought the calf to a small corral made of 4 steel gates. I treated him by brushing out as many maggots as I could and then doused him with Screw Worm De-worming spray, tried to give him a bottle of electrolites he didn't want anything to do with them. So now I had to get the cow in with the calf. I untied her and tried to walk her, as she thrashed her head around. She calmed down a bit and I got her into the corral. Watered them, mom came over to be pet, and I left for work

Evening: I left work early so that I could bathe the calf and clean off all the maggots, treat the wounds and make the corral bigger.

When I arrived I watched as the calf played around a bit then took a nice long drink of water. I replenished the bowl and he took another. I built the corral bigger and separated mom so I could work on the calf. Not one maggot on him a few flies, and he was happy as could be, I brushed him out to look for maggots, none to be found. I sprayed him down with Screw Worm again and left him for the night.

Question: should I administer wormer, and or anti-biotics? Let me know your opinion.


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## aggieterpkatie

It's hard to say what I would do without seeing the calf in person.  Are the wounds superficial or deep?  Does he have a fever at all?  Is he acting totally normal?  

If there's no fever, the wounds are fairly superficial, and he seems otherwise normal (perky, active, etc), then I may wait on the antibiotics.  I wouldn't use peroxide anymore, betadine is really better for wound cleaning.  

If he's acting slightly off, like not as active, lethargic, etc. and the wounds are deep or oozing, I would go ahead and give antibiotics.  IMO, you don't want to mess around with wounds in the summertime.


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## West Wind Acres

amysflock said:
			
		

> Hi there,
> 
> Sorry to hear about your coyote attack. This normally only occurs with Highlands when, as in your situation, a calf gets outside of a hot fence away from mama. Sounds like mama did the "normal" Highland thing and moved quick to help her baby.
> 
> How many Highlands do you have? Often other cows will help protect the calves as well as its own mama. Our Highlands (ususally the older calves first) our always our first indication something is odd. Our 2008 heifer calf "loved" coyotes and would stare and then chase them, probably to say "hi," although the coyotes didn't think so.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is there a way in the future you could designate a calving paddock closer to your house where (possibly) a coyote wouldn't be so brazen?


As of now we have 7 Highlands, by fall we will have 8 more, possibly 9.  I am in the process of designing a new birthing-cow calf pen to use until the animals are 3-4 months old.  The difficult part is I am trying to rotational graze so this pen will have to be fairly large.  I am considering 5 strand electric or possibly page wire.


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## West Wind Acres

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> It's hard to say what I would do without seeing the calf in person.  Are the wounds superficial or deep?  Does he have a fever at all?  Is he acting totally normal?
> 
> If there's no fever, the wounds are fairly superficial, and he seems otherwise normal (perky, active, etc), then I may wait on the antibiotics.  I wouldn't use peroxide anymore, betadine is really better for wound cleaning.
> 
> If he's acting slightly off, like not as active, lethargic, etc. and the wounds are deep or oozing, I would go ahead and give antibiotics.  IMO, you don't want to mess around with wounds in the summertime.


I only used the peroxide the second day!  The wounds aren't deep, but they are starting to scab up.  I'm not sure if I should dress them with something other than the screw worm spray (which says it can be used as a wound dressing)

He doesn't seem to be off at all, but he is my first calf.  He is pretty vibrant and active.  He isn't running around or anything, but up and drinking water, and nursing.


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## aggieterpkatie

West Wind Acres said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's hard to say what I would do without seeing the calf in person.  Are the wounds superficial or deep?  Does he have a fever at all?  Is he acting totally normal?
> 
> If there's no fever, the wounds are fairly superficial, and he seems otherwise normal (perky, active, etc), then I may wait on the antibiotics.  I wouldn't use peroxide anymore, betadine is really better for wound cleaning.
> 
> If he's acting slightly off, like not as active, lethargic, etc. and the wounds are deep or oozing, I would go ahead and give antibiotics.  IMO, you don't want to mess around with wounds in the summertime.
> 
> 
> 
> I only used the peroxide the second day!  The wounds aren't deep, but they are starting to scab up.  I'm not sure if I should dress them with something other than the screw worm spray (which says it can be used as a wound dressing)
> 
> He doesn't seem to be off at all, but he is my first calf.  He is pretty vibrant and active.  He isn't running around or anything, but up and drinking water, and nursing.
Click to expand...

Does he have a fever?


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## tiffanyh

I would consider antibiotics depending on the condition of the wounds. 

I am really impressed with how well you have done. I know maggots can be overwhelming. I am CVT and I know how hard it can be to de-maggot a large dog in a clean hospital setting, so I think it is great you have done so well with your calf!!


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## amysflock

Sounds like all you're doing is working very well! Congrats!

We're rotational grazing, too, on our tiny piece of land (2.5 acres pasture). We sacrificed a strip probably 200x150 for birth through maybe 1.5/2 months, just to get the babies past the stage where being in mud could be fatal. (They were born in early April and it was nasty mucky here in Western WA. I would prefer to either calve in March [pre-mud] or May/June. We'll be on track for June 2011 calving.)

We did a two-strand polywire temp fence lengthwise down one 250-foot side; the rest was permanent fencing (3-strand barbed wire and 2-strand hot wire). That worked fine until the boys got to be a few weeks old and tall enough to step right over the bottom poly. For awhile after that we moved the bottom poly up one notch on the fiberglass step-ins. Now that the boys are 3+ months old we're using just single-strand poly set in the 2nd to the top notch. They know it's hot and don't breach it...they're more likely to muscle through the metal hotwires and go behind the barn because it's just too interesting back there. (I had to get Clyde out this a.m. before work!)

How many acres do you have? Do you normally have a big coyote/predator problem?


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## West Wind Acres

this is our first year with cattle not even three months in yet.  Calf is still maggot free.  The wounds are scabbed over and the scabbs are starting to fall off.  What's next?  should I start using a cream to cover the wounds or stick to the screw worm spray?

Amysflock, there are a ton of coyotes here we haven't had problems with any of our other animals, but they have always been close to the house.  We have 5 acres at our house mostly woods, and we are leasing a 25 acre plot up the road.  How many cattle are you raising?


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## amysflock

Hi West Wind,

We're currently at 6, although butchering a cow this winter after she weans her calf and fattens up a bit (she's a bit of a hard keeper). We would really like to expand but I'm unwilling to pasture my animals too far out of view, and our options are currently limited in that regard. We prefer to be at 2 mama cows on this land.

As for the injuries, if the scabs are falling off your little one is probably in pretty good shape. We don't seem to have a problem with screw worms here in Western WA so I'm not sure the treatment protocol for that. Most insecticides will list the dosage period. Where are you located?


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## West Wind Acres

We are in upstate NY just north west of albany.  

I don't think screw worms are really a problem here either, it was suggested to use the product to get rid of the maggots.  It worked great, wound dressing as an additional use.

We have 7 cattle at this point (including the calf) by fall we are suppossed to purchase 3 more calves, 2 cows, a heifer, a steer, and a bull.


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