# Safe to Butcher/Eat?   (Injured Heifer)



## Bleenie

About 2 weeks ago I ended up coming home with a 3-4 month old Holstien Heifer calf with a badly injured leg. I mainly bougth her to keep her from being killed because of not selling and I really thoguth I could get this girl better.

We got her home, discovered it was a dog bite to her back ankle. It was Very swollen & also infected.   I spoke with my Vet and we staretyd Antibiotics immediately along with some other stuff to help keep it clean and get the crap out of it.

Round 1 of Pennicillin really helped. Reduced the size of the leg by half and brought the infection down too.  I continued with the other care but had to stop the Pennicillin because I didn't want her to build up an immunity to it.  The leg didn't get any worse but didn't seem to be getting better...

Just started Round 2 of Pennicillin and so far things are looking better.  Less swollen, things are opening up and cleaning out too. She's putting a little weight on it again also.

I have a possible home set up for this girl but I was hoping her leg would be better by then. They may back out if it isn't better by the pickup date.   

*Considering the possibility that she doesn't get better, I have been thinking of possibily butchering her if it would be possible.* I know there's a 10 day withdrawal period on the Pennicillin but i can continue the other care during those 10 days to keep any pain at a minimum.   She has been on an Alfalfa only diet & gets grain during her leg treatment at night. She is definitely healthy otherwise and has grown in the short time we've had her.

*So would it be Safe to butcher her if her leg does not clear up?


I apologize if I have upset or offended anyone, but i hope you can all understand where I am coming from....*


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## ksalvagno

I would think as long as you follow the Penicillin withdraw time period, you should be fine. I guess I wouldn't want to keep any meat from the bad part of the leg but other than that, see no reason not to do it. Maybe others will have a better idea than me because I have only just started taking animals to be processed this year.


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## Bleenie

If we did butcher her we planned to remove & discard of that whole leg, just as a precaution.  The infected area hasn't spread or gotten any bigger but just as a safety thing we wouldn't eat it.


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## warthog

I don't see why you can't butcher as long as you keep to the withdrawal time for the antibiotic or any other medication.

As you say I would certainly dicard the leg that is injured, just to be safe.

Note this is just my opinion I have not actually had to do anything like this, this is just how I would deal with it.  Maybe talk to your vet, see what they have to say.

Good luck.


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## jhm47

If she's only 3 - 4 months old, and she's been sick, she probably won't weigh much more than 250 - 300 lbs.  There probably won't be enough meat on her to bother with.

If she were  mine, I'd put her on a combination of antibiotics.  Tylan 200 and Pennicillin work well together for infections like hers.  There are other drugs that would also be good.  Ask your vet, and if he doesn't know about these drugs (he's seen the heifer and should have a better idea than I can), find another vet and get a second opinion.  

Holstein heifers are quite valuable when bred, so if you can salvage her for a breeding heifer, you will likely make a few $$$ on her.  Good luck!


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## Bleenie

Is Tylan 200 one that the feed store sells? I will definitely try it if it could help her.

I believe she is around 320ish right now. definitely not a small girl! although i am used to the little BWF girls we have.


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## she-earl

There would be some meat on her but not an over abundance.  We have found that when we have used pencillin it stays in the animals system longer than the label says for withhold.  If she is improving, you may want to allow her more time to heal.  If you should decide to have her used for meat, I would recommend that a urine sample be taken and checked for antibiotics to make sure she is clear of anitibiotic residue.  We had a newborn calf about four months ago that would not stand on her one front leg.  The vet didn't find a break but not explanation for holding it curled up.  We put a splint type cast on it and then when she stood on it, her shoulder threw out away from her body about 5 inches.  We immediately took the splint off.  Vet said it was a weakness in the ligaments or something and let's give her a little bit of time before putting her down.  She is now in a group pen at four - five months of age and is doing well.  Hopefully with some time, she will come around and be OK.


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## Beekissed

We butchered a young bottle calf at around 6 mo. that didn't have much meat on her also.  We just ground the hams and made the rest into raw portions for the dogs so the meat wouldn't go to waste.  Not a part of that calf went to waste!  Everything from bones to head was consumed by the dogs, organs, etc.  

I'd wait until the antibiotics were well out of her system and give the leg to the dogs.  Should be fine.  I don't think you will like the quality or taste of the meat as opposed to an older beef....I found the meat of my young one to be pale and not very flavorful.


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## john in wa

I would not eat any thing off that heifer.. I know people eat sick animals all the time but i will not. I think i read that you paid $5 for her. think of it as a $5 dollar lesson + what you have spent in medication for her. I also would guess if this was a good breed able heifer (not a free martin) her owners would of spent the $100 to call out the vet to treat her before it got this bad. plus you also do not know what she was treated with before you brought her home. I know La 200 is 28days with draw time.  If i was you i would take her back to the sale Saturday.


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## Bleenie

I am not going to take her back to the auction, if she is going to die or have to be killed I rather it be done here instead of out back at the auction. I am positive she wouldnt sell again anyway, they were sending her out back when i finally said i would take her.

From the looks of the leg when i bought her, i am pretty sure they did nothing to begin with besides maybe spray it with some blue kote. IF they did do anything, it wasn't much and they obviously didn't try. It was ENOURMOUS and HORRIBLY infected and there was a lot of puss when we first lanced it.

I do not care if she is breedable, i just care about getting her better. and with the improvement she has shown i am not going to give up just yet. I was just asking for input as to if the meat would be safe if we decided that she was suffering too much.

She came from a very small local dairy that i have visited in the past when we were looking for a calf to bottle raise. When we were there they showed us a calf and walked us right past one that was very clearly dying in a filthy pen. They said nothing about it and were obviously doing nothing about it. It really would not suprise me to find out for sure that they did nothing to help this girl but spray some blue kote on her leg.


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