"D" Day

[earlybird]

Hello -

I am getting ready to have a couple of steers slaughtered. We will be using a mobile slaughterere and I'm very concerned about one of them getting shot and the other one being afraid and suffering. I realize that it's an eventuality, but it's really important to me that they die quickly and don't suffer.

What do you do about this?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I'm not sure about your setup but, you could keep them separate. But really they probably will be okay together. I know when we put cows down the others may jump with the gun shot but, then quite right down. Do you have a lot of shooting (target, hunting) that goes on around you? If so, the shot may not mean anything to them.

If your concerned that they be gone right away, when shot, touch their eye. If no response then they are brain dead and the movements you see are just nerves. But, the guys should be slitting the throats right away to bleed them out.

Processors don't want the animals to suffer either.

 

[Thewife]

I have two to go tomorrow!(it had better be tomorrow)
I always make sure they do the least calm one first.

If you have any other cows around, make sure they are locked away. Cows can get kinda scary weird when they smell blood.

 

[wynedot55]

heck cows go ape when you have to dragg off a dead calf or cow.

 

[Thewife]

I was trying to be gentle with the "kinda scary weird"!
I think "go ape" is a better descripton!

 

[wynedot55]

ive had them surround me me when id have todo that job.an lets say i walked easy around/in them.

 

[Thewife]

We lost one awhile back. For a few days there, when the herd would come out of the lower fields, they would stop at the spot and make the most god awful noises! It woud just make my skin crawl!

 

[wynedot55]

thats just cows for you.they have their own ways.

 

[earlybird]

Thanks Farmer Kitty, that makes me feel a little better.