I might finally be getting a milk cow!!!!

[WildRoseBeef]

What is everyone's consensus on her weight? I say around 400 pounds, but Windy I think you need to get a weigh-tape to get an accurate measurement on her weight so that you can give her the correct dosage. She doesn't look to be 200 pounds, hence my guess, but am curious to see what others think!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Oh and go ahead get a fecal done. It won't hurt to see what's ailing her.

 

[farmerjan]

By the looks, and knowing she is a small breed I would say not over 300 lbs. I would worm her and just see how she acts. It could be the change of water....hey, they say don't drink the water in Mexico......she might have a bit of an upset from that as well as a complete change of life from before. And she is now having to re-establish her place in a different pen with the sheep. If she is eating good, and can get to the hay with no more fighting or being run off, I think that it will straighten up. Give her a little time as long as she is eating. That is the big thing, make sure she is eating. It is so hard to just move a young animal on your own place, let alone a completely new home, routine, feed, water, and other animals to deal with. I wouldn't cut back on her grain anymore as she needs the protein. Did you consider calling the lady you bought her from and ask if she has had any problems with any of the young ones being real loose or what she might suggest? It's not saying that you are doing anything wrong, it just might be something she has seen or dealt with before and can make a suggestion...

 

[farmerjan]

One other thing, use the wormer SQ so that it will be absorbed a little slower. If she happens to have a high worm load, it could actually make her sicker in the short run by doing it orally. It can actually kill a sheep if they have a big parasite load and they suddenly get wormed and they all die and are passed all at once. The little bit of a shot won't hurt her, I'd go no more than 2.5 cc if you haven't done a fecal on her. We mostly use pour on now and only if they look like they need it. We have slowly been culling cattle that seem to have a big worm problem and also those that tend to have calves that constantly get pinkeye. I do believe that you can build up some resistance to it and it is obvious that we have much less pinkeye problems and fewer animals that need alot of worming in the last few years by keeping heifers that are out of cows that we consider "easy - keepers". Our biggest problems are in bought cattle and the first calves born out of bought cattle. I think they need time to build up some immunity to our "bugs" that they are newly exposed to.

 

[WindyIndy]

Thank you guys. I always worry about over estimating that's why I said 200, wish I would have thought to look for a measuring tape at Farm Fleet today. I will definitely do SQ, I don't want to kill her!
She is eating, and drinking. I keep two hay nets in their shelter. Thought I do worry sometimes that Maggie keeps them out of the shelter (she growled once at them when I was down there), but the hey nets are gone by morning so maybe not? The sheep and her are getting along well it seems too, she was rubbing on my ram again. I definitely think she's happier with the sheep and I'm very glad for that.
I could contact the lady, but I don't thinks she'll be much help. When she dropped Luna off she was very surprised to see the runs saying she didn't have that before, she thought it was due to the fact that Luna gorged on a salt block therefor drinking more water before she came.

My problem with getting a fecal is it needs to be no older then 24 hours, so if she doesn't go when I'm there I have no idea how old the ones in the pasture are. Or do you think I could scrape some off her tail? Though I still may run the risk of getting some old stuff.

I'm sorry to keep bothering you guys with this, but I do really appreciate it! I just want Luna to be ok. She doesn't act sick, but I still worry about her. She's my baby. She moos whenever she hears my voice, even if she can't see me, she's up at the gate waiting for her breakfast/dinner, she fallows me around in the pasture, I just love her.....

Here is a pic of her tail, it was clean

 

[farmerjan]

I honestly think it is more change of feed,water,environment etc than anything else, and not getting enough hay for the few days she was in with the horses. Yeah, it's messy and not great to look at, but .... Since she seems to be doing well with the sheep and the hay is gone in the morning, you have to hope and trust that she is getting hay now. Worm her and then give her a week or 2 before you panic.....really I think she will get straightened out once she gets fully comfortable where she is. Sounds like she is adapting to you real well and as long as she is wanting to eat, I would just relax a bit. If the weather is warm, wash the tail off real good, then if she messes it, you will know if it is "new manure". I have a weaned holstein calf that is constantly loose, runny and I just quit getting excited about it. He would rather pick at grass than eat any hay so he stays loose. It'll get better in another month when the grass finally gets short enough that they are eating more hay. The orphaned beef heifer that he was raised with doesn't have the problem.

 

[TAH]

How are your hay bags set up?

 

[WindyIndy]

I have been trying to relax more, thank you. I actually found a fresh pile form Luna in her bedding this morning that I didn't see last night, I was so happy! Plus, it was a little thicker too! Kind of like applesauce. She barely had any worms (I was surprised, I figured she would have been loaded!), but the ones she did have are rounds, whip, and coccidia. The vet said to give her the ivermectin, and also gave me trinethoprim-sulfa pills. 7 a day for a week.

I'll post pics of my hay net set up. Usually I just use the the two black ones, but will sometimes use the green as well if the sheep are hogging the other. Though then they see Luna and come get hers as you can see in the pics They were only half full this morning.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Great to hear!! I think she's finally on her way to finally settle in well to your herd.

 

[WindyIndy]

I think she is too, she had normal poops this morning!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!!

Now that she's feeling better I'm going to slowly up her grain back to the 2 pounds so she gets enough to grow on. She always leaves the last two of her worm meds in her grain so I have to shove them down, though now she's figuring out how to push them out with her tongue. Stinker, lol. I have to hold her mouth closed as she chews them