Wehner Homestead

[CntryBoy777]

I thought that this might make ya smile....I am totally technically challenged, so I haven't figured out the scratch-n-sniff program yet....but, take my word for it....it is Wonderful!! They are plumeria or frangipani....they make leis with these in Hawaii......
.....these are trees and have to be over wintered in the house.....

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I thought that this might make ya smile....I am totally technically challenged, so I haven't figured out the scratch-n-sniff program yet....but, take my word for it....it is Wonderful!! They are plumeria or frangipani....they make leis with these in Hawaii......
View attachment 51714 .....these are trees and have to be over wintered in the house.....

Aww!!! You are correct! Plumeria is actually one of my favorite scents. Thank you!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I have more bad news...we walked down as a family to check the cows and I’ll share a pic that I took but my cow was in heat.

Elsa is the daughter of my first anniversary present from DH. He bought Chesney from my grandfather so I’d have some of his lines. She’s named from the first concert that I went to. (DH took me to see Kenny’s Chesney for my high school graduation gift.) Anyway, Chesney accidentally foundered while summering at my grandparents the year before she had Elsa. We babied her through in hopes of getting a heifer to replace her and I was beyond thrilled when she had one. I wanted to name her Queen and when I said it, DD1 one immediately replied “Queen Elsa?” (As in the movie Frozen.) Needless to say, I just shortened it to Elsa. She has been such a sweet girl and our niece showed her her first year of 4-H and won her class and Showmanship with her. Elsa is one of our pet cows. She delivered her first calf with no problems and he was actually one that was shown at the fair this summer. She then lost her second calf at 3 mos gestation along with 2 of our other cows last year. They all got a pass and bred back this year. This was the first sign of heat that she’d had since being bred in May. It makes me sick but I can’t keep putting money into a cow that isn’t productive and can’t earn her keep. A pet cow is VERY expensive. DH is very upset with my decision as that will be the end of that line but Elsa will be going to the sale barn soon.

As promised, here’s some pics of the girls coming to us. DH just said in a regular voice “hi, girls” then the kids started calling them and they trotted to us! Love that they are so accustomed to the kids!

 

[farmerjan]

Do you vaccinate for lepto? It has become a bigger and bigger problem here and we are going to go to 2x a year from our standard once a year. There are a few dairies that are actually vaccinating 3 x a year for it. There are so many ways for them to be exposed to it and it can be carried in the streams/water according to our vet. I believe that any mammal can carry it and as your cattle are out on pasture as ours are, they can be exposed to it. That may be part of the abortion problem although you have had a greater percentage than most. We figure we lose about 1% to possible lepto even with vaccination. Of course some we never even know if they have settled then lost it since we usually preg check when they are in the 4-7 month range. But when a healthy young cow comes up open, that is what we normally attribute it to. I don't do as much AI as I used to, and they usually go with the clean up bull after the 2nd AI breeding, so don't get checked until well into their 2nd trimester.
I also think I read that IBR can cause abortion.

And we have had some families of cows that are just hard breeders and they don't get too many passes anymore. As you said, it costs too much to keep a "PET COW" that doesn't at least contribute to the feed bill with a calf !!!

 

[greybeard]

She then lost her second calf at 3 mos gestation along with 2 of our other cows last year.

3 aborted last year---out of how many total?
how old is Elsa?

fungal mycotoxins, trich, lepto, several weed and plant species or their leaves, temperature stresses, plumb bad luck, about a dozen different infectious causes ..... all known to cause slipped calves/abortions. Sometimes you never do find out the true cause.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

3 out of 15 last year. They were split about evenly on two separate farms more than 5 miles from each other.

Elsa is 4.

 

[Baymule]

How do you test for lepto and do vaccinations keep it away?

 

[greybeard]

How do you test for lepto

Furosemide injection, then take clean clear urine samples. Keep the samples cold to prevent organism growth. Send them to lab. You don't need to take sample from every cow, just a %, tho last I heard, about 12-15 separate samples is what they want if your herd has that many animals.
TAMU will do it, as will many other States' land grant universities.
About $30 +your shipping costs.



The old vaccines weren't very good and didn't work with Hardjo, the most common variant, but the newer 5 way lepto vaccines are much better.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Thanks @farmerjan and @greybeard! I remember Jan mentioning lepto when I posted about the issues last year. I’m going to hold onto Elsa for a bit longer and get with our vet to see about testing her and if that’s a factor. We may go ahead and test her for brucellosis too. I’ll see what the vet recommends and keep you posted.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I don’t even know how or what to say but y’all may as well know...Queenie died last night. She was hit by a vehicle sometime through the night and died instantly. I found her in the ditch along our front pasture where the cows are now. DH left work to help me pick her up and get her in the vehicle. He then used the tractor to bury her on the hillside by Lana and Logan.

I have so much guilt over this one! We tried to take a LGD and make her a farm dog when we fell in love with her. The original intent was to be in the pen with the goats but we just loved her and she loved us so she got to be out. We knew she patrolled but thought the extent was the borders of the farm. I feel like we did her a huge injustice and she’d still be here if we had actually kept her with the goats. I don’t know! The kids loved her being out and felt so safe with her around and I did too. She loved being where we were and would even sneak in the house to be with us! Our hearts are so broken! She had just turned one in June!!!

There won’t be another LGD until the male we’ve reserved is actually born. In the meantime, I’ve told DH that we have to get set up perfectly because I refuse to lose another LGD. I love them so much and losing three in 9 years is just devastating! (I know Coop is alive but he had to be rehomed so I failed him too.) DH agreed and said that he will get a plan together.

DH asked me about getting another farm dog and we will either do an Aussie or another English Shepherd like Lana. We’d just keep Cowboy and Jewel out but don’t have a complete perimeter fence and Cowboy is intact. Jewel is actually in heat at the moment and not enjoying confinement at all!

I want to scream, cry, punch something! It’s so hard. Queenie was barely one and taken way too soon! This is harder than Faith! She was my world but I knew the end was near and that we’d given her the best life possible after all she’d been through. Losing Queenie is a complete shock!