Post by lakeportfarms on May 12, 2015 18:14:18 GMT
Everybody is still in the sacrifice areas, since our grass hasn't really had the growth I like before I put them on it for rotational grazing. Maybe this weekend, maybe next. But in this case it could have been a good thing they were in the sacrifice areas still, because as I was finishing up feeding them last evening Sheril noticed one in the steer/bull group had a pretty serious case of bloat. It was late, it had rained really hard and it was muddy (and "pre"-mud), we were tired and hungry and we were almost ready to get in the car and go home.
The mistake we made was trying to get him haltered and out of the steer area before I had everything ready to go. Once he was haltered he started struggling, and obviously couldn't breath well enough and down he went on his side. About 20 steers and bulls immediately came to investigate why. Sheril was hanging onto the lead with all the boys surrounding her, and I was jumping a couple of fences and corral panels trying to get inside the building to get the speculum, tube, and just in case, a trocar. Fortunately I knew where they were, and I was listening to the commotion by the steers as I was running in my muck boots back to where the the steer was. He was still on his side, gasping and looking very distressed, and I quickly stuck the speculum in his mouth and fed the tube down. Fortunately it all went down quickly, and we could see him deflate before our very eyes (the New England Patriots should hire me
). It took him 10 or so minutes but he got up and immediately went to the water to get a drink. I suspect he had been bloating for a while, but with 120 plus to look after, we just didn't notice it right away....good thing Sheril saw him when she did. I would bet he would have died if I had been a minute later with the tube...
He appears to be ok today, but not quite his usual self. I'm sure it was a pretty traumatic experience for him, and quite messy for us. Fortunately we have quite a few clothes at the farm to change into. A shower was the first order of business when we returned home though! Our little apartment here is still a work in progress.
The mistake we made was trying to get him haltered and out of the steer area before I had everything ready to go. Once he was haltered he started struggling, and obviously couldn't breath well enough and down he went on his side. About 20 steers and bulls immediately came to investigate why. Sheril was hanging onto the lead with all the boys surrounding her, and I was jumping a couple of fences and corral panels trying to get inside the building to get the speculum, tube, and just in case, a trocar. Fortunately I knew where they were, and I was listening to the commotion by the steers as I was running in my muck boots back to where the the steer was. He was still on his side, gasping and looking very distressed, and I quickly stuck the speculum in his mouth and fed the tube down. Fortunately it all went down quickly, and we could see him deflate before our very eyes (the New England Patriots should hire me
). It took him 10 or so minutes but he got up and immediately went to the water to get a drink. I suspect he had been bloating for a while, but with 120 plus to look after, we just didn't notice it right away....good thing Sheril saw him when she did. I would bet he would have died if I had been a minute later with the tube...He appears to be ok today, but not quite his usual self. I'm sure it was a pretty traumatic experience for him, and quite messy for us. Fortunately we have quite a few clothes at the farm to change into. A shower was the first order of business when we returned home though! Our little apartment here is still a work in progress.
