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Prickly cow need advice please?

H

hillsdown

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Joined
Oct 5, 2007
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Location
Central Alberta,Canada
Well a first again I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Sometime between this morning and this this afternoon one of my cows got curious with a porcupine......Now I have experience with dogs but never a cow until now .

She has quills on the fleshy part of her snout a couple by her eye and quite a few on the side of her jowl. She is grazing fine and so far does not realize there is a problem.

SO question is how do you effectively remove them with little damage and how soon do I have to get them out?Also it must have been quite a mature porcupine as the quills are rather thick.

Thank you for your replies.
 
Unless they are in their mouth and/or interfer with their eating or breathing-- most of mine are just left to fester and eventually fall out--usually because they are nowhere near a headgate....

If you do pull them-- cut the tips off -- supposed to allow air into the quill and make them easier to pull- then just grab them with a pliers and pull them...

Any way I've done it tho-- its usually not fun and ends up getting a little bloody..
 
:agree: with OT

If I can find it, I will post a pic of a cow with her udder covered with quills, and she was nursing a calf. Nevertheless we had to head catch her and pull them out. Milk was running every which way. We have tons of those porky pigs out here.

I found the picture. To this day we have no idea how she managed this one!!!!

sagebadluck.jpg
 
Thank you.
I will bring them up tomorrow and try to get her into the shute.I am by myself right now and she is a little stubborn.
Hopefully hubby will be home soon.
I was thinking of giving her a long acting pen and a pain killer once I get the quills out.If this is not a good idea please let me know.

Thanks again OT and Hanta Yo.

Hanta Yo ouch, poor girl; that looks really painful.
 
Hanta, I would guess that she got those quills by stepping over the porky and it swung its tail and nailed the poor old cow right square. Porcupines are not very speedy except for when they lash their prickly ole tail at whatever they think is threatening them.
 
Maple Leaf Angus said:
Hanta, I would guess that she got those quills by stepping over the porky and it swung its tail and nailed the poor old cow right square. Porcupines are not very speedy except for when they lash their prickly ole tail at whatever they think is threatening them.
Click to expand...

You're probably right :!:
 
Ohhhhhh Hanta....man, that makes ya hurt just looking at that cow!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Giving the cow a shot or two won't hurt that's for sure esp if you've already got her caught up.

Put a halter on head once you've got her in the chute...that will help you control her head and keep her from knocking you around with her head.

Halter works better than nose pliers.
 
kolanuraven said:
Ohhhhhh Hanta....man, that makes ya hurt just looking at that cow!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Giving the cow a shot or two won't hurt that's for sure esp if you've already got her caught up.

Put a halter on head once you've got her in the chute...that will help you control her head and keep her from knocking you around with her head.

Halter works better than nose pliers.
Click to expand...

Yep, her bag sure was sore for awhile. Must of hurrrt to nurse her calf, but being a tough 'ol cow and a good mother she nursed it anyway. Those nose tongs like to slip out, we prefer a halter, too. Plus it doesn't hurt the cow as much.
 

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