So, I am out checking the calves we are feeding when I notice one staggering and way blown up like a balloon..He is nice black calf that wieghs about 800 pounds..A severe Bloat. I walk him back to the watering pen and he is struggling. I shut a gate with a poor chain latch setup and go to set the gates to the alley. The rest of the calves bump the gate open while I am setting gates and come into the pen....
I go back and start sorting them out and by this time, the calf is really struggling. I realize he is about done and I really don't want him in an alley in this condition. He could go down and the confining of the alley will just stress him more. Suddenly, he starts staggering backwards with his head up....Dang, he goes down with the wrong side up. ...
I rush in and roll him over. I grab my leathermans and pick a spot on his side to puncture. and let the air out. The ppressure against his Diaphram is preventing his lungs from working. I stab him and the blade enters the rumen.Immediately the air starts coming out. I look at the eyes and they are glazed over. I worry it is too late. I let the air out and then start jumping on the rib cage, trying to get some response...After a few jumps, there is kinda a kick and a gasp, then nothing.
I start jumping again and after a bit, another kick and gulp...I jump on the ribs again, and this time with the gasp, there is a blink, though the eyes are still glazed over. I put my foot on the chest and he starts kicking, further entangling his feet into the Blackberry bushes he is laying against. He kinda starts to breath and then stops. I put my foot on his ribs and he starts kicking more...Finally he is struggling, but breathing.
I walk away and set the gate to turn him into a pen where another heifer is. She had a broken leg, but is on the mend. It is better to put him in there than back out. I come back and he is startled. He gets up and runs into a barbed wire fence. He does not have his wits about him yet, but he is breathing well now. I let him set there until he decides to get up. He walks to the gate and won't drive back to the pen.
It is always a little hairy with calves that don't quite have all thier senses about them. I have seen them suddenly go into a defense mode where they run you over with no warning....
I go get the hiefer to try to give him a calf to follow. I want him to not feel alone and threatened. I get her there and he pairs up with her. Yet, at the gate to the pen he stops and just looks at me. I realize he doesn't have enough sense to respect me. I need to get him in the pen as this is the best place for him....A three foot long 3 inch diameter limb lies beside me. I toss it at his head and it startles him out of a dazed state. He follows the heifer and I shut the gate.....
I go open the main gate so the other calves can water. I put some salt out and come back and check on him. At this point, he is just a normal calf, with no gratitude...No real idea that i just saved his life...Yet I feel pretty pumped. He was basically dead and I brought him back......Always a good feeling,
PPRM
I go back and start sorting them out and by this time, the calf is really struggling. I realize he is about done and I really don't want him in an alley in this condition. He could go down and the confining of the alley will just stress him more. Suddenly, he starts staggering backwards with his head up....Dang, he goes down with the wrong side up. ...
I rush in and roll him over. I grab my leathermans and pick a spot on his side to puncture. and let the air out. The ppressure against his Diaphram is preventing his lungs from working. I stab him and the blade enters the rumen.Immediately the air starts coming out. I look at the eyes and they are glazed over. I worry it is too late. I let the air out and then start jumping on the rib cage, trying to get some response...After a few jumps, there is kinda a kick and a gasp, then nothing.
I start jumping again and after a bit, another kick and gulp...I jump on the ribs again, and this time with the gasp, there is a blink, though the eyes are still glazed over. I put my foot on the chest and he starts kicking, further entangling his feet into the Blackberry bushes he is laying against. He kinda starts to breath and then stops. I put my foot on his ribs and he starts kicking more...Finally he is struggling, but breathing.
I walk away and set the gate to turn him into a pen where another heifer is. She had a broken leg, but is on the mend. It is better to put him in there than back out. I come back and he is startled. He gets up and runs into a barbed wire fence. He does not have his wits about him yet, but he is breathing well now. I let him set there until he decides to get up. He walks to the gate and won't drive back to the pen.
It is always a little hairy with calves that don't quite have all thier senses about them. I have seen them suddenly go into a defense mode where they run you over with no warning....
I go get the hiefer to try to give him a calf to follow. I want him to not feel alone and threatened. I get her there and he pairs up with her. Yet, at the gate to the pen he stops and just looks at me. I realize he doesn't have enough sense to respect me. I need to get him in the pen as this is the best place for him....A three foot long 3 inch diameter limb lies beside me. I toss it at his head and it startles him out of a dazed state. He follows the heifer and I shut the gate.....
I go open the main gate so the other calves can water. I put some salt out and come back and check on him. At this point, he is just a normal calf, with no gratitude...No real idea that i just saved his life...Yet I feel pretty pumped. He was basically dead and I brought him back......Always a good feeling,
PPRM