• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

The Past Week

gcreekrch

Well-known member
Heifers in Ol Red's headlights.
P4021638.jpg


A mother's love. Taken about 30 seconds after she bunted the poor little bugger about 20 yards across the ground. :roll:
P4031639.jpg


Five minutes makes a difference.
P4031640.jpg


The Dumb Calf's Prayer.....

The chute is my mother
I shall not want
He leadeth me to sustenance and survival...... :roll:
P4041641.jpg


Couple of days ago.
P4041642.jpg


Yearling heifers.
P4041644.jpg


Steers
P4041645.jpg


Calvey heifers in the daylight.
P4041646.jpg


April 7, more white crap.
P4071647.jpg
 

WyomingRancher

Well-known member
Wow, who would have guessed Red had working headlights??? :p

Cattle look really good. The red and white cow in the fifth picture would make a fantastic rug someday.
 

Silver

Well-known member
Everything is looking pretty good gcreek. Looks like you got way more snow than we have up here, but it doesn't appear to be slowing you down.
I'm envious of your yrlgs., no ringworm in sight. Everything appears to be in a1 condition.
 

per

Well-known member
Can't beat the sound of sucking coming from a trouble calf at the chute. :) I thought old red bit a big one a while back. Never say die. :shock:
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
Nice pictures, Gcreek. Still looks a bit wintery up in your country. The cattle are in great condition. Thanks for the photos.
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
WR, Ol Red has been "customized" and now has $20.00 Canadian Tire headlights instead of the more expensive molded stock lights. He had a rear wheel bearing out that left him in the barn until I replaced it a couple weeks ago.

We haven't had much problem with ringworm this year but had a bout of pinkeye about 2-3 weeks back.
We have lost three steers to waterbelly this winter, didn't catch them in time to operate on them. Is there anything to feed to offset to much calcium?
 

burnt

Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
A mother's love. Taken about 30 seconds after she bunted the poor little bugger about 20 yards across the ground. :roll:
P4031639.jpg


Had a R.A. heifer that looks very similar to yours above that did the same thing last spring. She just about wore that poor lil beggar out grinding on him, roaring her fool head off all the while.

Made me cross but couldn't do a thing with her. She finally bunted him right under the electric fence and then stood there and gave him proper h377 for leaving her?

Tough love, I guess?
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Your water belly comment, gcreek...
Water belly is a calcium-phosphorus imbalance called
urinary calculi.

Here is something I found that explains it well. And some literature
that supports nutritionists stance of feeding at least a 2-1 calcium
to phosphorus mineral. It's phosphorus that is the culprit in water
belly, not calcium. I think calcium gets the blame because of water
belly being called "urinary calculi".

Urinary Calculi or “Water Belly”
Cause: Urinary calculi (kidney stones) are hard mineral deposits in the urinary tracts of cattle. Affected cattle may experience chronic bladder infection from mechanical irritation produced by the calculi. In more serious cases, calculi may block the flow of urine, particularly in male animals. The urinary bladder or urethra may rupture from prolonged urinary tract blockage, resulting in release of urine into the surrounding tissues. The collection of urine under the skin or in the abdominal cavity is referred to as “water belly.” Death from toxemia may result within 48 hours of bladder rupture. Signs of urinary calculi include straining to urinate, dribbling urine, blood-tinged urine and indications of extreme discomfort, e.g., tail wringing, foot stamping and kicking at the abdomen. Phosphate urinary calculi form in cattle on high grain diets, while silicate urinary calculi typically develop in cattle on rangeland.
Prevention: Strategies to prevent problems with urinary calculi in cattle include lowering urinary phosphorus levels, acidifying the urine and increasing urine volume.

To lower urinary phosphorus levels, rations high in phosphorus should be avoided. Maintain a dietary calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1.

Acid-forming salts such as ammonium chloride may be fed to acidify the urine. Ammonium chloride may be fed at a rate of 1.0 to 1.5 ounces per head per day. Urine volume may be increased by feeding salt at 1 to 4 percent of the diet while providing an adequate water supply.
Treatment: Limited success with treatments designed to facilitate passing or dissolving urinary calculi leaves few other treatment options. Surgery may be the most effective treatment. However, the cost of surgery should be considered and weighed against the value of the animal.

A few years back, we gained a new customer who was having a hard time with water belly.
We evaluated the situation and changed his mineral from the 12-12 he
was using from the competition to our 13-7 basic mineral and his problems stopped. He remained a customer til he sold his ranch and the
new owner has fed our mineral ever since, with no water belly problems

I hope this sheds some light on it for you. Good luck!


I also found this:
The term "urinary calculi" describes mineral deposits in the urinary tract (Emerick and Wohlgemuth, 1985). These deposits may block the flow of urine in male cattle. Prolonged blockage generally results in rupture of the urinary bladder or urethra, releasing urine into the surrounding tissues or abdomen. This produces the condition referred to as "water belly. Two types of urinary calculi predominate in cattle and sheep: (1) the phosphatic type formed principally under feedlot conditions and (2) the siliceous type occurring mainly in range animals.

Clinical Signs: Animals afflicted with urinary calculi may at first appear restless with frequent straining in an unsuccessful attempt to urinate. They may repeatedly stamp their feed and kick at the abdomen. In some cases when urinary blockage is not complete, urine may dribble slowly from the sheath. After complete blockage of urine flow, the bladder or urethra finally ruptures releasing urine into the body cavity and surrounding tissues. At this stage the animal may show a complete loss of appetite and stand quietly or lie down. A ruptured urethra results in a large swelling under the skin in front of the scrotum.

Phosphatic Urinary Calculi: A high phosphorus level and calcium-phosphorus imbalances promote this type of urinary calculi. Lower water consumption by animals during the winter is believed to be an important reason for the higher urinary calculi incidence associated with that season.
Hard water is often blamed for the occurrence of urinary calculi. However, calcium and magnesium that constitute the "hardness" of water have been found to promote protection against phosphatic urinary calculi. The best prevention method to maintain a 2:1 to 1.2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio.[/b]
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Faster horses said:
You feed a 2-1 mineral as well, BMR, if I'm correct.

Yes we do but we used to have lots of water belly and in the eighties we used lots of alfalfa pellets from the north and started feeding more alfalfa hay and that seemed to stop it. With using the mineral we just don't get it anymore.
 

HAY MAKER

Well-known member
Your stock wintered well,musta kept you busy in that country,be interestin to see it all greened up...............thanks for the picture story.
good luck
 

WyomingRancher

Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
WR, Ol Red has been "customized" and now has $20.00 Canadian Tire headlights instead of the more expensive molded stock lights. He had a rear wheel bearing out that left him in the barn until I replaced it a couple weeks ago.

So you're tricking out Ol Red? :p

atv-rims-four-wheeler.jpg
 

per

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Faster horses said:
You feed a 2-1 mineral as well, BMR, if I'm correct.

Yes we do but we used to have lots of water belly and in the eighties we used lots of alfalfa pellets from the north and started feeding more alfalfa hay and that seemed to stop it. With using the mineral we just don't get it anymore.
We too had some water belly in the eighties and like you they coincidentally stopped when Alfalfa was introduced into the diet. Haven't had a case since. Thanks BMR, I never put 2 and 2 together.
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
per said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
Faster horses said:
You feed a 2-1 mineral as well, BMR, if I'm correct.

Yes we do but we used to have lots of water belly and in the eighties we used lots of alfalfa pellets from the north and started feeding more alfalfa hay and that seemed to stop it. With using the mineral we just don't get it anymore.
We too had some water belly in the eighties and like you they coincidentally stopped when Alfalfa was introduced into the diet. Haven't had a case since. Thanks BMR, I never put 2 and 2 together.

We are feeding a 2-1 mineral and that may be too much Phos. Our feed analysis is 110% required calcium and over 300% required phos on our own hay. Add a little barley and 14% pellets to that and maybe they only need copper as we are really high in molybdenem.
I wonder how many pounds of alfalfa hay or pellets would be required?
 

Blkbuckaroo

Well-known member
WyomingRancher said:
gcreekrch said:
WR, Ol Red has been "customized" and now has $20.00 Canadian Tire headlights instead of the more expensive molded stock lights. He had a rear wheel bearing out that left him in the barn until I replaced it a couple weeks ago.

So you're tricking out Ol Red? :p

atv-rims-four-wheeler.jpg
I need one of these :)
 
Top