Texas Longhorn

[robbins.photo]

Hey lee, on this rather immancipated longhorn - I'm curious. Do there happen to be a lot of trees in the area that bear acorns?

 

[robbins.photo]

Reason I ask, that is most likely the culprit here rather than the rancher. Looks like this longhorn is actually suffering from Acorn Poisoning. I know that sounds weird, but it's actually true. When a cow eats too many green acorns they get sick - messes with their plumbing something awful. When they do they usually end up looking a lot like the emaciated critter in your picture. You usually see it in the spring, especially after a big storm or two goes through an area and knocks a bunch of green acorns off of nearby trees.

The cows love em.. I guess it's like popcorn with movie theater butter as far as they are concerned. But man once they eat too many they get wicked sick and after a week or two end up looking like they just strolled out of a concentration camp.

Can't be 100% certain just from looking at the photos of course, but that would be my best guess based on the summers I worked a cattle ranch as a kid.

 

[bribrius]

anorexic just like some models. They were getting read for the shoot ahead of time.


or maybe they just don't get fed enough like the starving models?

 

[robbins.photo]

anorexic just like some models. They were getting read for the shoot ahead of time.


or maybe they just don't get fed enough like the starving models?

Well I don't know if green acorns have a similar effect on Cindy Crawford and her ilk, but for a cow once they get one to many in them it's like they downed 50 gallons of ex-lax, and it goes on usually for weeks. Oh ya, it's nasty.

 

[DLeeT]

This is a report from the University of Kentucky on Kentucky cattle. Kentucky is south of here and thus had a slightly milder winter. I might add that there were several calves I saw in this small herd.

"Most winters take a toll on cattle, but this winter has been tougher than most. Temperatures have been colder, leading to extended periods of livestock cold stress. Ice and snow cover was relentless and more than most Kentucky beef producers have seen in the past 15 to 20 years.

All cattle are susceptible to these adverse conditions especially if they are older or they are not getting the proper nutrients... “Despite having had access to free choice hay, these cows have just ‘run out of gas’ with green grass just around the corner – with a belly full of hay. However, this winter, we have been encountering these ‘malnutrition’ cases on a much more frequent basis, at a much earlier date, and are seeing what should be sound young cows and pre-weaning/weaning age calves also affected.” Despite producers diligently trying to feed and protect the animals, the cold just won out in many cases.

Many university studies show that the lower critical temperature for cows with dry, heavy winter coats is 18 degrees Fahrenheit. “It may be surprising to some, but that lower critical temperature when a cow is wet is actually around 59 degrees,” said Louis Pittman, veterinary pathologist at the Breathitt Veterinary Center at Murray State University, which works closely with UK on veterinary pathology issues. “For every degree that the temperature drops below the critical temperature, a cow has to expend 2 percent more calories to maintain body heat and condition.” Wind chills have been especially low this past winter and that causes cattle to expend even more energy to stay warm. “So the cattle just aren’t getting adequate supplemental energy and protein sources,” Arnold said. “If you don’t know the nutritional quality of your hay, you won’t know if you are providing sufficient nutrition to meet the animals’ needs. That can result in depletion of body fat stores, breakdown of muscle protein and even death, due to insufficient nutrition.”

Granted, the spring and summer of 2013 presented good growing conditions for forages, and Kentucky had greater hay production than in previous years. But that’s no guarantee. “Even with good quantities of forages, the cases we’ve seen this winter where cows were fed only hay suggests that the hay didn’t have the best nutritional quality,” Pittman said. “The hay may look good, but without testing, we just don’t know the true feed value. The take home message here is to get your hay tested so you’ll know what you’re feeding.” Arnold said it is important to understand that this winter has been exceptionally difficult for cattle in Kentucky and cows were pulled down much more than the typical winter. “This fact, coupled with the knowledge that the quality was generally poor for hay baled in 2013, is the reason we are seeing an increase in malnutrition in all ages of cattle as well as many stillborn and weak calves that do not survive. What has normally worked in years past (feeding cattle hay exclusively throughout the winter) did not necessarily work this year.”
============================

The conditions in Massachusetts, a verdant part of Texas (Austin) and in Alberta do not apply to here. Alberta most certainly has a much more severe winter, but the ranchers are used to dealing with it. Everyone here -- including the cattle producers -- were blindsided by the worst winter in a quarter century.

In the interest of placating the many cattle experts on this forum, I will try to get down the road where I saw these cattle in the future and see how they are doing (if I can find the spot again.)

 

[DLeeT]

Hey lee, on this rather immancipated longhorn - I'm curious. Do there happen to be a lot of trees in the area that bear acorns?

Well, oaks are very common here, so yes there are a lot of acorns. Whether these cattle had access to them, I don't know.

 

[robbins.photo]

This is a report from the University of Kentucky on Kentucky cattle. Kentucky is south of here and thus had a slightly milder winter. I might add that there were several calves I saw in this small herd.

"Most winters take a toll on cattle, but this winter has been tougher than most. Temperatures have been colder, leading to extended periods of livestock cold stress. Ice and snow cover was relentless and more than most Kentucky beef producers have seen in the past 15 to 20 years.

All cattle are susceptible to these adverse conditions especially if they are older or they are not getting the proper nutrients... “Despite having had access to free choice hay, these cows have just ‘run out of gas’ with green grass just around the corner – with a belly full of hay. However, this winter, we have been encountering these ‘malnutrition’ cases on a much more frequent basis, at a much earlier date, and are seeing what should be sound young cows and pre-weaning/weaning age calves also affected.” Despite producers diligently trying to feed and protect the animals, the cold just won out in many cases.

Many university studies show that the lower critical temperature for cows with dry, heavy winter coats is 18 degrees Fahrenheit. “It may be surprising to some, but that lower critical temperature when a cow is wet is actually around 59 degrees,” said Louis Pittman, veterinary pathologist at the Breathitt Veterinary Center at Murray State University, which works closely with UK on veterinary pathology issues. “For every degree that the temperature drops below the critical temperature, a cow has to expend 2 percent more calories to maintain body heat and condition.” Wind chills have been especially low this past winter and that causes cattle to expend even more energy to stay warm. “So the cattle just aren’t getting adequate supplemental energy and protein sources,” Arnold said. “If you don’t know the nutritional quality of your hay, you won’t know if you are providing sufficient nutrition to meet the animals’ needs. That can result in depletion of body fat stores, breakdown of muscle protein and even death, due to insufficient nutrition.”

Granted, the spring and summer of 2013 presented good growing conditions for forages, and Kentucky had greater hay production than in previous years. But that’s no guarantee. “Even with good quantities of forages, the cases we’ve seen this winter where cows were fed only hay suggests that the hay didn’t have the best nutritional quality,” Pittman said. “The hay may look good, but without testing, we just don’t know the true feed value. The take home message here is to get your hay tested so you’ll know what you’re feeding.” Arnold said it is important to understand that this winter has been exceptionally difficult for cattle in Kentucky and cows were pulled down much more than the typical winter. “This fact, coupled with the knowledge that the quality was generally poor for hay baled in 2013, is the reason we are seeing an increase in malnutrition in all ages of cattle as well as many stillborn and weak calves that do not survive. What has normally worked in years past (feeding cattle hay exclusively throughout the winter) did not necessarily work this year.”
============================

The conditions in Massachusetts, a verdant part of Texas (Austin) and in Alberta do not apply to here. Alberta most certainly has a much more severe winter, but the ranchers are used to dealing with it. Everyone here -- including the cattle producers -- were blindsided by the worst winter in a quarter century.

In the interest of placating the many cattle experts on this forum, I will try to get down the road where I saw these cattle in the future and see how they are doing (if I can find the spot again.)

Lol.. well I'd still put my money on acorn poisoning, just based on the fact that the rest of the herd looks like they are in much better shape than this critter. However I will consider myself properly placated in the meantime.

 

[DLeeT]

Reason I ask, that is most likely the culprit here rather than the rancher. Looks like this longhorn is actually suffering from Acorn Poisoning. I know that sounds weird, but it's actually true. When a cow eats too many green acorns they get sick - messes with their plumbing something awful. When they do they usually end up looking a lot like the emaciated critter in your picture. You usually see it in the spring, especially after a big storm or two goes through an area and knocks a bunch of green acorns off of nearby trees.

The cows love em.. I guess it's like popcorn with movie theater butter as far as they are concerned. But man once they eat too many they get wicked sick and after a week or two end up looking like they just strolled out of a concentration camp.

Can't be 100% certain just from looking at the photos of course, but that would be my best guess based on the summers I worked a cattle ranch as a kid.

That is fascinating. I still think it was the winter (and one old cow,) but if I can find the place again I'll try and see if it looks like they could get access to acorns under some oaks. If so, I'll mention it to the rancher.

 

[robbins.photo]

Hey lee, on this rather immancipated longhorn - I'm curious. Do there happen to be a lot of trees in the area that bear acorns?

Well, oaks are very common here, so yes there are a lot of acorns. Whether these cattle had access to them, I don't know.

My guess would be a storm came through at some point and knocked a bunch off the trees, and this critter got into them. Happened to a couple on the ranch I worked as a kid. They seemed fine till they got one too many, and then they just got sicker than dogs. It was weird because the whole herd was eating the same acorns - but I guess it really doesn't do much till they get past whatever magical level it takes for them to be toxic based on how big the cow is, and suddenly you got a really really sick cow on your hands.

Not sure if they ever did find anything that could be done about it by a Vet - I remember 30 or so years ago when we ran into the rancher that owned them said the only thing that could be done is make sure they had plenty of water because they would tend to get dehydrated fast but other than that all you could do was let it run it's course.

 

[BillM]

The conditions in Massachusetts, a verdant part of Texas (Austin) and in Alberta do not apply to here. Alberta most certainly has a much more severe winter, but the ranchers are used to dealing with it. Everyone here -- including the cattle producers -- were blindsided by the worst winter in a quarter century.

In the interest of placating the many cattle experts on this forum, I will try to get down the road where I saw these cattle in the future and see how they are doing (if I can find the spot again.)

Seriously ? Did you even read what I wrote ? Guess not, don't worry, you'll never have the need to reply to me again.

 

[paigew]

So are you saying all the cows in Indiana look like this then ?