handy
Member
I'm sitting here at my desk, rather in church tonight, and want to praise the Lord.
As many of you know, we have a little cattle ranch here in our little corner of Idaho. One of our cows moped around for a couple of days and we had to get the vet out. He gave her some shots and she perked right up. The vet warned that she had a viral infection, and that others in the herd might get it.
Well, yesterday morning, our bull wasn't looking too well. Our vet doesn't keep weekend hours, but I figured that the bull would be mopy, but OK until Monday, when we could get the vet back out again. He was in the pasture here by the corral, so it would be simple enough to get him into the corral and chute when the vet came.
This morning, after Steve fed everybody, he was worried because the bull was nowhere to be found. For some reason, probably because he was much sicker than we realized, he left the herd and walked through the fence. We searched for him and finally found him down in our canyon that's in the back pasture and he was 'down', which in cow-talk is a BAD thing. Basically it means that he was lying on his side and dying. Dying in a remote place that would be impossible for us to remove him from, unless we could get him back on his feet.
So, on a Sunday in the middle of hunting season, we had to find a vet who would get us the medications, ASAP; and get down into the canyon; secure a sick bull and give him shots. I finally did track down one vet who keeps emergency hours that lives 2 hours away from here. He was willing to meet me half-way with the medications. Meanwhile, Steve called the kid we hire to help out, and they went down into the canyon, to bring the bull water and basically helped it drink enough water to get it's fever down. By the time I got back with the meds and got the shots ready, his fever had gone down enough for Steve and Randy to get him on his feet. Which was a good thing, in the fact that it increased his chances of survival. But, it was also a tricky thing in that we still needed to give him shots, and he was still in the narrow canyon, and he was strong enough to be on his feet.
I truly want to give God, Who as we all know keeps His eyes on sparrows, bulls, and silly humans who really don't know what they're doing half the time, all thanks and praise that:
a: We were able to secure the bull in the canyon without anyone getting hurt.
b: We were able to give the bull 4 shots, again without anyone getting hurt.
c: We were able to get the 1400 lb animal up and out of the canyon and secured in our corral, again without anyone getting hurt.
and especially D: That I think the bull should pull through OK now, and we won't lose him. Aside from the money lost, he's really a great bull, throws great calves and is generally very gentle. Unless you're trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do. (Like getting shots in the rump or making him climb out of a canyon when he doesn't feel so good.)
Now, if y'all can pray for me tomorrow, because our bull should be feeling much better, and I'm going to have to give him another shot! Also, that the rest of the herd not get this virus. By some creative arranging of some panels, everybody should be easy enough to isolate and medicate if they do get sick, but Steve will be at work, and I'd just as soon not have to do it myself. (Those critters are bigger than me!)
As many of you know, we have a little cattle ranch here in our little corner of Idaho. One of our cows moped around for a couple of days and we had to get the vet out. He gave her some shots and she perked right up. The vet warned that she had a viral infection, and that others in the herd might get it.
Well, yesterday morning, our bull wasn't looking too well. Our vet doesn't keep weekend hours, but I figured that the bull would be mopy, but OK until Monday, when we could get the vet back out again. He was in the pasture here by the corral, so it would be simple enough to get him into the corral and chute when the vet came.
This morning, after Steve fed everybody, he was worried because the bull was nowhere to be found. For some reason, probably because he was much sicker than we realized, he left the herd and walked through the fence. We searched for him and finally found him down in our canyon that's in the back pasture and he was 'down', which in cow-talk is a BAD thing. Basically it means that he was lying on his side and dying. Dying in a remote place that would be impossible for us to remove him from, unless we could get him back on his feet.
So, on a Sunday in the middle of hunting season, we had to find a vet who would get us the medications, ASAP; and get down into the canyon; secure a sick bull and give him shots. I finally did track down one vet who keeps emergency hours that lives 2 hours away from here. He was willing to meet me half-way with the medications. Meanwhile, Steve called the kid we hire to help out, and they went down into the canyon, to bring the bull water and basically helped it drink enough water to get it's fever down. By the time I got back with the meds and got the shots ready, his fever had gone down enough for Steve and Randy to get him on his feet. Which was a good thing, in the fact that it increased his chances of survival. But, it was also a tricky thing in that we still needed to give him shots, and he was still in the narrow canyon, and he was strong enough to be on his feet.
I truly want to give God, Who as we all know keeps His eyes on sparrows, bulls, and silly humans who really don't know what they're doing half the time, all thanks and praise that:
a: We were able to secure the bull in the canyon without anyone getting hurt.
b: We were able to give the bull 4 shots, again without anyone getting hurt.
c: We were able to get the 1400 lb animal up and out of the canyon and secured in our corral, again without anyone getting hurt.
and especially D: That I think the bull should pull through OK now, and we won't lose him. Aside from the money lost, he's really a great bull, throws great calves and is generally very gentle. Unless you're trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do. (Like getting shots in the rump or making him climb out of a canyon when he doesn't feel so good.)
Now, if y'all can pray for me tomorrow, because our bull should be feeling much better, and I'm going to have to give him another shot! Also, that the rest of the herd not get this virus. By some creative arranging of some panels, everybody should be easy enough to isolate and medicate if they do get sick, but Steve will be at work, and I'd just as soon not have to do it myself. (Those critters are bigger than me!)
(Sorry 'bout that but I just couldn't resist.) Good for your Bull. He sounds like my kind of bovine.