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Post by dexterfarm on Jan 2, 2019 9:15:06 GMT -6
went out yesterday morning to take care of cows and found a 4 year old stuck in the ring. I have s bar style rings. she had her front legs in and had pushed past her ribs. she was standing on her front legs but not on her rear. I was worried that they had gone numb from being like that so long but I was able to get her to stand on them with a little effort but I could not convince her to help me get her out. Me and the wife had to work to get her out. I had my wife push in on her rib so it would clear the bar and I pushed her back. the odd thing is she really was not stuck that hard. I would have thought she could have gotten herself out if she had just tried. Its a good thing she is such a calm easy going cow or it would have been a lot harder to do. Hope she learned her lesson and will not try this again.
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Post by genebo on Jan 2, 2019 9:29:57 GMT -6
It's scary when you find one in such a predicament, isn't it? Now you have to watch her to see if she learned a new behavior.
I read where someone else had a problem with Dexters getting in their round bale feeder. They lined the inside of the feeder with field fencing, so the Dexters could eat through the wire, but couldn't get in.
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Post by dexterfarm on Jan 2, 2019 13:07:38 GMT -6
I have tried several feeders in the past that they would go into. I really like the one I use now very very rarely a calf might get in one but not often. I now have hay saver cones in all of them. but the cone was not her issue it was that she pushed though the bars that were a little smaller than she was. If not for the cone she might have been able to go on in forward.
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Post by dexterfarm on Feb 21, 2019 10:42:41 GMT -6
well like mother like daughter. this morning her calf from this year decided to get stuck. She pushed her head through between the bale and the bar and couldn't pull her head back out. Had to have my wife fold her ears flat so they would not catch on the bars while I pulled from behind.
Mother was laying behind her waiting for help. Had one cow trying to eat next to the little one she was not bothering baby but I needed her to back up so I could get in there but she did not want to leave the bale. Moma got up and ran that cow off who was twice her size.
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Post by dexterfarm on Mar 7, 2019 9:37:50 GMT -6
ok I am done with these cones now they are not susceptible for dexters. Maybe for big cows that cant get in them. It is a shame because there really is almost no hay wasted with them. i will try a Bextra feeder next.
I came home 2 days ago found a bull who managed to get through the ring and through the cone. he was standing in there. The problem came when he then tried to get out. He tried to go between the cone and the ring but the problem was his rear legs were between to different bars in the cone and he could not or would not bend his rear leg to get it free and his front end was now down. After working for hours to get him out. Decided the only option was to unbolt and lift the cone out of the ring along with him. Lifted the cone up which lifted most of his body off the ground his brisket was still on the ground. pushed his leg free and let him drop. He is now getting up and down on his own and moves around a lot but will not put much weight on that leg yet. I think he will recover.
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Post by genebo on Mar 7, 2019 9:59:50 GMT -6
Terrible story.
Which feeder gave you so much trouble? I wouldn't want to have one like it.
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Post by dexterfarm on Mar 7, 2019 12:32:25 GMT -6
its not the ring that is the issue it is the cone insert that goes in the ring. They are made locally but pretty much the same as any of the cones out there.
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Post by wvdexters on Mar 23, 2019 22:48:21 GMT -6
You have had a time. We've had them get in, but never had one get stuck half way. Thank you for sharing this,because we were thinking about the hay savers. So much hay loss this year especially with the weather. Will have to keep thinking.
With just the small herd, Dad welded some cattle panels on 2 opposite sides. That is helping some. They can still reach in easily to eat, but don't spread it all around the outside to lay in as bad. The drawback though is that after a few days I have to go in and rake the hay they can't reach forward for them. (short necks) lol. Mud from head to toe.
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Post by dexterfarm on Mar 25, 2019 7:51:50 GMT -6
I have got one of the bextra rings now. I will let you know how it works out only ran 2 bales through it so far.
The bull is probably going to get butchered at home. He is still not putting much of any weight on his leg. He is getting around real good considering. He does not seem to be in pain and the other bulls he is with are being real good to him. no one is pushing him around. I dont think he is going to recover. He gets around good on the flat but no way can he jump in a trailer and he would not be able to go out on grazing land with the others this summer. He would have to walk miles everyday and he just would not be able to keep up.
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Post by genebo on Mar 25, 2019 17:09:23 GMT -6
What a shame.
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