So dissapointed :(

[copperhead]

Most of you are familliar with Jades problems, (seizures, mainly) anyway, I contacted Oklahoma State University to offer her for research, instead of taking her to the sale barn, and they said no, not if she's having seizures. HUH I thought they would be happy to have her brain and spinal cord to study, maybe find a reason for her problem, I wasn't trying to sell her, she would be a donation. Now I'm going to have to take her to the sale barn, which seems so cruel to such a good ol cow plus, I guess we'll never find out what is the cause. I still think it's a worm in her brain......... She's had one for three mornings in a row now, they are coming more and more frequently, and her calf is 6 months old, so it's time.

[cddexter]

just a thought.....

rather than the sale barn, where anyone can buy her and her fate could be awful, what about

arranging for her to go straight to your butcher. She'll work well in the freezer. have the butcher start at the tough end of the scale and hamburger her until the meat starts to get tender and then have those cuts as steaks or roasts (he can tell by how hard the meat is to slice up. You'll be surprised how tasty and tender she will be. If you don't want the meat, I'm sure there would be a charity that would love some good vittles to pass on to those in need.

Offer her for sale via one of the local newpapers, for meat, on the understanding she would be delivered to the butcher for them, they can pick up the wrapped packages when ready. This option still gets you some money back.

Get the backhoe over and dig a grave...have a neighbor who hunts come over and drop her next to the hole. Give her a big luscious feed of all her favorite things, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and suddenly she's gone. No stress, clean and honorable.

You can still save the skull and send it off to the uni for examination, if you really want answers.

cheers, c.

[Olga]

P.J., that's what we did with Erin. She went on a quiet walk into the woods with the entire family. Once we got to the remote enough point, we put her down. There was no stress on her part.
And Sioux we took to the butcher, he ground all the meat, added fat from a young grain fed steer. The result was very pleasing to our friends. And yes, we kept the skull.

[Olga]

You can always offer the meat at the price of processing. That way you're not out any money, and you can quickly find a buyer for such a great deal.

[copperhead]

I'm just leery about butchering her, because I don't know whats wrong with her. I'm worried that it could be disease and not a brain type injury. I think we're going to take her for a walk, our neighbor has a back hoe,

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

I'd contact your STATE veterinary office and perhaps the State health office and explain that you have a cow that you're afraid to eat because of an apparent brain disorder.

If they agree with you that it's a risk of something that could spread to humans, then they'll want samples from her for studying.

If they dismiss the risk, then you can, and should eat her (but you might avoid eating the brain and spinal cord anyway).

We feel that we honor the animals on our farm by consuming them. They become part of us. We even write the name of the favorite animal on the package of meat so we can thank them at each meal.

In the end, I'd love to have my ashes scattered on the cow pastures, so my minerals can be eaten by the cows.

[littlecowfl]

I disagree with Kirk. No need to go to that extreme. You could get everyone riled up over nothing.

I would simply haul her to the university and have them euthanize and do a necropsy. The necropsy is great for learning vet students and you can get to the bottom of the problem once and for all so you can prevent any future incidences or just have peace of mind that there was nothing you could have done differently.

[kansasdexters]

Since Kirk butchers his own beef on-site, he apparently isn't familar with the requirements for USDA or State Inspected custom processing of cattle over the age of 30 months, where no spinal or brain or organ meats are allowed to be kept.

The on-site USDA or State inspector will inspect the animal prior to slaughter and afterwards, and determine if the meat is safe for consumption (at least that's how it's done where I have cattle processed).

We have processed older Dexter cows and bulls and they produce very good ground beef and steaks. When taken directly to a custom processor, the animal is quickly slaughtered (usually within an hour of being delivered) and doesn't suffer a long wait or the stress of loading, shipping, transits, transfer, and holding pens (like the sale barn option). If you can't eat this meat because of your attachment to the cow, there are church groups, rescue missions, and food pantries that will gladly take it and make good use of it.

Patti

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Jan 3, 2013 22:12:49 GMT -5 kansasdexters said:

Since Kirk butchers his own beef on-site, he apparently isn't familar with the requirements for USDA or State Inspected custom processing of cattle over the age of 30 months, where no spinal or brain or organ meats are allowed to be kept.

Patti

Out here, we only have go the USDA inspection route if we want to sell individual cuts of meat. If the meat is for home consumption, you can utilize a mobile slaughter unit who slaughters the animal at your farm, skins and cleans it, and turns it into two hanging beef halves to take to a local cut and wrap establishment. The packages of beef are marked as not for sale with NO inspection.

Whether I do it myself, or have someone else do it, I like the idea of the slaughter being done at home, just minutes after the animal has been calmly walked out of view from its family members, perhaps with the temptation of a nice treat, and a final back-rub and some words of farewell and thanks.

If someone is buying a whole or half beef from us, we can use this same process (with no inspection). We essentially sell the live animal to the buyer(s) and we arrange for the mobile slaughter guy to come to our place to slaughter it for the buyer, for the buyer's home consumption.

While the USDA rules are pretty standard, the mobile-slaughter/home consumption rules vary from state to state.

[littlecowfl]

I agree about butchering and/or donating the beef, but since it sounds like copperhead would really like some answers, there is no easy way to do that. I guess you have to decide if you are willing to take a loss or not. Your own vet could do a necropsy, but if the university is close, they would do the most thorough one.

We are within 40 minutes of University of Florida's vet hospital. They are very competitively priced and charge much less for a necropsy on a food animal than for a horse necropsy. There are lots of farmers in this area that use UF. You could put her down at home and haul her in, but because it's brain tissue you need looked at and that's where you'd have to shoot her, I suggested euthanasia there instead.

Here, the prices are low because they want animals to examine to teach their vet students. I can't speak for all vet schools, but we have a dang good one here with reasonable prices.

It's a significant loss, whatever you decide to do. I am very sorry you are in this position, copperhead.

[emgiger]

Hi Copperhead,

I am so sorry for your the situation you are in. If you are searching for answers then I agree with littlecowfl, a necropsy may be of help. This past summer I had a calf that was born sickly. From day one I knew there was something wrong. For two weeks, after several trips to the vet for IV's, tube feeding and meds, he died. This was heartbreaking and very disturbing for me. I have seen many sick calves, but none that I could not save. I decided to have a necropsy done to get some answers. Long story short, the necropsy provided answers and there was nothing I could have done for this little guy. It gave me a small bit of relief, I had done everything I could. The necropsy was done by my vet who in turn submitted samples to a very reputable lab in Nashville. The cost was around $400. In your situation there is no telling whether the necropsy would provided answers or not so it would be a risk. Regardless of your decision, please keep us updated and know that you are not alone in your sorrow. Most of us have suffered a loss in some way, we are here to support you.

Eileen

[cddexter]

gene, wash your mouth out with soap. Lye soap! To do a good job, maybe wash your brains with lye soap, too. c.

[wvdexters]

Copperhead I am so sorry you are having to go through all this. I know it has been awful to deal with and now these decisions. My 2 cents is to trust your gut feelings. If you don't feel comfortable butchering her for meat, then don't. You won't want to eat it and with the worry it'll just sit in your freezer anyway.

It sounds like you really want and need some answers. Keep looking for someone to do the necropsy. The university idea sounds promising. Maybe they can help you or at least point you in the right direction. You would think that good vets and inspectors would want to know too. Maybe someone would be willing to take a look at just her head/brain if they don't have to worry about disposing the whole carcass.

Good luck and I hope you get your answers.

This probably isn't it, but I just remembered something that happened around here about 15 yrs or so ago. I remember hearing some farmers/hunters talking about deer that were acting strange out there way. They said they were acting weird and disoriented. I don't remember the details or what if anything ever came of it, but they said they shot a couple and when they cut into them there was some sort of bug/beetle inside their brains.

I just googled "bug infestation deer brains" and something came up. Apparently there is a parasite that infests deer that can cross into sheep and goat brains also.

Maybe your idea about a worm in her brain could be possible. I don't know, stranger things have happened.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

By the way, in case there is a genetic cause, tail hair samples for this poor cow should be kept on file.

Registries themselves should keep tail hairs on ANY animals with reported abnormalities. With the likely coming requirement of genotyping of ALL dexters, this would automatically be covered and is one of the benefits of genotyping of the ENTIRE herd.

[cddexter]

this brings me back to my original suggestion: if you send the head in to the uni, or via your vet, and they check it out, that would tell the tale. If you find there is a separate cause, then the meat will still be good. You should have answers back before it's time to butcher her (2-3 weeks). If there is something else going on that's not external to the animal, and the meat could be at risk, well, then you know, and the carcass can be disposed of.

I think Kirk has a good idea...keep some tail hairs. Either way you'd have access to the dna for the future.

cheers, c.