Paralysis Tick

[minnie]

Just to let those with livestock know, we lost one of our 5 year old cows to paralysis tick last week.

It was devastating as it's unusual for an adult animal to succumb to them, but it does happen and this year they are particularly bad.

I noticed she looked a bit off colour on Thursday afternoon and thought I'd check in the morning, but next morning couldn't find her. By the time I did she'd been down probably most of the night and I couldn't get her up on her brisket. By the time I raced back to the house to get rope (DH was in town) when I got back no more than 5 mins, she was dead.

I've heard of someone who lost a fully grown bull this year and someone else said they knew someone who lost two cows and a friend lost a calf. All went fast within 24 hours which is not the norm, you usually have more time than a few hours before they're dead.

Vicki

[Glyn]

So sad Vicki I am sorry, but are you sure it is paralysis tick?- it does seem very fast.
Last year we lost one quickly like that but it turned out to be black leg. Most notable is how quickly the body decomposes after they are dead. In fast grass growth conditions it can be dynamite. We got the rest in and vaccinated but lost a second before the vaccine kicked in .That's the challenge of moving to a new area lots of different lergies to get accustomed to.
Best of luck
Glyn

[minnie]

Hi Glyn,

We vaccinated all of them before we came, only the new calves aren't done with 7in1.

But when thinking the other day, I realised she missed drenching some weeks back and they've been in such poor condition. She had a few ticks on her, more than the others and a huge one behind her ear and the vein had swollen up.

I know a friend close to Casino with Dexters who got the vet and lost a month old heifer with tick. The Vet couldn't believe how quickly it had killed it. The day before it was so full of beans he couldn't catch it to pull the tick and next morning 10am as the vet arrived it was dead. It's one of those hideous years where they seem more lethal.

Even one I got in my neck, ended up with all my glands swelling up and I could hardly move my neck for 24 hours.

The only good thing about a tick is the price they pay for them!

I've never seen a case of black leg, it always sounds so terrible. Doesn't Pat Coleby advocate huge amount of vit C injections??

Something we will need to look at here I think is liver fluke, we had a cow die from that years ago and it was slow and terrible for her.

Vicki

[Heidi]

Vicki,
I'm sorry you lost your cow. Was she a Dexter too? I'm wondering if it was a tick, did she go down so quick because of her smaller size? Quite unusual to lose an adult cow to paralysis tick that quickly. I hate the second guessing type of thing. We lost a charolais in calf in 2009 within a couple of hours to a snake bite. Could it have been a snake bite?
I loathe ticks.
H

[minnie]

Hi Heidi,

I think sometimes with ticks they're are some a bit more lethal, her condition was down a bit and I think missing the drenching took her further. The ticks just love them when they're down. I've heard of an adult bull (big breed) going with paralysis tick this year as well.

The vet who saw a friends calf (it died) couldn't believe how quickly it had killed the calf.

I saw a terrible one on Fontana a couple of days prior that was really engorged and behind her ear, the gland was swollen up as well. I got it and some of the others off her and was watching her twice a day. But by going down in the night and the delay finding her to get her back on her brisket didn't help.

The others, even the calves haven't had as many as she had... so I'm thinking it must have been missing the drench. Which happens when you don't have yards and are trying to do everything in a paddock. So yards are our next priority after the 'tick catching' season is finished and a couple of weeks.

We only have dexters, all registered stud animals.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

So sorry to read this Vicki, those yards are going to become a priority I should think now so that you don't miss any again.
Yards are high on our list for after Christmas too.

Kathleen

[minnie]

They sure are Kathleen.

Vicki

[Heidi]

Hi,
If you can afford the portable yards, they really are versatile and worth the expense. We were able to part barter for ours for two years agistment for our neighbour's cattle as he makes the panels for a living. We even got a race and loading ramp too. We have taken ours to use at a friend's place when she was minding goats, used them at the local school for their poddy calves, made a yard for five horses on a flood refuge, and now, for pigs.
Definitely versatile and worth the "ouch" factor in the hip pocket!
H

[minnie]

Hi Heidi,

We've got some panels and a old head bale, which you're right very versatile. At the moment they're the alpaca holding area and will probably stay there until we build their shed. Do you like the 'we' meaning DH.

He got a lot of gal from a roof replacement so he's wanting to do a calf yard (not too small) with the gal. It's almost time to wean one and Fatima can go in there as well as she's really growing. We now call her 'Fatty Fatima' compared to the other calves. I think once she decided she liked the kibble at I think 21% protein and chaff, with her milk and being out with the cows of a day, she's powered ahead of the rest.

Then we can extend on to the calf yard for bigger yards and head bale. There's always something to do.

What sort of pricing is it for your neighbour to make panels?

Vicki