If a cows not with the other cows, it may be because she’s sick or hurt.
“You’re really going to notice them being off by themselves because the cattle gather together to eat, and they’re not eating,” Dr. Heidi Ward, University of Arkansas Extension veterinarian, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “If the cattle are just out open grazing it’s a little bit harder to detect, but in wintertime it can be easier because usually at some point you’re going to have to get out the hay to feed them, and they all come and congregate to that hay. Then you’ll notice the outliers that aren’t as interested, and you say, ‘Hmm, maybe I need to go take a closer look at them.’”
They could be put off their feed by illness, or by injury. With a wet winter thought to be on the way, Ward said it’s especially important to observe for lameness and foot rot. The problem can be diagnosed using the Step-Up Locomotion Scoring System, which was developed by Zinpro Corporation in cooperation with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.
“The system is a scale from 0 to 3,” Ward said. “It’s based on head movement and the length of stride, so it can be observed from fairly far away.” If a cow’s head bobs as she walks and her stride shortens, she may have a foot problem; if her head droops and the stride is still shorter, the problem may be acute. “You can detect that before you even see an out-and-out limp,” Ward noted. “Feet are the first thing to look at and can be treated fairly easily, whether it’s trimming or with antibiotic for a wound or for foot rot.”
The next step to take when an animal isn’t eating is to get up close to look for nasal or eye discharge. That is likely a sign of respiratory disease, and the animal needs to be separated out from the herd for treatment. Another potential cause of poor eating is infestation by lice; symptoms are rubbing on posts, animals licking each other, and spots of fur loss.
“Often times by the time outward signs of a disease outbreak are seen, the damage has been done,” University of Missouri Extension Regional Livestock Specialist Andy McCorkill said. “Diseases that affect breeding and reproductive efficiency, such as trichomoniasis, are often undetectable until the disease has run its course. With trichomoniasis there aren’t any outward signs, and it will often go undetected until a preg check shows a number of short bred or open cows or the next calving season when the calves are strung out or don’t come at all.”
When illness has been detected in the herd, whether or not to call the veterinarian depends on the producer’s comfort level and experience.
“Those who are newer to the business and don’t have a lot of knowledge or experience should probably get a vet or trusted advisor involved pretty quickly if they have concerns about health issues,” McCorkill said.
A vet should definitely be called if the problem is widespread, or if there’s been death loss. Herd health records may help narrow down the pool of potential illnesses, but McCorkill said, “It is however important to realize that vaccines are not always 100 percent effective. Most problems arise from human error such as vaccine storage practices, vaccinating at the wrong time or when animals are stressed, and lack of proper booster vaccinations but it is not a guarantee that your animals won’t get sick. That said, it is advisable to keep record of vaccination at treatment records for your own use, marketing purposes, and liability issues, too.”
