There is now a DEAD COW in my stable

RuthnMeg

RuthnMeg

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Sadly, once again we have had 'cow neglect' at the farm. (NOT OUR COWS). About a month ago all the 20 ish cows were moved from a field into another. First feild had some grass, not that wet or boggy and had automatic water. Moved to a field that gets very boggy VERY quickly, has manual water and not much grass. Were they fed - nope. Numerous people complained. Even 'his' (the older brother is the culprit) younger brother has got cross with the way he treats his animals.
so, this little dexter heifer was got at by the bull, but she was so tired and hungry she couldn't stand and sunk into the mud. She got rescued yesterday, ( night in mud perhaps) and put into my stable using my straw. I wasn't that concerened yesterday as my girls live out, but it IS mine! There if I need it kinda thing. So, at lunch time, little cow wasn't going to make it, and has been put down. Luckily by injection, not bullet. I don't want mess in there, and Iam wasting enough straw as it is on cow. So, there she is, how long she will be 'staying' I don't know. I have been told nothing by anyone, and nobody was about just now to ask! The hunt are meeting at next doors farm tomorrow, and I'd really really like to have somewhere to put the girls if they have to come in!
Felt so sorry for the cow, but Iam still cross.

also to say, the remaining cows have just been given a bale of silage - it was waiting outside the gate since they moved in. They are still belly deep in mud.
 
Poor old heifer. Now she's 'gone' can you get someone to pull her out of your box by tractor or 4WD. I'm afraid collection of dead cows can take a while as they have to be picked up by a licesnsed haulier & can no loner go to the kennels unless they are quite young. My OH occasionally uses my boxes to park pigs in while he is moving them around but so far I've not hosted a dead cow.
 
Poor cow. We have a problem with sheep where we live. They get dumped on fields after cabbages, sprouts etc have been harvested. The idea is that they eat what is left and then get moved on but the poor sheep are often left long after the last shreds of veg have gone and they are lucky if they have a tub of water between them.

Last year a flock was left in a field at the top of our lane. They looked rough when they arrived and soon looked a lot rougher. The field had very little food and an awful lot of mud. Within a few days there were three dead bodies. The bodies remained untouched for days. Luckily a local farmer had a number for the 'sheep man' and gave a dressing down. The dead sheep were removed the same day and the survivors were taken off soon after.

The treatment of some livestock is appalling and very few seem to care.
 
If you are concerned about the welfare of the cows I'd report it to the animal health department of your local council, they receive defra funding for such things, they also have time limits etc for removal of carcases due to health risks and disease control. I hope you get your stable back soon enough. x
 
I'd be straight on the phone to the council and various other organisations, no animal deserves to be treated like that.
 
You should definately try the welfare organisations. If they were horses up to their bellies in mud I'm sure there wouldn't be a question, and I wonder who else could speak on their behalf unless there are other liveries? Good luck, sounds awful
 
Many many many years ago, when my parents first had a house with land but before they had a horse themselves, they found a dead horse in their back field. It had been shot but not in the field. Someone must have shot it themselves then somehow got it to the field and dumped it - presumably so they didn't have to be responsible for its disposal. It still upsets me now to think of it. I still look twice at dark humps under trees when I walk around the farm.

I hope someone takes responsibility for the poor dead cow and sorts it out soon, but ditto the option of getting it towed out so you can use your stables - how about putting it somewhere really inconvenient to the sodding bloke who neglected it in the first place?

Hope it gets sorted soon.
 
So I take it your horses have the better grazing, and the cows aren't gettting any. must have the better grazing if you don't need the stables until the hunt comes round. I'm surprised you still keep your horses there if the YO cann't take care of his cattle.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
There is 40 acres to put the cows on, with ok grazing, and he chooses to put them into 2 acres of mud. Speaks volumes eh?
The only thing that is keeping me keeping the horses here is the money. We pay very little in the modern day of 'livery'.

But, the news today is that the poor cow has been removed. I've tidied the stable, as I doubt they would. Hey ho, life goes on. My horses are still out, the hunt meet time has been put back a while due to frost.
 
i should think the 2 acres for the cattle is a sacrifice area to save thne rest for summer no person lies to lose a cow especially as it can cost over £100 to have it removed! Sounds like you accept low livery charges for the type of livery offered, old addage get what you pay for!
 
mon said:
i should think the 2 acres for the cattle is a sacrifice area to save thne rest for summer no person lies to lose a cow especially as it can cost over £100 to have it removed! Sounds like you accept low livery charges for the type of livery offered, old addage get what you pay for!
Click to expand...

Very true re low livery prices.. Just wish the cows had been given silage sooner than yesterday, if nothing else would have made them stronger to take on the bull.
 
Poor little Dexter. I know farmers have it tough but animal welfare does seem very slack around here too. If he is going to have a sacrafice paddock the sacrafice should be the field and not the blinkin cows! Also he could choose a better drained paddock and totally agree they should be getting plenty of silage and of course water.

Sodding farmers they give themselves a bad name. There are a few around here I like to give a dose of their own medicine. Let's see them winter out naked, belly deep in mud and with no food or water. They wouldn't survive a night!
 
For those of you concerned about care of cattle/sheep I would be thinking about contacting DEFRA Divisional Vet Officers
Find your nearest and ask to speak to Duty Vet
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalhealth/about/contact-us/index.htm

I am not certain where the line is drawn between Council AHOs who cover auction marts etc and DEFRA but sure that farmers claiming Single Farm Payments are obliged to meet basic welfare conditions--one of them being--they can graze winter crops but must have a dry area to lie down.
 
We have just sold some nice store cattle for just less than £1000 so does pay to look after them, but in my experience hobby farmers /smallholders can be just as bad and have little kknowledge of animal welfare.
 
How awful for you and the cow. I don't think I'd be able to control myself in that situation and would have defo given the farmer two barrels of abuse by now. I quite like cows, and all animals and any cruelty makes me really angry.
 
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