Page 1 of 1

Escaped heifer

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:23 am
by Tremewan
One of my 22month old heifers, that I'm pretty sure was bulling, escaped onto the neighbouring farm a week ago. The field she got into had a herd of commerical holstein / Limousin Cross including a bull. She's now been caught and I'm picking her up tonight.
2 questions I'd be interested in some advice for:
1) Should I isolate her from my herd? If so how long, as I'm doing pre-movement tests next week for the whole herd and ideally I'd do them all together?
2) I plan for her to go to the abattoir end of the year, given that she has potentially been with a much bigger bull, do I need to worry about this if she'll be slaughtered in three months?

thanks in advance.

Re: Escaped heifer

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 11:12 am
by monica a waltho
If you chose to isolate surely she could be tb tested with others still you could ask your vet how long to isolate if you are doing it for other problems besides tb ie bvd, lepto etc you may need to test for them as there will be an incubation period before disease shows up
could she go for slaughter now
you should know in 3wks if she has held incalf you could estrumate if worried about her going to slaughter in 3mths although feotus will not be very big. or wanted to keep her.

Re: Escaped heifer

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 11:13 am
by ann
Was she intended for slaughter as if not you could get your vet to inject her so that if she has caught to the bull, she will abort, even if you do intend to slaughter her speak to your vet as abattoirs do not like killing incalf animals.

Re health status, ask the farm where she is being collected from about their health schemes.

Re: Escaped heifer

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 11:56 am
by Tremewan
Yes she was always intended for slaughter, her confirmation isn't great so I don't want to breed from her - she's also fairly stroppy...I can certainly isolate her, I guess I'm always keen to keep my cattle all together as I know they don't like being on their own. I'll ask my neighbour tonight if they have had any health issues and also speak to the vet, but either way, I think its best to keep her in a shed for a week until the vet comes to TB test. thanks for your help.