Magnesuim deficiency - make sure your cows are O.k

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:10 am

Unfortunately I have just lost a cow to night found her in the shed appearing to be fitting quickly got mag in under the skin then added some calcuim appeared to calm down gave her a ten minutes then gently sat her up with a bale of straw for support then sat wth her to keep rest of cows away. Wasnt really happy that she was not perking up any quicker as in my experience they can perk up as quick as they go down if you are quick enough. Realised she had just stopped breathing and had died.She has a 3month calf on her and has been inside for ten days on silage and they had a mineral lick when they came but had used it up 2 days ago.They had silage outside. I am wondering if it was actually staggers or that I had just caught her to late.
a frustrated Monica

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:21 am

Monica how very sad and unusual, them having been in. You must be devastated.

The vet can take a sample from the eye to find out what level of mag there was in your cow as the mag you put in didn't have time to get in to the eye, if you want to know for sure. It can be done for a long time after death, not sure how long.

When my cow died recently she was also a slightly unusual one - she didn't die for 6 hours after I put the first bottle of mag in which I still find mind blowing but the vet took tests from the eye - which were not quite conclusuve because she had lived so long after being given mag but he is still fairly sure it was mag. I am waiting for the blood results from my heifer.

Are you going to get the others blood tested?

So sorry to hear your news, it always shakes you.

Stephanie

P.S. Just an edit to say my vet thought maybe I caught mine too late and brain damage was already done, we will probably never know.

Edited By Saffy on 1196497411

kenseypark · Post by **kenseypark** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:41 pm

Hi, well i've just lost a cow this weekend. We've had HORRENDOUS weather since Thursday of last week, Friday was AWFUL, high wind, rain,hail. Went out Saturday morning and could hear a calf calling....alarm bells rang. Went up to see the dexter herd (8) and shook the bucket, only 7 came over. Found Lupin our older breeding cow (who bred our bull and our best calf yet, who is being shown) dead!!!! Just keep thinking if only......., if only i'd done this, that and the other!!!!! They are due in any minute, just finishing the new barn for their arrival for winter housing. Now i'm parranoid at looking at the others!!!!

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:52 pm

So sorry to hear your news. If only......... the most poignant words in livestock keeping.

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:12 pm

Very sorry to hear the sad stories. I know there are 'if onlys' but sometimes one simply cannot succeed. None of us watches all the cattle all of the time.
I keep looking at my old girls .....
There is a calsimag block which I buy for the sheep prior to lambing and afterwards for a few weeks. It is softish and I was told the sheep would not eat it. They did and big time. I use about 4 blocks per lambing of 50 sheep. I also give it to the cattle if inside (it degrades fast in the wet) but hearing the tales I will buy some tomorrow!
A word of caution - steers and bulls may have damaged kidneys if they eat this so bang goes the steak & kidney pie!

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:51 pm

I had the blood results today from my only other female, a heavily in calf heifer and am delighted to say her magnesium levels are on the upper end of normal.
Although I do realise that magnesium doesn't stay in their system for very long and I must remain vigilant.

Stephanie

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:35 pm

Thanks Saffy,
I didnt pm mine but it was interesting to know you can use their eyes. I did speak to a vet who said they are much harder to treat for mag at this time of year and that she probably was a one off,also i dont know how long she was down. I have given them a high energy tub and another high mag tub and he says thats as much as I can do.Did your vet hve anything to suggest if your other cow had been low in mag?
I still hve some outside and they would be the ones I might hve worried about before now I dont know and I have heard that people are having alot of trouble with cattle pneamonia inside due to the warm weather
Monica

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:56 pm

Hi Monica,

Yes if the other had been low in magnesium, the vet would have bolused her for me because my thinking is if she is low in magnesium she is probably the 1 in 9 that doesn't eat the mag lick! So although I am now using a mag lick - and very yummy it is too - I felt in this case it was a bit too hit and miss for my liking.

This is because I am reliably told that those that eat it, do so as they happen to like the mollasses and not because they need magnesium.

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1196857809

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:45 pm

Sadly, a friend of mine has also just lost an "older" much loved girl. It is a bad season, but please do not think that magnesium is the only mineral lacking. Calcium and other trace elements are important too.
Penny
Churcholme dexters,
Easingwold, York.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:45 am

Spring will soon be upon us and we will all be concerned about Mag Def.

I just wanted to let you all know that not all your Dexters will definately take a lick if they need it. I have been told by a nutritionalist that it has been proven that they only take the lick because they like the molasses, so they cannot be relied upon to take it if they need it. About 9 out of 10 will take it whether they need it or not.

Having lost a cow last year I put a lick in the shed with my 3 animals for over 3 months and it wasn't touched. It went into isolation with the new cow and she is using it.

We are going to feed ours Mag Rolls as we we know many other seasoned Dexter people do AND they advised us to when we first had them AND we didn't!!! They are getting a lick as well.

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1204278568

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:00 pm

Where do you get mag rolls from I tried to get some localy when this was last mentioned and hit a blank?

redhill · Post by **redhill** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:43 pm

Isabel, we get our Mag rolls from Hawthorn supplies at Cinderford glos, they are manufactured at Countrywide farmers mills for Hay and Brecon animal feeds I also know that Mole Valley farmers down in Devon supply hi mag rolls, neither are very close to you but hopefully your feed merchant might be able to get some for you from one source or the other. Bill

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:45 pm

Hi Issy,

We did have great difficulty to get them and have been given a real runaround but now get ours from Hay and Brecon Farmers.

They are at the moment still sold in Countrywide bags but the area manager of Countrywide assures us that Countrywide no longer own the mill and don't sell the Mag Rolls themselves, we have certainly been unable to get any from them.

As I say we have had very GREAT difficulty to get them but have decided that for us it is worth the hassle and 2 hour round trip to fetch them for our future peace of mind.

We have systematically hassled every feed merchant for miles about it, that would be my suggestion but you may have to be willing to drive to fetch them!

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:56 pm

Wynnstay advertise a Spring Mag Roll for beef cattle. Here's a link:

http://www.wynnstaygroup.co.uk/feeds_beef.htm

About half-way down the page under Suckler Feeds.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:36 pm

Thanks, we do have a Mole Valley store fairly close to us. Will try them tomorow.