Farmfresh
City Biddy
The what method? Never heard of it how does that work?
Bee~ Journal of then...
- Thread starter Beekissed
- Start date
Aidenbaby
Lovin' The Homestead
Um, well, I only used one container but here is a page that will help. http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/ I looked into it after reveiwing http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Wow that could have come in really handy several years ago. We had a pet rat that had cancer. It got to the place she really needed to "go". The blue shot at the vet was too pricey an option then, especially for a rat, but she was a pet and we wanted an easy departure. I mixed up a dose of horse tranquilizer that we had on hand for our horse that was hard to trailer. I mixed 4 X the horse dose with a little water just till it would flow through a needle and gave the rat the honking big "kill a horse" shot.
! She did not die !
She slept for about three days with shallow breathing - but it did not kill her! The second try I mixed up a slightly lower dose - gave her the shot and followed with a heavy brick while she was asleep. 
At least she felt no pain and was out of her cancer misery.
Most small things now I just use the "break your neck" approach - quick and clean.
! She did not die !
She slept for about three days with shallow breathing - but it did not kill her! The second try I mixed up a slightly lower dose - gave her the shot and followed with a heavy brick while she was asleep. At least she felt no pain and was out of her cancer misery.
Most small things now I just use the "break your neck" approach - quick and clean.
Aidenbaby
Lovin' The Homestead
I wish I had known about it when we had to euthanize not one, but two, of our ferrets. They both had adrenal disease within a year of each other. The first one I evenutally OD'd on aspirin and the second went to the vet. Now, I have a more effective method. It probably wouldn't be cost effective on a large scale like commercial farmers need but it'll work for my beloved critters.
Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't trust the butcher. LOL.
When we had two of our pigs butchered they sent us back not 8 hocks, but 10 hocks. Sure, extra meat, but I began wonder if that meat we got back was even from our own pigs.
When we had two of our pigs butchered they sent us back not 8 hocks, but 10 hocks. Sure, extra meat, but I began wonder if that meat we got back was even from our own pigs.
Bee, I just read through page 4 of your "ever feel like giving up" thread. I had not read it until today because I was afraid to . .due to my challenges the past 2 weeks with feeling like giving up on everything! Work, kids, garden, house. I was afraid it would just push me over the top . . 
So, I know you are feeling better now, atleast it seems that way. you have so much wisdom and are so encouraging and you have been my inspiration. My SS journey is just starting, and I have soooooooooo much to learn (I feel like I am in SS pre-k learning how to recite my abc's) and you have much wisdom that you are willing to gently share.
God uses you in many ways. Hope you can remember that on those down and crazy days.
If you didn't live so far I would have you over for a little celebration (and pick your brain . .lol)
So, I know you are feeling better now, atleast it seems that way. you have so much wisdom and are so encouraging and you have been my inspiration. My SS journey is just starting, and I have soooooooooo much to learn (I feel like I am in SS pre-k learning how to recite my abc's) and you have much wisdom that you are willing to gently share.
God uses you in many ways. Hope you can remember that on those down and crazy days.
If you didn't live so far I would have you over for a little celebration (and pick your brain . .lol)- Thread starter
- #1,807
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Thank you, Okie! That made my day! I don't feel so wise lately but I'm sure I'll snap back with another plan soon.... 
Frosting, I bred Blossom back to beef because no one really cares about milk cows around here. At auction they go for around $400. That's fully grown and healthy. Beef? The 1 mo. old beef heifer I just bought was $94.80~she was the cheapest little bottle baby at the auction. The rest of the little beefies went for $125-$300.
Although I would just love to populate the world with Jerseys because they are sweet cows, around here all the profit is in beef. And, after all it said and done, I want to make a profit on my little adventure.
Putting another calf on has not been successful with this little heifer I just bought. She could not be persuaded to nurse....but she has taken to grass like crazy and is fairing quite well. She has stopped bawling for her mama and has eaten all the grass in her pen and is now out on pasture with the rest. We'll see how that goes.....
I'm not sure why its okay to leave a calf on a cow plus milk her, but its not okay to stop milking her and replace that with something else milking her~a calf. Either way, she was expected to produce more milk than just for her one calf. That's what milk cows do~produce milk. If she can't produce extra milk, she is no good to me, thin or not. My place is not a nursing home for aging, infirm animals, but a place to produce food or profit.
Actually, I don't really consider Blossom as being thin, she is a milk cow and shouldn't be rounded out like a beef. She resembles all the photos I've ever seen of Jersey cows her age. Being fat doesn't necessarily denote good health. My dogs are lean and fit, as are my cats. The cow gets more than enough to eat, all the cattle men in the area are raving about her healthy look and she has improved greatly here on my place. To me, that is enough.
Frosting, I bred Blossom back to beef because no one really cares about milk cows around here. At auction they go for around $400. That's fully grown and healthy. Beef? The 1 mo. old beef heifer I just bought was $94.80~she was the cheapest little bottle baby at the auction. The rest of the little beefies went for $125-$300.
Although I would just love to populate the world with Jerseys because they are sweet cows, around here all the profit is in beef. And, after all it said and done, I want to make a profit on my little adventure.
Putting another calf on has not been successful with this little heifer I just bought. She could not be persuaded to nurse....but she has taken to grass like crazy and is fairing quite well. She has stopped bawling for her mama and has eaten all the grass in her pen and is now out on pasture with the rest. We'll see how that goes.....
I'm not sure why its okay to leave a calf on a cow plus milk her, but its not okay to stop milking her and replace that with something else milking her~a calf. Either way, she was expected to produce more milk than just for her one calf. That's what milk cows do~produce milk. If she can't produce extra milk, she is no good to me, thin or not. My place is not a nursing home for aging, infirm animals, but a place to produce food or profit.
Actually, I don't really consider Blossom as being thin, she is a milk cow and shouldn't be rounded out like a beef. She resembles all the photos I've ever seen of Jersey cows her age. Being fat doesn't necessarily denote good health. My dogs are lean and fit, as are my cats. The cow gets more than enough to eat, all the cattle men in the area are raving about her healthy look and she has improved greatly here on my place. To me, that is enough.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Amen sister!
I have often wished I had a GOOD organic farmer looking after MY diet. I am sure I would drop this excess and look all glossy - like I haven't in years!
Added:
Where have you been the last couple of days Bee? We've been missing you.
I have often wished I had a GOOD organic farmer looking after MY diet. I am sure I would drop this excess and look all glossy - like I haven't in years!
Added:
Where have you been the last couple of days Bee? We've been missing you.
Frosting
Lovin' The Homestead
Okay, I understand why you bred her back beef. It makes sense.
Let me say that I know dairy cattle (including jersey) and am currently a dairy farmer. I say she is a little thin yet because I would like to see more on her at this point in her lactation. 1 month right? She still has a couple months of her heavy milking period left and that can pull some weight off. You are right in the fact that you don't want her fat. If the cattle men you refer to are beef guys, they may not be as familiar with dairy as I am. Just like I'm not familiar with beef.
The reason I said I wouldn't have put a second calf on her is how thin she was when you got her. As a nurse, I'm sure you realize how being to thin can take a tole on the body. With cows it will affect their whole lactation as well. Had you had more time to get weight on her and her to maintain it for a while before she calved, I wouldn't have given it a second thought to a second calf. This lactation my advise would have been to either milk her or keep one calf on her, not both.
I think you have done a wonderful job getting weight put back on her.
Let me say that I know dairy cattle (including jersey) and am currently a dairy farmer. I say she is a little thin yet because I would like to see more on her at this point in her lactation. 1 month right? She still has a couple months of her heavy milking period left and that can pull some weight off. You are right in the fact that you don't want her fat. If the cattle men you refer to are beef guys, they may not be as familiar with dairy as I am. Just like I'm not familiar with beef.
The reason I said I wouldn't have put a second calf on her is how thin she was when you got her. As a nurse, I'm sure you realize how being to thin can take a tole on the body. With cows it will affect their whole lactation as well. Had you had more time to get weight on her and her to maintain it for a while before she calved, I wouldn't have given it a second thought to a second calf. This lactation my advise would have been to either milk her or keep one calf on her, not both.
I think you have done a wonderful job getting weight put back on her.
- Thread starter
- #1,810
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Farm, had company this weekend and I've been kind of sick. Don't know what is going on but I feel pretty run down, so I'm kind of lying around recharging the batteries.Farmfresh said:Amen sister!
I have often wished I had a GOOD organic farmer looking after MY diet. I am sure I would drop this excess and look all glossy - like I haven't in years!
Added:
Where have you been the last couple of days Bee? We've been missing you.
Frosting, as a dairy farmer, I'm sure you give some very great feed to your cows. All formulated for high protein and all that scientific, agricultural stuff. I'm not that well funded. I'm a single mother with one income. I took pity on a great little cow and I've done the best I can with her. I'm not looking for perfection, nor do I care to get into "dairying". I just got a good deal on a cow, have treated her kindly, hope to make a small profit when I pass her down the line. I won't be keeping her a second year.
You would like to see a little more weight on her? She's for sale and you are welcome to come to my place and pick her up for the right price!
Then you can put all the weight on her that you please. 
