# Cattle sling/lifter/Updated 9/22 :(



## SnowHunter (Sep 14, 2010)

Any of yall made yer own? Anyone, per chance, have one I could borrow/rent for a few days? The price of one is astronomical, but I know they're VERY useful and worth the $

Using chains just isn't an option. 

I was thinking of making one, but, don't think I'd be able to sew it and have it be strong enough 

I'll be calling around to some vets tomorrow, to see if they can offer any help, but figure I'd put this out here, and see what yall could come up with


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## state159 (Sep 14, 2010)

"Downer" cows are tough to save SnowHunter. I can only remember saving one when I was on the farm. They quickly lose the will to even try.


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## LEON MANLEY (Sep 14, 2010)

state159 said:


> "Downer" cows are tough to save SnowHunter. I can only remember saving one when I was on the farm. They quickly lose the will to even try.



You are right about that.
I only saved one downer out of about 25 over the years and I saved her three times in six months.


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## LEON MANLEY (Sep 14, 2010)

SnowHunter said:


> Any of yall made yer own? Anyone, per chance, have one I could borrow/rent for a few days? The price of one is astronomical, but I know they're VERY useful and worth the $
> 
> Using chains just isn't an option.
> 
> ...



We had a set of the hip lifts I called them the death warrant.


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## SnowHunter (Sep 14, 2010)

I know yall are right, thats what I've seen/heard...

This is an older charolais heifer, GREAT health, she'll eat/drink and is very perky, she just can't get up  No scours or nuttin. She's tryin to get up , but, her hind end seems to have just given out on her... She's been down for about 12 hrs that I know of, and has tried all day to get up  I hate havin her down like this. She's not in the best spot either, just by the road (on our side of the fence though), easy target for predators or idiots driving by  I dunno if she slipped  or if she's pregnant and just got a pinched nerve or what... We're gonna get back down there tomorrow and cut some of the small trees down and see if we can't get her up or at least moved, somethin to get some circulation back in her legs, yanno?  

I don't wanna hafta use chains, thats really not the best way to lift her, but if she's still got the will to keep goin, guess we gotta try... can't just let her lay there and die 


ugh who knew cows were so frustrating


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## state159 (Sep 15, 2010)

I hope she makes it.


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## LEON MANLEY (Sep 15, 2010)

Just how big of a girl is she?
We had a couple of pieces of rubber strap about 6" wide we used to pick up the front end and the hip lifts on the rear.
If you know of a dairyman in your area you might be able to borrow/rent one from them.


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## SnowHunter (Sep 15, 2010)

Thanks Yall

She's prolly about 1200lbs give or take a bit. 

She's VERY lively this morning. Seems sometime between last night and this morning she completely turned herself around and moved about 10 ft from where she was.. though she's still down, and on the same side as yesterday. Got her some more calf mana and alfalfa cubes this morning, though the bull decided he was going to share her breakfast and promptly came over and got him a snack  

Fixin to start calling around to see if I can get a sling rented from someone. Here's hoping


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## SnowHunter (Sep 15, 2010)

No luck with a sling... got her rolled over with the help of hubs, so hopefully she can get some kinda feelin back in her legs... She's still bright eyed and busy tailed, so to speak. Very much happy and full of vigor.. just not standing up


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## LEON MANLEY (Sep 16, 2010)

How is the patient to day?


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## SnowHunter (Sep 16, 2010)

LEON MANLEY said:


> How is the patient to day?



Still doin really well, all things considered... she's not as lively since we rolled her, think we'll put her back on her other side. Gonna see what the owner wants to do. Its 25 more days till the LA200 withdrawl is done, so she's not even good for beef, at this point  I dunno. 

She's still bright eyed and a touch ornery though  She was NOT happy when the calf mana run out and she got hay stuffed in front of her  Still eating and drinkin like a haaaaaaaaaawg, so, thats a good thing anyways. And the digestive tract seems to be doin alright as well 

If she's just stand up   

The big Bull did give me da stink eye tonight. He'd arrived after the C.M. was gone, and the hay wasn't up to par for him, I guess


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## secondseason (Sep 17, 2010)

Did she recently have a calf?


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## secondseason (Sep 17, 2010)

oh...I also have a book called "Beef Cattle Science"  if I can find it, it's yours.  It was very helpful to me when I had a commercial herd. 

It weighs 25 pounds so I wouldn't be able to ship it.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 17, 2010)

We have only ever saved one..She was messed up in the rear end till she died..I dont ever remember her ever having another calf..We did use a sling to get her up but first we had to drag her on a trailer and get her to the barn..That in its self cause a ton of stress on one and most will give up from that..I cant for the life of me remember where or what kind of sling we used..I would not use chains though..Get some of the big tie down straps like big trucks use..It will be better on her..Why is she down in the first place? Good luck!


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## SnowHunter (Sep 17, 2010)

secondseason said:


> Did she recently have a calf?


Nope, not that we can figure, no calf hangin around her, and the last calves born were almost a month ago


secondseason said:


> oh...I also have a book called "Beef Cattle Science"  if I can find it, it's yours.  It was very helpful to me when I had a commercial herd.
> 
> It weighs 25 pounds so I wouldn't be able to ship it.


Thanks Delila!!!  Id really appreciate that 



GA DAWG said:


> We have only ever saved one..She was messed up in the rear end till she died..I dont ever remember her ever having another calf..We did use a sling to get her up but first we had to drag her on a trailer and get her to the barn..That in its self cause a ton of stress on one and most will give up from that..I cant for the life of me remember where or what kind of sling we used..I would not use chains though..Get some of the big tie down straps like big trucks use..It will be better on her..Why is she down in the first place? Good luck!



I have NO clue why she's down. Na can't figure it out either. No wounds, she's not distressed, digestive system normal, no dehydration, no worms 

The ONLY thing we can come up with, is maybe she stumbled and fell or somehow pinched a nerve while initially laying down... we're seriously stumped on this.


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## Keebs (Sep 17, 2010)

Snowy, what about big truck tire tubes along with the straps someone mentioned that big trucks use?  Make shift for now, hope things go better for her!!


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## SnowHunter (Sep 17, 2010)

Keebs, Thats a thought... I'll talk to Na and the owner bout it...


She tried several times to get up today. She just didn't have the extra oomph she needed... Thankfully, she can move all 4 legs, even though she's been down for so long. She's still ornery enough to try and push the bull outta the way when he comes to check out her snacks  

I'm a lot more hopeful after this afternoon  She had more zeal in her eyes then in the AM, so, no loss of wanting to get up/better, yay! 

Didn't get her flipped today, I aint got enough strength to do it on my own, and Na had to go to work early, so, tomorrow I guess...

She hasn't lost any weight, suprisingly, though I'm sure the feed and water I'm bringin help some. Looks like she's got a case of the runs today though  We'll see how it looks tomorrow.


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## deerslayer357 (Sep 18, 2010)

Have you tried giving her a calcium IV?  Alot of times a cow will go down and if you give them a calcium IV it will give them enough 'umph' to get up and get going again.  I've seen a lot of cows get up after a calcium IV that the farmer was ready to bury.

Just my .02


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## SnowHunter (Sep 18, 2010)

deerslayer357 said:


> Have you tried giving her a calcium IV?  Alot of times a cow will go down and if you give them a calcium IV it will give them enough 'umph' to get up and get going again.  I've seen a lot of cows get up after a calcium IV that the farmer was ready to bury.
> 
> Just my .02



Hadn't thought about that. Been givin her B Complex. I'll check w/the owner and Na bout that, and see what they say. Thanks for the suggestion! 


Gonna get some big tire tubes and see about liftin her in the next day or so. She's got sores from layin so long  So, gotta get her doctored before infection sets, or she'll be coyote bait in no time. 

She's still lively, happy, haaaaaaaaawngry, drinkin well, so thats a good sign.  

Got her rolled over today, and she got herself sorted out and in a comfortable position. 

Now if I could just keep the bull from eatin her breakfast


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## PHIL M (Sep 19, 2010)

Prayers sent....


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## olcowman (Sep 19, 2010)

If she's down for 3 or more days the odds are getting slim on her recovering. Not knowing what put her down makes it harder to diagnose and treat her. Had anyone seen her showing signs of being in heat before you found her (ex: bull hanging around her, other females riding her)? That is one possibility, another cow or the bull may have hit her somehow and paralysed her? But that is a stretch and rarely happens. If it is not happening to any others that mostly rules out a mineral defeciency or something related to the herd's diet... Freak accident or whatever ya'll got a tough time ahead to keep her alive and an even tougher time getting her back on her feet,

As far a sling, I made one once out of round baler belts and metal pipe. I just wrapped the belt around the pipe on each end and drilled it out for bolts, washers and nuts. Left one end loose so that one of the pipes can be easier to remove thus making it a little easier to slide the contraption up under a downed animal. Best bet maybe a local dairy farmer, if you haven't already checked with them as many have the pin bone lifters that someone mentioned above. If you find one I wouldn,t hang her for more than a few hours at a time and only high enough to where all four feet are firmly on the ground.

This sounds radical and works better when they first go down, like immeadiately following a calf being pulled. But if she still has the fight in her, take you a bucket of water and pour in her ear. This infuriates them often enough to get them to put a little more effort into getting up. If it don't work might put a little vinegar/water mixed back in ear to prevent an infection and add to her woes.

By all means keep her propped up as if she gets on her side she will bloat and you'll lose her for sure. Propping with hay bales in the pasture usually is a bad idea as the other cattle eat the bales and she is subject to more damage from them stepping on her. You can push up an earth berm if you got a loader or put a halter and a rope on her front legs and with even pressure pull her to a dirt bank or or the barn? Keep her hydrated with all the water she'll drink and I wouldn't get carried away with the calf manna or other high protien food as it is often the cause of the scours leading to more problems. If she is in good condition just keep her some hay, a quality 10 or 12% complete feed and some minerals in front of her. Maybe a little probiotic in gel or powder to keep her digestive tract activated?

Good luck, and if thinks keep going downhill I myself would consider putting her in the freezer LA200 and all. It ain't a good idea to make a habit out of it but it is not a real big issue every once and a while. I hope it works out and if I can help any further pm me.


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## SnowHunter (Sep 20, 2010)

PHIL M said:


> Prayers sent....


Thanks Phil   


olcowman said:


> If she's down for 3 or more days the odds are getting slim on her recovering. Not knowing what put her down makes it harder to diagnose and treat her. Had anyone seen her showing signs of being in heat before you found her (ex: bull hanging around her, other females riding her)? That is one possibility, another cow or the bull may have hit her somehow and paralysed her? But that is a stretch and rarely happens. If it is not happening to any others that mostly rules out a mineral defeciency or something related to the herd's diet... Freak accident or whatever ya'll got a tough time ahead to keep her alive and an even tougher time getting her back on her feet,
> 
> As far a sling, I made one once out of round baler belts and metal pipe. I just wrapped the belt around the pipe on each end and drilled it out for bolts, washers and nuts. Left one end loose so that one of the pipes can be easier to remove thus making it a little easier to slide the contraption up under a downed animal. Best bet maybe a local dairy farmer, if you haven't already checked with them as many have the pin bone lifters that someone mentioned above. If you find one I wouldn,t hang her for more than a few hours at a time and only high enough to where all four feet are firmly on the ground.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info OCM, very much appreciated 

I might just try the water thing.. that does sound interesting. 

Gave her some probios a few days ago, though, thankfully, her digestive system seems to be doin fairly well, considering she's been down for over a week. 

She's still got the will and grit, though now she's startin to get wore down, and got some white goop in the corner of her eyes.  We were gonna get her lifted today, cept it just didn't work out, best laid plans n all  Tomorrow I'm gonna give her a good lookin over, and talk to Na and the owners about it, as to lift or freezer, if she's lookin any more lackluster then she was today.

Hate this has come down to this... with her determination and hardiness through all this, that is one heckuva trait to have in the breeding program  and I really hate to lose that  but, I'll do whats best for her


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## SnowHunter (Sep 21, 2010)

Well, she's got 2 days left. She wasn't lookin as bright as she has been, this morning, and it didn't get better throughout the day, but she still has some fight in her eyes.  Gonna roll her on her other side tomorrow, and see if that helps. If she's still down n out temperment wise, Thursday AM, then I'll put her down. 

Didn't get tire tubes to get her lifted  I'm tryin not to "Well, if I'd..." I know she was bound for slaughter or a natural death within the next year anyways, so  

Oh, and, it turns out she's older then I thought... 15  They've got a bull outta her, down at the other farm, who is absolutely stunning, and HUGE  But infertile  I hate we're gonna prolly lose her, she throws nice bebies.

Thanks for all the help, yall. I definetly appreciate it.  I'll update yall tomorrow evenin


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## SnowHunter (Sep 22, 2010)

Just got back from puttin her down 

We rolled her over today, and was gonna lift her tomorrow (got the tire tube and everythin) She was lookin great, all ornery and bright eyed at 330pm, ate and drank well. Went to check her at 715 this evenin, and her head was layed out, vacant eyes, and labored breathing. Went up and got the .22 pistol and brought her some comfort. Really had high hopes when we left her this afternoon, even Nathan said she looked good. 

First time I've ever put an animal down, myself. Gawd it sucks


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## state159 (Sep 22, 2010)

Yep, that's the worst feeling when dealing with animals. I do admire your determination to save her. You can rest in knowing that you did your best to help the cow.


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## Tag-a-long (Sep 22, 2010)

Sorry to hear that Snowy!!  It's gotta be disappointing, I know you really tried to save her.


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## SnowHunter (Sep 23, 2010)

Thanks Yall.


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## secondseason (Sep 23, 2010)

It's a tough but humane thing to do.


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## DYI hunting (Sep 23, 2010)

Sorry to hear she didn't make it after all the effort.


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## SnowHunter (Sep 23, 2010)

secondseason said:


> It's a tough but humane thing to do.



Yup, I could see she was done fighting... she done good, she deserved some peace


dyi, thanks


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## olcowman (Sep 24, 2010)

RIP Ol' Betsy... Snowhunter I didn't realize she was that old, that is getting on up there in cow years. I wouldn't be surprised if you had sleeved her and found her to be pregnant, and either the calf was near/full term and caused her some nerve damage to her old wore out reproductive parts or she had a less developed fetus that had sapped up her reserves so to speak. Cows at this stage of life who successful breed back have to be carefully monitored for vitamin and mineral defeciencies which can occur quickly as the pregnancy develops and draws more and more from the host. 

Regardless, nothing should suffer needlessly and I'm glad you helped her along at the right time. She's in a better place... I think? At least it talks about beasts in the field and beside the throne in Revelations and Jesus did once instruct the disciples to preach his word to both men and the 'beasts of the field'.... gives me hope anyhow?


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