Apparently Red Water Disease is a fairly common illness in deer and elk, and they are one of the major spreaders of the spores. They also die from it.
It is just really frustrating that no matter how dilligent and devoted R and I are to maintaining herd health there is always something just waiting in the wings to slap us across the face... The vaccine we use to treat the cows...to prevent this sort of shit from happening is the 8 way blackleg vaccine...if you read the label...red water disease or (bacillary hemoglobinuria) is one of the diseases it should prevent. but the recommended dose does not protect them if they are exposed to the spores...duhhhhh I know it doesn't make sense why they just don't up the dose.... the vets are also frustrated because they have to deal with people losing cattle to this illness and their hands are tied...our vet said he may have to travel to the states and smuggle some of the specific vaccine back....ahahahha. On Friday we had trouble getting a fire permit...there is a fire ban on here because it is so dry...we had to finally phone the head of the county and the forestry... but we did get an emergency permit..R had to have the CAT running beside the burn...but first we had to dig a huge pit...not easy when the ground is still frozen... thank god for R's CAT.
we put the carcass in first which turned out to not be the best thing to do...but we had no options since we had to keep it covered with a tarp until we were ready to burn. Then we collected a bunch of dead trees and old fence rails and junk to burn...by noon we set it on fire and boy did it burn of course there had been no wind all morning but once we set the fire alight...wow did it get windy...we were really worried about sparks. I had the hose ready incase and of course the tractor and CAT were on hand......once the wood had burned up we still had half the carcass to bury...we used the cat again...and buried it all under about 8 feet of soil...I don't know what we would have done if not for the CAT. So they called this morning to see if the burn went well and to make sure we had put the fire out... I hope I never have to do anything like that again as long as I live...the whole drama of it all has quite exhausted us both.
Everything went really well today with the cattle which is why were able to do so many in such a short time...usually we divide up over two days...
Until we did the yearlings... now yearlings are typically stupid at the best of times...but today the wind was howling and dust was blowing everywhere...it was late afternoon and they were hungry...R had cut rations yesterday to ensure they came up when he called. I had to poke one of the heifers with the prod (a cattle tazer, but before you get all up in arms...it gives a very slight zap...how do I know this...I have been zapped before with one....don't ask.) I am very careful not to use it too much..but these heifers were kicking like little asses...and one kicked back hit the prod, instead of my arm..and sent it flying...it broke of course and of course I flew off the handle...grabbed R's plastic cane and took after her...she cheated me out of my getting even by running hell bent for leather up the chute and into the squeeze...ahahahah but I have her number...little bitch. and of course she is an angus...I swear to god I will regret my decision to breed to angus bulls for the rest of my cattle raising life...give me old straight simmentals anyday.
Our nice simmental cows go through the chute one after the other once they see the way of things I don't even have to chase them...they just follow the leader through the alley and into the squeeze...they know it is inevitable..that they get needled again...and just accept it...but the bloody angus cunts, kick, bellow, run me over, kick, dodge and jump fences even a good equestrian horse couldn't clear. It's like when I used to raise geese...I used to always get the big white emden geese until somebody told my mother in law that the grey ones were better eating (just for the record I never ate one of my geese..they were my babies. My mother in law used to come and kill them). anyway...I never had a problem with the white geese being able to fly...they were to heavy and just couldn't...but the grey ones...those little dicks....dicks, not ducks... they were way lighter and could fly enough that when the wild geese flew overhead mine would rise up and join them and end up down on the slough and then when they walked back to the farm in the evening...don't ask me why they didn't fly back...the coyotes would get them...too stupid to live apparently. Any way...the angus cattle seem to be the same....new but not necessarily improved...ahahaha.
It will take me a few days to recover...from all the trauma.. Tomorrow we get to go and make nicey nicey at our friends for easter dinner...Honestly I am sure their grandsons are going to think we are relatives of some sort...we are there so often..but it is really nice of them to invite us for all their family dinners. kinda sad ...we have become the people that fill in the empty seats at other people's family dinners.
R says he doesn't care as long as he get a feed of turkey...hahaha how mercenary.. I just hope they have something chocolate, I can't have it in the house...it calls my name but I don't mind a bit of it at some one elses place...the caffeine keeps me awake. yes chocolate has caffeine...I am not lying. At this dinner we will be rubbing elbows with millionaires.... our friend Norm's sister and her husband won 5 million in the 6/49 lottery 8 years ago...I bet they have every dollar still, if she's at all like her brother Norm...I am sure she does...they are scottish...and a typical tight fisted bunch. She buys her clothes at value village.hahahah that just makes me and R shake our heads... I am heading off to bed now and hope to sleep in until at least 8 am. we are going to have waffles for breakfast and fruit salad for lunch in view of our having turkey later inthe day...nummmmmmmmy... wish you all a happy easter...
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