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NE Iowa | I "am" the wife, and main one tending to our cows during calving season. I don't hesitate to grab and throw afterbirth out of the calving barn if/when I see it not already eaten. Since our winter/spring calving season is January-March, the cleanings left in the barn get thrown out into the manure piles to be cleaned out later, vs left to rot and stink in the calving barn. That's only for those not already eaten by the cows. BTW - racoons love it when left in live traps as bait! And as far as cows choking, I experienced that for first time last year when I was in the barn when one young cow started choking on hers. Got to the point she was gasping, flailing around, and then fell to the floor and onto her side with eyes rolled back, she was so far along. I was yelling and kicking and trying to get her to cough it up. Even reaching down her throat as far as I felt I could, but couldn't reach anything. She one time did cough and I saw something bubble out of a nostril... I got her to cough one more time and I was ready and grabbed what protruded out of her nostril and then I pulled OUT the long piece of afterbirth that she had been choking on!! It had gone down the throat and come back up the nostril! When I got that out, she breathed really heavy and eventually sat back up, shaking. I think I was as shaky as her at that point. Needless to say, I quickly threw out the rest of HER afterbirth!!!!! | |
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