This Killed My Calves
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ม.ค. 2025
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About Gold Shaw Farm: Gold Shaw Farm is more of a farm-in-progress than an honest-to-goodness farm. Our dream is that someday, we can transform our 150+ acre parcel of land into a regenerative and productive homestead and farm.
Hey morgan: tip here form a mountainbike instructor. if you wear a helmet over a cap with a button on top. you put youself in danger. the helmet dispurses the impact at a crash. But the point on the cap will focus a hit straight into your skull with a chance of braking it. its safer without the helmet then with a cap underneath. Please be safe my man!
Good to know! Thanks. 😊
Now we know. Good advice.
oh my gosh I hope he sees this comment!! good to know
I was happy to see him wearing properly otherwise. The loose straps and pushed back helmet does nothing to prevent injury and can actually increase the types of injuries incurred in an accident.
Keep up the good helmet safety tips! I love to see that!
True, but at that low speed and terrain it's pointless to wear a helmet anyway.
Morgan do not beat yourself up. This is the first time you had calves die. You did not know you had a problem until they died. You are correcting the situation right away.
Stop with The Morgan Coddling. The fact Is there's No One Else To Blame For the calves death. It's part if being a rancher. Ranch owners are the Sole Care Takers and Providers of their property and that upon it.
Stop with the Coddling. He is owning his failure That's How He's going to learn. Those Calves passing away is Long Term Lost Ranch Revenue.
You time clock punchers have No Idea what it is to be self-employed.
Morgan knows that the Cost of taking those dead calves to the vet, is money that has to be made up somewhere else somehow.
It's a business;
The woodpecker is telling you there are bugs in that section of your barn, I would inspect for carpenter ants there.
they are not the problem usually. I would try to rule out insect infestation before assuming that the birds are trying to nest there. they will make a nest inside the walls sadly.
Male Woodpeckers make a lot of noise during breeding season and tin roofs help to attract females.
@@YujiUedaFan this, they like to peck metal to make noise
no, woodpecker is just marking his territory/attracting a mate. They love metal as it is louder. NPR had a good story on it a few weeks ago.
@@aminorityofone Nice info, what is NPR?
Stop blaming yourself for the baby boys’ deaths, please. Your diligence discovered the problem and you’re committed to the solution. Bravo!!❤❤❤
Agreed. In the search for homestead mentors and community, I have seen some horrific neglect. Morgan ain't that!!
Wish he would stop the self blaming too, no matter how. Many tell him not his fault.
Self blame is important when solving problem. If you don't blame yourself, you don't think anything you've done is wrong and nothing changes.
WHY CANT I MAKE A COMMENT?!!!
I CAN ONLY REPLY TO SOMEONE ELSES!!!
@@monicareid8858your banned from commenting
this is advice with abbey, so if your not looking for it disregard. this is only to offer some if your looking for it.
in the beginning of the video, when abbey was chasing the cattle, id urge you to make a choice about her future with how she was behaving. frankly, her bahavouir is dangerous. i have seen dogs behave like this get corrected by the cattle, and often it is violent and harsh. it takes a solid and stable dog to recover from it, something i dont think will be the case for abbey.
personally, id reach out to herding people or a trainer who is knowledgeable, and job swap her. id show her how to watch over cattle, and herd them back into their pens if they wander out. she clearly has a urge to chase and id see a benefit in find an outlet instead of asking her to stop (which, to be frank, is rare is success. it often leads to a unfulfilled, and misbehaving dog).
i know she was purchased to be a live stock guardian dog, however at some point you have to listen to the dog in front of you. i think there is still a place on the farm for her, but it might not look the way you expected. i think there is a lot of good that could happen if you swap what abbey is doing. from herding them into fresh grass, to helping you collect escapees, to roaming around with to cattle and watching over them, i can see her being very successful in that.
currently, a lot of her behavior is genetic, being rewarded by you, or is self fulfilling (like stealing the cow treats to play with). as well, a lot of this is age to! big dogs mature at 3 mentally, so she still has time to even out.
i would recommend some change though. from what i saw and know, a lot of this seems like she has desires and needs that aren't being address, and telling her to "stop" or "slow down" isnt going to do much.
also, absolutely no judgement here! i cant imagine how much of a handful she is. best of luck with her!
EDIT:
im not advocating for rehoming at all! i think the best next step is putting her in a pen (or something similar) when you cant show her what behaviors you would like & its important. like around the cows for example, don't take her up with you. and then taking 20 minutes, twice a day, to really focus on her and what you want. is sniffing them okay, laying around them, is taking their treats okay, etc. making sure she actually knows what is and isnt okay might help a ton. i wonder if part of this is not understanding what is and isnt okay.
i noticed in the video you had verbally told her no for sniffing, walking near them, and existing in their space. however after chasing, she ran up to you and you pet her. i worry it might be rewarding the behavior you don't want, while also not allowing behavior that isnt harmful in fear of her doing what you don't want.
my worry is her getting hooked by a mother cow if abbey chases a youngster. i've seen it and its gruesome, and i worry both the impact on her AND YOU. i've watched it and nobody should have to see that. i wouldn't want it to make you less confident around the cows or more timid (which i believe was a issue in the past you had talked about).
id connect with a trainer, and work on showing her right from wrong and being as consistent and clear as possible. regardless what you decide, because frankly please take anyone's (including mine) training advice with a grain of salt, please just make sure she is safe.
i worry her current behavior is going to end really badly, and id advocate for something to change. best of luck Morgan
This comment should be at the top! I’m always scared Abby’s playfulness around those big horns is just one second away from disaster. I feel like some professional herding training would do WONDERS to direct her energy in the right direction!
@@kirayancey8836 thank you. frankly my biggest fear is she chases a youngster and a mom takes action. i have watched dogs die from what those mother cattle do. its clear trying to stop it isnt working, so leaning in with safety in mind seems the best way forward.
she has the energy, drive, and interest to do wonderful things with cattle. however, i think her higher energy isnt being outletted anywhere and having no clue what to do with the cattle is making her "Fail".
she doesn't know what to do, there is no punishments that are note worthy to her, and its reward to stretch out and run, and it feels great (dogs who have that drive, its like scratching an itch). so, shes chasing cattle and being a problem dog.
even just having her as a "farm hand" where she tails Morgan and does jobs with him (herding, getting loose cattle, pick up hoses for him, etc) would be such a good outlet for her.
she definitely need work, and im starting to see it as a need now and not later. i worry if she gets hit by a cattle, she wont bounce back. and with how she behaves with the birds, that will be the end of the road on the farm for her.
frankly, Morgan is micro managing her with the birds in a very unhelpful way (same as reactive dogs. often after the dog is better, people become the issue. they tense around dogs and are afraid, which starts the issues up again). and with the cattle, letting her interact when he cant put in that energy or focus to set her up for succeed is dangerous as hell. if he cant, the cattle will.
the first step is clearly there, he sees there was an issue. id urge him to consider how dangerous this issue actually is, before something worse happens.
@@wanderingnorth4999 100%. Love your comments. If Abby is behaving dangerously around the cattle, and he isn't able to focus on her for the moment for filming, AND she is actively making his job harder (ie chasing away the cows and taking their treats) then she needs to be put somewhere else until he can focus on her and correct her with all his attention. Like you, I frankly just worry about her safety. She's a healthy happy dog right now, but something needs to change here.
I’m happy to see people making these comments. I was guessing this is how she was going to go after the first year, some dogs just don’t take well to training. It’s not the dogs fault, it’s not the owners fault it just genetics and personality. At this point I doubt she will ever make a good herding dog, just to playful to focus on the task and like others said at some point one of the cattle will have enough and go swinging with those horns.
Worst thing is he has become blind to this "chaotic good" as he calls it...
Yesterday I lost half of my flock. They got badly attacked by a fox and my rooster and his oldest baby got badly hurt. I'm hoping I'll find some of the birds I'm missing and that those who are hurt heal well. I love watching your videos as a comfort when something bad happens to my birds
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Morgan : "I want the calves to be born at a certain time"
Heifers : "Well hell-o Handsome, ya want to hop over here and visit with me?"
😂😂😂
You do a great job with your dogs Morgan. Just a suggestion... when you got a lot going on and Abbie is acting up, best to eliminate her from the situation rather than to set bad habits that you don't want to have to take time to break. Also, when you do work with her around the cattle, make sure you give her jobs to do. She's amped up and wants to help and be involved, and if you don't give her a task... she'll find one herself that might not be helpful.
Exactly. She's a working breed; she needs SOMETHING TO DO. (But NOT HERDING!)
Yes. A "heel", "come", or "down" command would be better than "no", don't do that Abby". Can she be trained to herd cattle? I have only trained Border Collies, but giving them jobs was necessary to good behavior. And being an emotional support dog was not enough.
THIS!!
Please binge watch The Incredible Dr Pol! When the babies passed I was shouting at the videos that Dr Pol always gives a shot of selenium when cows can't stand and are failing fast. He's in his 80's and still pulling calves up in Michigan. PRICELESS
He is the best, I love his videos ..
Is he still going? I used to watch with my grandparents years ago, now they’ve both passed. We loved Dr. Pol!
I was thinking about The Incredible Dr Pol and his solution with the selinium as soon as Morgan said he had 2 calves die. Yes, PLEASE watch that show, it'll be so informative.
Never owning a goat....I watch farms that raise goats. Haha.
In their 'birthing' Kit....they have 'Selenium' in a tube, that they give them. Vitamins. i.e. When a New born kid has trouble with their legs / standing / walking.
It is a Common Health problem.
I watch Weedm and Reap and Danielle has done that with previous baby goats that are born lethargic. And it has helped tremendously. She also gives melasa water to the moms that gave birth to give them energy
I just wanna start that I'm not judging your handling or training bc I've watched your videos of you putting in the work with Abby, I think these clips are just great examples of a dog from a pet quality breeder who sold to a working home. Abby is beautiful and perfect the way she is but also an excellent example of how genetics effect dogs. All working dogs take time, and you've done wonderful with her, but I love seeing the differences between Toby and Abby and how much of a natural working bred dogs can be. I know Abby came from a farm but not every puppy is working quality and it takes decades of selective breeding to produce successful working dog lines.
Also I'm not sure everything was revealed by the farm. Remember when Abby was discovered to be closer genetically to Toby than Morgan expected?
Exactly what I said during the video. My husband was getting so frustrated watching her behave like it was her first day. I said, “She is pet quality and was sold as a working dog”. If he had not done genetic testing I’d swear she was a mix. She’s not “chaotic good”, she’s a danger to herself and others. I don’t want Morgan to find out the hard way. It would be so heartbreaking. She would be a really fun house dog. Great personality for that. 💗
@@lionessm235 He *has* already found out the hard way. We know she's killed at least one chicken and there are probably more.
Absolutely and even working dog lines have a decent failure rate in litters. Abby is pet at best, the talk of her being good with castle is just incorrect.
@@kazzag7430 My Blue Heeler came from a litter of eight puppies. Both parents excellent working dogs. Out of the eight puppies only two of them had "cow". The other six were great pets. I had one of the pups with "cow" and she was divine!
First, you could have edited out the rambunctious Abby dog. You didn't. Hats off to you! Second, So sorry again about the calves. I place the responsibility with the vet! When we know better we do better. You are an amazing example to your viewers. Keep doing you. We are all learning together thanks to your transparency. Have a great rest of your day! 🐸😎
While preventable, not your fault and the fact you have done your due diligence to address and remedy the issue shows you care.
2.31 to abby after she chased the cow….”it’s probably my fault” while he strokes abbey on the head 😂
It's an edit, you don't know how much time passed between the petting and the admonishment.
@@heathentown Well he did not give us the rest of the time so if we want help him like alot of people are in the comment they only have what the video shows.
I'm so glad you got an answer. You do the very best with your animals.
Where's Abby's remote control behavior correction collar? She was doing really well when you were utilizing that device and training.
Watch the Dog Daddy! Training is training!!!!
He is completely abusive
Sorry no proper trainer... game keeper or farmer uses collars like that.
It is not how you teach a dog
@@NM-ub6mlThat isnt true at all. They arent shock collars. He was told to use the ecollars by multiple dog trainers.
@@charcushman9507oh I hate that guy so much.
@15:50 This Killed My Calves thanks....
I thought he was going to drag it out into the next video! 😅
Well, i would think that when you called the vet with the first calf and for sure with the second one, the Vet should have known about these problems in cattle, and especially in the area where he practices. Selenium deficientcy is one of the things TV vets on Animal Planet encounter in their weekly shows. quite often.A a cow after giving birth , becomes weak and wobbly and may collapse and can’t stand up, . The Vet comes out gives a shot of selenium and all is well. Of course i is not just selenium, that is needed, , marketing mineral supplements for livestock is big business I know because Feed companies advertise their products on you tube, to viewers of homesteading channels. like me. So, Morgan, I do not think it is entirely your fault and maybe not al all your fault. You pay a professional to give you professional advice on a subject where you do not have expertise or a DVM degree. You called as soon as you knew there was a problem with the calf, you are not like a lot of folks , you are not afraid to spend money when you can’t DIY,
Ty this saved quite some time ❤
mineral deficiency, thank you for letting us know what minute we go the answer!!
Yeah the only reason I don't watch more of his videos is that he edits him like they're a season finale or something, just tell us what's up and maybe I'll watch the rest
Morgan, you are not to blame. If you are unaware of the problem you cannot be expected to solve it.
Allot of people wouldn’t have done the necropsy after two calves. You’re addressing the problem and I commend you for your compassion and honesty. You’re doing great man, an inspiration.
I appreciate your humble acknowledgement of responsibility. You are learning from any mistakes and I know the loss breaks your heart the most.
How heartbreaking! Those gorgeous little babies. So sorry this happened. Abby is really bad! Pack up her little bags and I'll come to pick her up!
You are positively reinforcing undesired Abby's behaviors.
Agreed
The pet after she chased the cow....
My thoughts EXACTLY. But maybe it the editing, so i wasn't sure if that pet was RIGHT AFTER that Errant behavior.
@@GhanshamanHe spoils that doggo if that's true. Sometimes it's time to tell the doggo a stern no and then wait a while to pet it, later, in a different scene. If Abby tangles with the beefies, the beefies could turn her into a dog burger, God forbid.
Agreed. Not to criticize, I know there's a lot going on. I have a dog that's currently being trained around poultry (not a LSG breed, just my mixed farm dog) and if there's any chasing or even too much interest, especially if he's been given a command that he ignored already, a say "no" grab him and bring him away to do a "lay down" and "stay" while I work without him for a bit. If he does stay, he gets to try again. If it repeats, he goes away (inside for us), which makes him sad and works as a fair correction, since he's most motivated by companionship. He doesn't want to be left behind, and knows misbehavior results in missing out. Of course, rewarding good listening and bahavior has the best impact. It's hard, though, especially when trying to handle multiple animals. Just gotta keep trying! ❤
man you have to be harder with that dog, you are encouraging the behavior
Selenium is actually needed for every animal, even humans. Where I live, in Finland, industrial cattle feed have been added selenium since 1969. Nowadays it has been added to the fertilizers which plants modify to be more easily used by people and anímals.
I believe sea salt has it correct? It's very high concentrations in coconut meat.
@@danielnaberhaus5337 I think so but you should check from the label.
I eat two Brazil nuts a day for selenium.
I believe seafood is high in selenium.
You are also correct that too much selenium can be deadly. My daughter and I became dangerously ill from selenium supplements just by taking the dose on the label. Deffinately a balancing act for correct dosage.
Morgan, as much as i appreciate Abby's energy i really think you should have her separated unless you can use your full attention to control and train her. It'll probably suck in the short term but I imagine the ability to have her eventually truly free range like toby can will make up for it
Agreed.
It would also be best for someone to teach Morgan, if he's seriously going to train Abbey. That takes a lot of time. Best bet would be to send her to school.
@@sheshechicIf you mean something like a boarding that's not always a great option for LGD's. The learning doesn't always transfer over when they return. Best bet is to have her as a pet and get a new dog preferably from the same place he got Toby.
Don't listen to them Morgan! They don't know what they don't see. You're there with Abby everyday, all day. You didn't get her to be a herd dog. I don't believe in rehoming.
@@jamielandis4606 Rehoming is about the dog, not the person’s “beliefs”.
Its definitely good to develop a checklist for this stuff, it's hard to stay on top of so many things on the farm! best of luck to ya Morgan.
You’re talking to Abby with words she can’t understand you! 😆🤣😆 It’s hilarious to watch. It’s like you’re reasoning with her. Stick with one word commands that she can follow! 😂 Good luck!
That's pretty natural...most people converse with their dogs and are fully aware they don't understand full sentences. Lol. It's just a human habit...
@@nette9836 I understand what you’re saying. I talk to my dog all the time and he’s trying to figure out what I’m saying. But if I need him to pay attention and follow my instructions, I stick to one word commands. Especially if there’s an emergency and I need him to follow instructions clearly.
That's not likely what's happening. As long as his command words are consistent, and they are because even I know them, the rest is communicated with tone and body language.
My guess is Abby is getting confused between being a working dog and also a friend/pet
It's a tough relationship to navigate especially as he's trying to be a narrator, director of photography, and cameraman simultaneously. Leaves too many opportunities for Abby to make incorrect choices.
@@GoldenMinotaur Abby's personality is geared towards just being a pet for the family.
@@IbelongtoJesus. She would be. I know she was picked with a hope that she'd be a Toby understudy dog, but she's got a different doggy brain, which sometimes can't be infallibly bred against. It's better for Abby to "lead her not unto temptation." Maybe in a household with pets of compatible size that can keep up. I would worry a bit about Lil though. She isn't as spry as she could be due to the surgery she had to undergo. Taking the chaotic out of the good for Abby means to find the best accommodation for her possible.
The fact you don't turn off the camera shows you have the integrity to stand for your actions and do what's best for your animals, that's a lot.
I always get the mineral block with Selenium in it and ensure that the calves get their shots. Now I’m glad that I do! Nice to have confirmation but I’m sorry for your loss. 😢
15:46 is the answer for all those like me who kept thinking did I miss it ?? I hate it when the title lures you to the end of the video .
Same, thanks buddy.
theres lots to enjoy along the way ~ its a journey to be enjoyed ~ maybe just skip to the end if thats all you are looking for ~ hate is a strong word ~
actually what you should do if your not into the video is just read the comments to find out the big answer ~
@@colecolettecole What made you think that you knew better than others? none of your business what word he or she used to show his or her frustration.
@@snowlover_ boy oh boy everyones full of the h word ~ know better about what ~ what are you even talking about ~ none of my business ? ~ im not sure what you are getting at but you are on the attack i see ~ my comments to heavencanwait are positive uplifting ones to enjoy the journey ~ sorry to find you so grouchy ~ all my best & hope you will cheer up with these beautiful videos to watch ~
I very much appreciate how open and real you are with your videos. You are doing your best by your animals and it's obvious you love them. I'm so sorry for the losses of your calves but you clearly did all you could for them. Don't beat yourself up. ❤
So in India there are areas where the ground water is high in arsenic, at levels high enough to negatively affect human health. So a Canadian vet hears about this and knows some areas in Canada are naturally high in selenium. Cattle experiencing selenium toxicity are given arsenic as the two will bind together and no longer affect the patient. She checked and found arsenic poisoning in humans can be treated with selenium.
Canadian lentils are high in selenium, Indian cuisine uses a lot of lentils so she arranged to ship a bunch of containers to India and set up a double blind study for 3 months or so to see if Canadian lentils could lessen the arsenic load in these folks. And it worked ! Always fascinated to find more evidence the ‘the dose makes the poison’ and yes, there can be too much of a good thing
Wow, that’s wild! I don’t follow this channel but the title caught my eye and I thought “selenium poisoning” (which I had read about in a geology book). Turns out it was exactly the opposite. I hope that study you cited yields some widespread good results.
I think you could probably build a few permanent/semi-permanent shade structures in your pasture. Especially because you don’t farm those pastures. So if there were 4-5 strategically placed shade structures in the pasture it would help your cows stay cool and you could put the scratching brushes on them. you could still move the boat shade structure if you wanted. It just doesn’t seem the movable shade mobile provides much shade and after seeing the two boys under the tree, made me sad the others didn’t have it.
Farm life-kids who grow up in a farming family learn massive amounts of usable info from the dinner table their entire childhood. That is how generations of info gets passed on. Even then something new will still come along and disrupt the flow. I appreciate you sharing your sweet farm and learning journey with us.
Don't be to hard on yourself...your learning as you go...❤😊
Hey Morgan ,
Simple solution for the watering. Your onbthe right direction but you will need some holding arms to hold your water lines in place something to set over the edge nothing fancy .Check fencing parts or connectors bolt the set up to the your pices place them just wide enough to slide over the side of the water pan .
Don't feel bad with the caves we lost lamb's because my mother was over feeding them .
15:45 is where he explains what happens if anyone wants to skip to that part, and then watch the rest of the video
I cannot tell you how happy your videos make me. Whether it's good news, mixed news, or bad news, I always love the positive experience I get from watching. I love continuing to watch Gold Shaw Farm grow!
So glad you found out what the problem was with losing all the calfs you really are doing a fantastic job and whatever happened to the babies. It’s not your fault. You are doing everything possible and to be honest with you. There is no right way or wrong way on farming and raising animals each farmer has their own way of handling the property and their livestock. That’s what makes farmers different you’re doing a fantastic job don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, I love watching your channel. Keep up the good work Morgan, you and all your lovely animals and your beautiful wife keep up the good work God bless.❤❤❤❤
I enjoy you working your cattle. From a man that sat at a desk to someone who can walk with his cattle and move them at will!! Just think of it!! You WERE a really green farmer and now several years later can "walk with the animals"!! Good job!! Just keep on keeping on!!! Not to forget the ducks and geese. Well done!! Nancy
"I swear I make my own problems sometimes"
I felt this in my soul 😂😂
I hear ya, this is the same for me.
Sorry about your loss. Heartened that you now know about the problem and are taking positive measures to end the deficiency . But I am mystified that the local farmers and your vet. did not mention the problem. It seems to be a well known fact among the farm folks in the region. Better days are ahead. Hang in there.
He finally answers the question beginning at 15:45.
Finally!!!!
Hello, my best cattle dog growing up was an American Eskimo spitz. I have never worked with guardian dogs, but I was surprised you didn’t use Abby to circle the cows back in. Best of luck. Food for thought. Love your channel.
Morgan, although I know she's a livestock guardian dog, as someone who works and trains high drive dogs with strong herding and genetic prey drive urges, she is long past the puppy stage and has been ready for quite some time to be trained in more complex commands. Saying it's hard to film etc., is a mitigation for her behavior, it's like saying "my dog's a rescue, abused, etc. You're not a strong leader and by constantly "nagging" Abbey in an excited elevated tone creates excitement and raises the arousal level, arousal is one of the biggest contributors to bad behavior in dogs.
The following is a bit long but important.
Basic training regarding prey drive issues and neutrality around livestock should have started as soon as she showed an interest in livestock, birds and prey animals such as squirrels, etc. She still needs a solid foundation in obedience, a verbal/whistle recall and off leash walking at a heel.
The more she's allowed to rehearse negative behaviors, the more ingrained those behaviors will become, and it will be harder to address at a later date. You need to make dangerous behavior really suck for the dog, I would suggest ecollar training, please seek a balanced trainer for this, I would strongly recommend Solid K9 Training. They can coach you via the phone, your videos showing their issues and progress and through their online videos.
There is also lots of misinformation on YT and in real life, especially from the "force free/positive only" community, these individuals run the spectrum from don't correct or tell your dog No!, to implying dogs can actually teach themselves deep breathing skills (Overall,1997). Balanced training is 98% positive reinforcement. Consistency, clear communication with fair corrections and boundaries as well as knowing what motivates (ball play, food or praise as rewards) your dog during training is important.
😀❤👍
I agree!
Spot on! One of the reasons why I stopped following and watching every episode. Keep allowing bad behavior and making excuses
The thing is
She's NOT a livestock guardian dog.
She's a pet
Thank you for talking about a difficult subject. Glad to see you improving anything you can.
Honest assessment/video of the reality of farming. It is 24/7 work with rewards including "loss" of animals who, actually, offer lessons. Now about your dog, Abbey: training is crucial pronto. Training will create focus and balanced energy in Abbey as well as purpose instead of running hither and yon. Nip this in the bud NOW before something happens...
Lmao, you're so bad with dogs.
You're too sweet, it's entertaining at least if not a bit frustrating.
Love your videos
Your freaking human, if no one can get past that, they can go away. Love all you do
Yes he is, and a smart one; he can learn to improve his interactions with Abby. Her safety should be a much higher priority, and he needs to be more firm in his commands/expectations, and much less accepting of her bad behavior.
Who’s questioning Morgan’s humanity? What an insane comment.
@GOLD SHAW FARM - My land has very low selenium, too. I noticed my grazers' tongues were almost white or greyish instead of pink. There is a fatal condition called "White Muscle Disease" caused by selenium deficiency, and I figured, hey, the tongue is a muscle, too! After supplementing their feed with selenium for several weeks, their tongues turned pink again. My guess is that standard mineral/salt blocks do NOT contain enough selenium for deficient soil, so that it won't become toxic in areas that have high selenium soil. Same with chicken layer feed and calcium: I find I must offer extra crushed oyster shell during laying season, or my birds become egg-bound and can quickly die. Too much calcium is bad for male birds, so do NOT depend on feed alone to provide enough calcium for strong eggshells!
Abby looks to have gone retrograde. lol That's what I say when my border collie will suddenly reverse everything for a few days now and then. He blocks the chickens from going in the coop, chases things away instead of bringing them in, etc. I haven't figured out why he does it or what stops it, yet. I just say he's retrograde in those times. Normally, he's almost psychic in knowing exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.
I'm sorry to hear of your losses. That selenium deficiency is supposedly everywhere in a lot of soils. I don't know if it's possible, but maybe some alfalfa plants will bring some up into the plants from their long roots? They live like 20 years. It must be so hard to be dealing with the difficulties of ranching along with being so public at the same time. Thank you for sharing so much with us.
Yeah, it's just "a few days now and then" when the dog's chasing 1000-pound muscles with 12-inch horns. No problem, nothing to see here, move on!
Don't be so hard on yourself, you continually improve and that is commendable. Your thirst for knowledge is always to the benefit of your farm. Stay positive Morgan, you are doing a good job
Cornell is the best agricultural school in the world. Love from multan
It was so good of you to request the necropsy. Your trying to learn from that is admirable.
Good luck with your little gosling eggs!
I talk to the woodpeckers like that, too, Morgan!
Thanks for talking with us about this difficult lesson in your farming. You did not have to do that.
You did the best you could for the boys Morgan, don’t beat yourself up. There was no way for you known any sooner, now that you know you can do different ❤ A lot of folks wouldn’t have even gone the length of comfort care and autopsy to find the problem like you did. (Not judging that) You did the best you could with the information you had.
With any luck the next two calves will be boys. I don't know how you do all of this essentially by yourself Morgan. Pretty astonishing really.
I know that he probably was looking forward to having the meat from the male calves, but wouldn't it be better, long term, for them to be females so they can have future calves every year, many of which would be males?
@smlorrin I imagine that balance would be ideal but I'm sure he'll make it work either way.
Glad you we able to get it figured out. Thanks for sharing. The pasture grass looks great!
Mr Gold sounds like one of those parents with bad kids. “Don’t do that, that’s not nice” 😂😂😂
Well there is a time to tell them "That was terrible!"
Or "I'll give you a cookie if you stop crying."
It's great you found out what was affecting the calves to prevent it from happening again. Terrific work!
The minute you said that it was a mineral deficiency and the cows get most of their nutrition from the pasture I immediately wondered if it was due to a lack of selenium. When I had cable, I used to watch a veterinarian called “The Incredible Dr. Pol” in Michigan. The lack of selenium in the soil is a problem there as well. He has to inject the cows and horses of his clients.
Have your hay and pasture tested to get Se levels. I use Dairy 1 for the forage testing. I've been told our soils are deficient, however certain counties near me, and the hay they produce, are over the top. There's a usgs site where you can zoom in to your county to see the measured Se levels.
Different animals hold onto or lose Selenium. I've had broodmares be super deficient and had to supplement heavily, while others were always over the recommended levels. Vit E & Se paste in a tube is sometimes easier to administer than the injection, also with less risk associated. But when the babies have coordination issues at birth, give it all you've got with your vet's guidance. Good luck!
Why didn’t the vet give that calf selinium? Sandy Brock doses up lambs with minerals and dextrose like crazy if they look off. Works miracles.
Yes! Sandy Brock knows her stuff!
L❤ve Sandy!
Life on a farm is a continuous learning journey. Abby was having a high energy day 😂. Thanks for sharing
RIP little Prince and Elliot Smith. Just thankful you got answers, Morgan. And also really inspired by your grit and determination to always learn and do better. This was a tough vid to watch and I'm sure way harder to film.
Honestly was really stressed out by Abby's behaviour as well and wouldn't mind seeing less of her antics for a bit. Every time it felt like you were about to make a break through with the calves it felt like she ruined it, wanting attention to be focused on her.
I keep trace mineral, cobalt, sulphur and selenium blocks out at all times. I also keep loose mineral with garlic in it out for flies.
Hi Morgan maybe dont take abby around the heffers while you're filming.
This! His edit saying “oh it’s hard when I’m filming, etc.”, just makes me think “well, make a decision. Put down the camera and correct the behaviour, or don’t take the dog!
We have a saying (well, I do!) when I’m teaching horseback riding at any level. Every time a rider gets on a horse’s back, they’re teaching them something. The best thing I learned as a coach from a mentor is that lesson horses need regular schooling to reinforce good behaviour and school out bad habits.
Animals aren’t static. They learn from every interaction, the way that we people do. So yelling and screeching at her, her doing an undesirable behaviour and him ultimately patting her is teaching her something. We need to be aware when dealing with our animals that we are teaching them.
In my opinion, we have a nice guy, who is learning about farming, but is struggling because he hasn’t learned before doing, he’s learning by doing.
I have grown up around livestock, mostly horses, but cows and I’ve never seen such problems with fencing like Morgan has. I think he needs to slow down, learn and establish things, make sure he has the infrastructure BEFORE getting the livestock, like barns and fencing, spending time around experienced farmers and start a HECK of a lot more slowly.
As a horse person, we test our hay and when I lived in Canada (I’m in the U.K. now), we knew about selenium and how it is easy to poison them, but how they _need_ it, and hay core testing is the first line defence for determining selenium needs and what they’re eating.
Sadly, this is something known commonly amongst farmers in this area (Vermont isn’t far from where I grew up) and I was saddened to hear two calves lost their lives due to lack of experience.
Finally, I don’t know one farmer who would keep a bull unless absolutely necessary and with better fencing and infrastructure than he has. One video I saw in particular was with a farmer who bottle raised his…8 years later, he was gored. To me, inexperience + bulls isn’t a good scene.
Just my opinion 🤷♀️
@ 10:20 - There's a saying that as long as pigs have a good resource of food that they like and can use for their nutrition, they are perfectly content with their pasture area and they won't escape. But as soon as their preferred edible food resources are more or less used on their pasture area... They WILL escape! 😅😊
I hope having answers helps you feel better. This is how we learn about our specific circumstances. Can you free feed the separate minerals?
He does provide mineral blocks on the shade-mobile.
Mineral requirements outside of salt are extremely low, so it's usually done as a supplement in the salt itself. It's possible to get extra-enriched salt, and, as he mentions, a shot. It's possible that the selenium locally is particularly low (so very little is gotten in the diet directly) and/or that other mineral (mostly salt) content is particularly high (so the cows don't use the salt lick as much as they otherwise would)
It’d be pretty normal to feed loose minerals here (sprinkle on forage or grain) because the grass is rich and often flush (grows fast and as a result is very watery) and frequently breeding stock can get copper/magnesium/selenium deficiencies.
Licks are great but you can’t monitor intake well enough in the last trimester of pregnancy to be sure they’re getting enough.
Thanks for the update and sharing that difficult thing.
My grand niece attended Cornell, what a great university.
You'll need a few videos on dog behavior and training so Abby girl can contribute. Carry on
i feel like Abby has so much energy and gets bored so easily she just looks for things to do ♥
She’s still pretty young
Many of us deal with a selenium deficiency in the soil. Western NY falls into that category. When my mare was bred I had to make sure minerals were available throughout the pregnancy, as I was told that the selenium deficiency can affect the thickness if the sac and make it difficult for the foal to break out. I keep mineral blocks available year around and being that my 23 year old mare is on pasture and no grain, she does utilize the blocks. It is through friends I learned of the deficiency issue. I’m sorry for the loss of the two calves, but you did do everything you could to find the cause and are now prepared for the future. Thanks for sharing all of your experiences on your farm, it is not easy I am sure. Prayers that the next year goes better, with many calves running around, along with all the other critters!
I bought the audio version of " Toby Dog of Gold Shaw Farm." I love it!
I appreciate your videos and how you share your journey instead of editing out the chaos or the parts that bring out the critics in people. Your videos are helpful for people like me who are trying to learn and grow their knowledge so that fewer mistakes are made. Thank you! 😊
You certainly can't blame yourself for what you didn't know and even your vet didn't. Thanks for the fun video.
I'm really sorry for the losses of calves and goose eggs you both went through this Spring.
Finally some answers!
So sorry for your loss of the calves. It is hard to know what soil does and doesn't contain. So much of American land is in really bad shape, it is left to the owner to puzzle out the various problems. Best wishes with Abby! You have your hands full!
You are super and so are your videos.❤
Thanks again for another great video..please don’t be too hard on yourself about the calves…..now you have an idea of what it was,you are taking steps to fix it…..we live,we learn..that’s what you are doing Morgan..and doing a great job of it also.🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Don't blame yourself for the calves, you're still learning! And you're making changes to do better!
Don't worry about your dog's behavior. I think you might want to see if you can read about how to channel her energy and get her to help with herding. Dogs are invaluable in herding if you have one with the right instincts.
Abby does not give one Hoover dam
I have a spray water fountain attachment in my paddling pool for my ducks. They love it
Your tone with Abby isn’t fitting the context and speaking to her conversationally is causing her to ignore you. I’m not lambasting you. You’re ahead of most amateur handlers just by recognizing there’s a problem.
He clearly isn’t using the e-collar anymore. Stubborn and excited dogs like Abby need the extra help.
E collars isn't really the solution, she needs better training, she clearly doesn't respect him, or toby that's why she's the alpha. Been watching a lot of dog training videos lately and to see him now with her really paints a picture, she does not listen to him because she was kept too long at wherever she grew up, Morgan didn't get ti train her right away as a puppy, she can still be trained properly now, all he needs to do is step up and do what needs to be done, get a camera person to film you, or just don't film the training if it's too much work to do all these things as once no need to complicate things anymore.@AlexanderSagal
So true you sound like a wet fish.
Oh good grief! Abby is still quite young, she’ll learn in time
I figured this out with my two boys- I talk to them too much. They got used to tuning me out, and that included commands.
Can you use paint trays for rollers as the trays under the nesting boxes? They’re built to be sloped.
You ought to get some clips to attach to the water troughs along with the hose extensions to prevent the animals from breaking them free.
I grew up on a cattle farm in KY. My dad would intentionally bring back large limestone rocks and place them around our cattle pond. We had five salt lick posts across the 72 acres as well. There were many times I would watch the cows lick those rocks at the pond. Kentucky has abundant limestone so he would get these large rocks from other peoples property that hired him for bushogging
Abby gets so excited! Baby B is still adorable.
Hang in there and don’t get down on yourself. You’re obviously trying your best and that’s all you can do.
We had a woodpecker that pecked at a metal pole during football practice and it would drive us crazy
I have two Best Nest Box rollout boxes installed for three years. Great quality. One rolls to the outside of a mobile coop, the other one is inside a Suscovich-style mobile coop converted for layers.
It is so hot today here in Brooklyn that that mud looks really inviting!
I am impressed with your growth. You have come a long way since you began your farming adventure. The ducks !!!
You might be able to add some 90's and a short section going down into your watering bowls to keep them in place.
Sharing the loss of Gold Shaw Farm's two babies and the possible reason for their demise will help future generations on the farm along with others who have cattle. It is both brave ('cause...the internet) and kind to share this information with all of us. Knowledge and manure, coincidentally both need to be spread around to do the most good.
Abby, baby Bea, and Alice in the beginning is pure toddler energy. 😅
Betty Rubble is such a fuzzy, inquisitive little one. Adorable.
Stop and restart the video and the sound comes back.😊❤😊
My dog slug is just like abby. We are not on a farm but we have lots of animals, plants in a big garden and he is just a very excitable, lovable dog. I have a hard enough time controlling slug in normal consitions when he gets excited. So you definitely have my empathy with Abbydog.
LMAO I'm glad I'm not the only one who talks to the woodpeckers.
Oh Morgan my heart goes out to you, it's hard to keep perspecitve when these sort of things happen. But you can't know every single thing for your animals no matter how much you research etc. Now you have the benefit of the testing to understand what went wrong. You can't know something you just don't know about, you're being too hard on yourself. Now you know what it was & you've already taken steps for the future calves. Be proud of the love & care you give all your animals, they are very well cared for & your knowledge is growing every season. Be kinder to yourself please, best wishes.