4 minute read

INJURIES INJURY OF THE MONTH

Jim Sherwood

Sherwood Cattle Co.

Angus, SimAngus & Simmental

Magnolia, Minnesota

Injury #1: Blunt force to the nose

Cause: Calf kicked him in the face

Diagnosis: Crooked nose, pain

Treatment: Excedrin, back to work

Patient's Story:

My wife is from a small town and had no Ag background. As newlyweds I asked her to help castrate 3 or 4 6-weight bull calves. It was her first time but she did well. The last calf had a little fire under him but we squeezed him down in the chute pretty good and even after double checking my wife’s hold on the tail, she had it right. Safety first and always. From the outside of the chute I reached through the side door and with my Newberry knife I sliced the sac open and WHAM! I don’t know if it was a hoof or hock but it was a direct hit to my face. I never saw it coming. I didn’t know a nose could bleed so much! Went to the doc and she said it would be fine that it is just cartilage. I said “Doc, my nose is crooked!” She just laughed, but it really hurt. After a shower, some Excedrin and rest for a half an hour, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and packed silage from noon until dark that day.

My wife decided it was her first and last time castrating too!

Injury #2: Sliced off finger tip

Diagnosis: Fingertip avulsion, pain

Treatment: Stitches, ice, Excedrin, downward pressure, time back to work

Patient's Story:

I spotted a baby calf by the fence line that needed castrating. The fence was an old woven wire with three barbwires high. I created a “V” shape trap with my pickup along the fence, then I slowly & quietly got out of the pickup, shut the door and checked for the cow. She was trotting toward the front of my pickup. I was safe. Being a young, smart and quick guy, I could have this calf singing soprano in no time. When I flipped the calf on his back, he let out a beller, so I put a knee on each back leg and started to cut the bottom one-third of his sac off. Then I felt hot breath, slobber and snot with a “Braaaa” coming down on me. Quickly I let the knife and calf lay. With one step and in great high jump form, I totally cleared the fence with a bit harder landing than I hoped for, since it was frozen ground. Oh, did I mention the sting on my finger while cutting the calf? Ya, I cut the tip of my finger off! Well almost, just a string of skin was holding it on. Went to the doctor and got a stitch in each corner of the triangular piece of meat. He said keep a lot of downward pressure on the bandage, in one week it will be pink and growing back or it will turn black and you'll lose it. That big bandage fit snuggly inside a yellow chore glove and slid into the tight coat sleeve and wall-ah!- in seven days I had a pink finger. That was over 50 years ago and looking at the finger now you could never tell it happened!

Jim Sherwood

Magnolia, MN

507-920-6441

facebook: @SherwoodCattleCompany

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