Culling a cow

cyffylog

Member
Location
Bangor, Gwynedd
Sadly I have a 17year old suckler cow which has been increasingly stiff on her hind legs and so far has not been able to get up today. All her life she has had rapidly growing hind hooves, needing annual trimming and after this years trim, about 3 months ago, she seemed to have difficulty in controlling her hind legs as if she had nerve damage.

It is now the end of the road for her, but the local collection knackers do not put down, only collecting dead livestock.

Question is, can a humane kill be achieved with a .22 rifle using a high speed shell? I've never shot a cow, and am worried that the skull may be too thick to achieve a clean penetration.

Anyone with any experience please?

Cyffylog
 
Just use a 12 bore, quick and easy, and you know it'll do the job. Its the only thing i have ever used, and they have always died instantly.

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You want to be about 6 inches away from its head, when you pull the trigger. After you've shot it touch its eyeball, if it doesn't flinch its dead. Always have a second cartridge just in case it doesnt die on the first one.
 

cyffylog

Member
Location
Bangor, Gwynedd
I don't have a shotgun, of any bore. She's not in good condition now, been going downhill since foot trimming a few months back, so highly unlikely to warrant any payment, and no slaughter men operating hereabouts for 60 miles.
! could call the Vet of course, but if I can do the job equally humanely it will save £40, - cost of disposal will already be in excess of £100.
 

cyffylog

Member
Location
Bangor, Gwynedd
Had a cow put down many years ago by a slaughtering & disposal firm that used to operate in this area and the captive bolt gun he used was operated and the size of a .22 cartridge, but he did push a piece of thick wire into the brain and jiggle it about after the shot.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
I don't have a shotgun, of any bore. She's not in good condition now, been going downhill since foot trimming a few months back, so highly unlikely to warrant any payment, and no slaughter men operating hereabouts for 60 miles.
! could call the Vet of course, but if I can do the job equally humanely it will save £40, - cost of disposal will already be in excess of £100.
Sounds like at 17 she doesnt owe you anything so i would get the vet rather than risk an accident.
 

Gruber

Member
Horticulture
Had a cow put down many years ago by a slaughtering & disposal firm that used to operate in this area and the captive bolt gun he used was operated and the size of a .22 cartridge, but he did push a piece of thick wire into the brain and jiggle it about after the shot.
Sounds like bad practice to me
 

bitwrx

Member
Sounds like bad practice to me
.22 rimfire is a common calibre for captive bolt guns. We have different loads for different size pigs. Presumably there's a cartridge out there for cattle as well.
The wire-jiggling bit is called pithing. It's one of the two ways to legally kill an animal with a bolt gun (the other being bleeding).
Legally speaking, bolt guns are only considered a means of stunning an animal, although in practice they are very effective at killing an animal outright.
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
.22 rimfire is a common calibre for captive bolt guns. We have different loads for different size pigs. Presumably there's a cartridge out there for cattle as well.
The wire-jiggling bit is called pithing. It's one of the two ways to legally kill an animal with a bolt gun (the other being bleeding).
Legally speaking, bolt guns are only considered a means of stunning an animal, although in practice they are very effective at killing an animal outright.

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