When Calving Starting

patsy_mccabe

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Well my other heifer just calved. Bit of a pull with the jack. Big Lim bull. Heifer got up straight away to lick him so that looks good.
Only one heifer left to calf. She's by APZ. That will be fun.

First ever caesarean last night. Yep my APZ heifer. Was expecting it to be honest. Smallest pelvic opening I've ever felt. Tried to jack but no way.
Big BB heifer. Another one got to, by my BB bull. He would have being well gone only for I got TB.
I managed to pull the outer casing of one of the calves hooves off when I was pulling. I had doubled the ropes in loops and the second loop must have slipped down. Anyone ever do this? I think it was Legwax that had a cow step on a calf with him and knock it off.Vet didn't seem to know if it would heal or not.
Kinda raging as she is the quietest heifer I've ever had. She even let me milk her, to tube the calf, free standing in the shed. No halter even.

Lady Haywire

Better a section than a dead calf Patsy!

Regards the hoof casing, neighbour here had one pull off both on the front feet as it was born on the slats and got his feet stuck. Went round on his knees for a year til he went off to factory. But as yours is only one i'd be a bit more optimistic, maybe you could fit some sort of shoe on the undamaged side?
Mix up a paste of bluestone and smear it all over, then waterproof the foot somehow and let it try and heal while the calf is light.

White Clover

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

First ever caesarean last night. Yep my APZ heifer. Was expecting it to be honest. Smallest pelvic opening I've ever felt. Tried to jack but no way.
Big BB heifer. Another one got to, by my BB bull. He would have being well gone only for I got TB.
I managed to pull the outer casing of one of the calves hooves off when I was pulling. I had doubled the ropes in loops and the second loop must have slipped down. Anyone ever do this? I think it was Legwax that had a cow step on a calf with him and knock it off.Vet didn't seem to know if it would heal or not.
Kinda raging as she is the quietest heifer I've ever had. She even let me milk her, to tube the calf, free standing in the shed. No halter even.

Is it 1 or both claws on the hoof patsy?

patsy_mccabe

White Clover wrote: »

Is it 1 or both claws on the hoof patsy?

Just the one claw. One side only. I had the ropes with first loop above the fetlocks and the second just below. It must have slipped down.

tanko

My little APZ heifer calved yesterday evening too, she was going around with her tail out for an hour or so with no sign of a waterbag. Stuck my arm in, she was very tight and not opened up at all so rang the vet.
Turned out the calf was coming right but was upside down. Took a good while for vet to get the calf turned, got a little Highfield Odran bull out alive with the help of a jack. Wasn't a hope she would have calved herself.
I see what people mean about the bad pelvises on APZ heifers now.

Never wrestle with pigs

You would think they would pull apz out of ai if he's that bad. Not exactly the hardship lads want after a few years of bringing a heifer to the calving stage.

patsy_mccabe

He is gone out of the catalogue this year anyway.

White Clover

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Just the one claw. One side only. I had the ropes with first loop above the fetlocks and the second just below. It must have slipped down.

If you could trim a timber shoe down to size and stick it on the good claw.

Bullocks

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Better a section than a dead calf Patsy!

Regards the hoof casing, neighbour here had one pull off both on the front feet as it was born on the slats and got his feet stuck. Went round on his knees for a year til he went off to factory. But as yours is only one i'd be a bit more optimistic, maybe you could fit some sort of shoe on the undamaged side?
Mix up a paste of bluestone and smear it all over, then waterproof the foot somehow and let it try and heal while the calf is light.

Does a bluestone paste sting like feck or is it alright ? I saw it suggested somewhere else for a cut or something and was thinking it would sting like hell if left on for awhile

Lady Haywire

Bullocks wrote: »

Does a bluestone paste sting like feck or is it alright ? I saw it suggested somewhere else for a cut or something and was thinking it would sting like hell if left on for awhile

Probably stings but it's used by farriers & hoofcare men for foot issues, mainly infection/fungal based because it's basically a biodegradable disinfectant. I'm pretty sure it's used with horses that are prone to soft hooves, so I imagine it would be similar with cattle no?

You could try a more dilute mix first, mix the bluestone with water & shake til it dissolves, then keep adding until the crystals sit on the bottom and no longer will dissolve because the solution is saturated. That's what we tend to use on calves navels instead of iodine.

charolais0153

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Probably stings but it's used by farriers & hoofcare men for foot issues, mainly infection/fungal based because it's basically a biodegradable disinfectant. I'm pretty sure it's used with horses that are prone to soft hooves, so I imagine it would be similar with cattle no?

You could try a more dilute mix first, mix the bluestone with water & shake til it dissolves, then keep adding until the crystals sit on the bottom and no longer will dissolve because the solution is saturated. That's what we tend to use on calves navels instead of iodine.

Its used for sheep's feet aswell

Lady Haywire

Always laugh at these two in the pen together, Jenny in the middle there calved down at 27 months, Odd-Ear at 29, fair difference in them!!!:D:D

Biscuitus

Handful left here. I let the breeding season go on a bit longer to catch more tail ends ones who missed. It can be a bit tough dragging out calving season an extra 2-3 weeks but its worth it to keep the numbers up. Soon I'll be trying to find things to do anyway.

I made sure to walk the animals 2-3 times a day everyday so I had a date for nearly everyone. Only 2 calves were born outside of the calving pens as a result.

patsy_mccabe

A lim x monty cow I bought calved here last night. In calf to a huge Charolais bull, so a little worried beforehand. Checked her at midnight and no sign. Again at 2AM and there was this char heifer standing up looking at me.
Put cow in crush this morning and she was kicking like mad, even kicking the calf, so didn't fancy getting a broken arm. Because she wasn't my own breeding I couldn't tell if she would charge me or not so tagged calf and let them off. Calf is running around the place so no fear of her.

How the hell do you know if a calf has drank? Cow has huge bag so hard to tell. Calf did look full but still.

whelan2

2 left to calve here

White Clover

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

A lim x monty cow I bought calved here last night. In calf to a huge Charolais bull, so a little worried beforehand. Checked her at midnight and no sign. Again at 2AM and there was this char heifer standing up looking at me.
Put cow in crush this morning and she was kicking like mad, even kicking the calf, so didn't fancy getting a broken arm. Because she wasn't my own breeding I couldn't tell if she would charge me or not so tagged calf and let them off. Calf is running around the place so no fear of her.

How the hell do you know if a calf has drank? Cow has huge bag so hard to tell. Calf did look full but still.

Are the tests clean, as in do they look to have been sucked?

tanko

When you feel the calfs stomach you'll have a fair idea, it'll be full and heavy if he sucked and empty feeling and light if he hasn't.

Biscuitus

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

How the hell do you know if a calf has drank? Cow has huge bag so hard to tell. Calf did look full but still.

Stick your fingers in the calfs mouth and if he sucks straight away then he hasn't. Sometimes you need to stimulate the sucking response. I've had a cow where every year her calf has no extinct to suck so I give 1L of Colostart and soon as I leave the pen its straight away under the mother sucking.

If the teets are shiny or clean then the calf has sucked. If he's walking around poking the cow's legs and any gates or pillars then its likely has hasn't. The biggest giveaway is when he lets out a painful bail.

bogman_bass

And we're done! Got up at 2.30 this morning to see a grand ZGH heifer calf dancing round the place. Bar one set of twins coming the wrong way it was a very uneventful calving season. Just the way I like it!

Lady Haywire

I'd normally look at the teats first, then see if the calf is standing with a hump on it. But if they've pooped and are trying to play they're fine.
Yesterday that monster was sucking at straw so knew he hadn't.

Mooooo

Just pulled a big bb bull from the last cow, a share of heifers left now

patsy_mccabe

Cow outside so teats are spotless anyway. I did try to feel the calfs stomach and it did feel full. Anyway it would be handy if there was a fool proof method to tell it drank.

pedigree 6

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Cow outside so teats are spotless anyway. I did try to feel the calfs stomach and it did feel full. Anyway it would be handy if there was a fool proof method to tell it drank.

Here ya go Patsy.:D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Pet-Collar-Camera-Video-audio-JPG-Recorder-Monitor-For-Dogs-Cats-Puppy-/332186715224?hash=item4d57df0458:g:QLkAAOSwlV9WTYpU

patsy_mccabe

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Here ya go Patsy.:D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Pet-Collar-Camera-Video-audio-JPG-Recorder-Monitor-For-Dogs-Cats-Puppy-/332186715224?hash=item4d57df0458:g:QLkAAOSwlV9WTYpU

I might get killed putting it on though.

Lady Haywire

Mr Gammy leg here, that's the type to heal up in time is it? Looks like he had his back legs crossed in the womb a while cause that's the way he presented.

patsy_mccabe

Folks, how long would you leave a cow isolated after a caesarean before mixing her again with other stock? I'm afraid she'll get a puck and possibly open her stitches. Would she want 3 weeks?

Parishlad

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Folks, how long would you leave a cow isolated after a caesarean before mixing her again with other stock? I'm afraid she'll get a puck and possibly open her stitches. Would she want 3 weeks?

I had a section (well a cow had ...) the week before last. I had her in a pen on her own for maybe 5 days and moved her outside with two other cows (at the same time) after that. I would be more worried about putting her back on slats with a bunch of cows. Outside would be fine after a few days I'd say. Stitches can come out after 4 weeks or so....no great rush to take them out.

Edit to say that I had given her a shot of Pen Strep every day while she was still in.

Biscuitus

No doubt she will get a bad puck. Cows are jerks like that, they can sense when one is injured. I'd want at least 2-3 weeks.

The man in red and black

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Mr Gammy leg here, that's the type to heal up in time is it? Looks like he had his back legs crossed in the womb a while cause that's the way he presented.

Did he come out backwards you mean? Hard to know from the video but I'd be suspicious of an injury there. He can obviously stand but is he able to get up himself? Might be worth bringing him in to your vet in the trailer.

Parishlad wrote: »

Stitches can come out after 4 weeks or so....no great rush to take them out.

I wouldn't leave them in too long either. Some lads you see the cow still has the stitches in her when you are doing the next one next year. Normally say 3 weeks. You see occasional wound infections 6 weeks + after operations and the only logical conclusion is that bacteria tracked in along the stitches from the outside. Wound should be fine and strong after 3 weeks. Would want to be an awful belt from another cow to burst it open after that. Have never seen it.

Lady Haywire

The man in red and black wrote: »

Did he come out backwards you mean? Hard to know from the video but I'd be suspicious of an injury there. He can obviously stand but is he able to get up himself? Might be worth bringing him in to your vet in the trailer.

Yea he came backwards but wasn't too hard a pull on the ropes, just myself and dad, no calving jack. The way he walks makes me think he has them crossed at the hock (as if he was holding in a piss) while in the cow.
Have him let out with a shot of selenium and seems to be working his way round anyway!