When Calving Starting

GiantPencil

Two cows calved here already, both heifers too which is lovely. Had them calve out in the field, I find they're stronger as a result of being born outside but it also left me with a mini heart attack. Couldn't find the calf! Turns out she'd drank the mother and went to lie down and tried lying down in the gap between 2 ditches and subsequently stumbled into the next field and found a comfy spot. Nearly walked every blade of grass with a flashlight in the first field trying to find her

patsy_mccabe

Had a cow calf in the middle of the night. Not easy to hold him up to drink with the crush covered in ice.

50HX

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Had a cow calf in the middle of the night. Not easy to hold him up to drink with the crush covered in ice.

had the same torture last year with outside crush, had enough and put a semi auto gate in the calving shed with a gate where i can take off the bottom 2 bars for calf to drink

4 calved here and what a pleasure & comfort getting the calf to suck under the roof

patsy_mccabe

50HX wrote: »

had the same torture last year with outside crush, had enough and put a semi auto gate in the calving shed with a gate where i can take off the bottom 2 bars for calf to drink

4 calved here and what a pleasure & comfort getting the calf to suck under the roof

I know, but long story. Both hands kinda tied at the moment.

grassroot1

50HX wrote: »

had the same torture last year with outside crush, had enough and put a semi auto gate in the calving shed with a gate where i can take off the bottom 2 bars for calf to drink

4 calved here and what a pleasure & comfort getting the calf to suck under the roof

Do you have to get the calves to suck or is it by choice?

50HX

grassroot1 wrote: »

Do you have to get the calves to suck or is it by choice?

purely to save time at night and be gone to work in the morning i get them to drink rather than milk& tube them,

that way i can be more certain in the morning that calf will drink by himself during the day

50HX

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I know, but long story. Both hands kinda tied at the moment.

i hear ya..;)

charolais0153

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Had a cow calf in the middle of the night. Not easy to hold him up to drink with the crush covered in ice.

If u had a section or calving a cow would you be outside in crush aswell?

grassroot1

50HX wrote: »

purely to save time at night and be gone to work in the morning i get them to drink rather than milk& tube them,

that way i can be more certain in the morning that calf will drink by himself during the day

It used to be an issue here before we changed to stabliser cattle. The minute they hit the ground they are up to suck. But You are dead right its most important to get milk into the calf if you trying to work a day job saves a lot of trouble in the long run.

patsy_mccabe

charolais0153 wrote: »

If u had a section or calving a cow would you be outside in crush aswell?

If calving a cow, use head rope halter. Not as crazy as it sounds. I've seen guys pull calves with cow loose in shed.
Only ever had one caesarian. Thankfully, cow quiet as a mouse.

White Clover

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

If calving a cow, use head rope halter. Not as crazy as it sounds. I've seen guys pull calves with cow loose in shed.
Only ever had one caesarian. Thankfully, cow quiet as a mouse.

Halter is a good job alright. Used use it a good bit.

Never wrestle with pigs

I'd never go feeding a calf unless it was a really lazy fecker and didn't suck after a few hours.

patsy_mccabe

I like to leave the newborn for about an hour before getting then to suck. By then a bit of hunger is in them and the natural urge to suck is there. I've often spent ages wrestling a lively newborn onlhy for it to refuse to suck. After a lot of cursing then i'd give up and let them off. 5 mins later and the calf would be drinking away himself.:D

Lady Haywire

Moving Noo-Noo into the pen with the mats yesterday and noticed she's looking fairly heavy for a cow not due til end of Jan. And that's just the 9 months so won't be calving til Feb :eek:
Was able to write down her last daughter in the calving book for August too, the young bull managed to nab her for sure this time!

patsy_mccabe

Another cow calved here this morning. Checked there and she calved last on 2 Feb 2017. When I was doing AI, I was just about holding the 365 calving interval. Now with the bull, they are calving earlier and earlier every year. In 2016 same cow calved on 11 March. So nearly pulled back 3 months in 2 years.
She's 5 stars, going on 14 years and a bag of bones but hardy as hell and hooves as hard as diamonds.

Bullocks

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Another cow calved here this morning. Checked there and she calved last on 2 Feb 2017. When I was doing AI, I was just about holding the 365 calving interval. Now with the bull, they are calving earlier and earlier every year. In 2016 same cow calved on 11 March. So nearly pulled back 3 months in 2 years.
She's 5 stars, going on 14 years and a bag of bones but hardy as hell and hooves as hard as diamonds.

The bull is great compared to ai for calving interval and a compact calving season . We are gone to later calving (by choice ) but its all over in 7/8 weeks and no stragglers .
Nothing calving over Christmas this yer and its great

patsy_mccabe

Bad start to the year. Just pulled a dead calf from a cow. I got the vet to handle the cow about 6 weeks during the herd test as she was passing red slime. Vet reckoned the calf was dead then. Also reckoned the cow wouldnt calf till march or so.
Watched her calving during the day and handled her early. No reaction when put hand into calves mouth.
Pulled the calf with ropes only as far as hips. Calf was dead. Needed jack to get past the hips, so big enough calf. No smell off the calf either.
So question is - how could the calf grow away in size if it was dead?

Mooooo

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Bad start to the year. Just pulled a dead calf from a cow. I got the vet to handle the cow about 6 weeks during the herd test as she was passing red slime. Vet reckoned the calf was dead then. Also reckoned the cow wouldnt calf till march or so.
Watched her calving during the day and handled her early. No reaction when put hand into calves mouth.
Pulled the calf with ropes only as far as hips. Calf was dead. Needed jack to get past the hips, so big enough calf. No smell off the calf either.
So question is - how could the calf grow away in size if it was dead?

Prob wasn't dead at time but perhaps not enough fluid around calf and therefore grew untill now, if it was dead for any length of time twud not be pleasant

patsy_mccabe

But vet was 90% sure it was dead at the time. That was 6 weeks ago.

whelan2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Bad start to the year. Just pulled a dead calf from a cow. I got the vet to handle the cow about 6 weeks during the herd test as she was passing red slime. Vet reckoned the calf was dead then. Also reckoned the cow wouldnt calf till march or so.
Watched her calving during the day and handled her early. No reaction when put hand into calves mouth.
Pulled the calf with ropes only as far as hips. Calf was dead. Needed jack to get past the hips, so big enough calf. No smell off the calf either.
So question is - how could the calf grow away in size if it was dead?

If the calf was dead then would he not have induced her then ?

Mooooo

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

But vet was 90% sure it was dead at the time. That was 6 weeks ago.

Of it was 6 weeks ago it must be the other 10%

Mf310

What would ye recommend giving to dairy heifers a month before calving atm they are on just silage and a shake of dry cow minerals but im hearing of some alds feeding oats aswell they say the calf slips out easier and others are using hay

patsy_mccabe

I dunno. Baffled by it all. Calf was right on time too (290 days) according to my records.

Lady Haywire

Calf could have been brain-dead or incompatible with life so might not have been dead but as good as when vet handled the cow as it wouldn't react. That's all I can think of anyway. Sorry to hear it regardless Patsy.

patsy_mccabe

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Calf could have been brain-dead or incompatible with life so might not have been dead but as good as when vet handled the cow as it wouldn't react. That's all I can think of anyway. Sorry to hear it regardless Patsy.

Ya, that's all I can think it might be too. Calf kept growing from umbilical cord but nothing happening in the brain.

squinn2912

That's a bad loss. What will you do with that cow now? Vet was well out with the calving but ultimately you were both of the one mind. An odd time it just doesn't work out

patsy_mccabe

I'll cull the cow.

massey148

Got a cow threatening to calf out now in storm Eleanor!no shed the joys of out wintering in donegal

RedPeppers

Mf310 wrote: »

What would ye recommend giving to dairy heifers a month before calving atm they are on just silage and a shake of dry cow minerals but im hearing of some alds feeding oats aswell they say the calf slips out easier and others are using hay

Feeding ours 68 dmd silage and 2kg easy calver nut from arrabawn it’s oats based used it last year too found it good

RedPeppers

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

But vet was 90% sure it was dead at the time. That was 6 weeks ago.

Surely cow would throw calf if it was dead? If it were me I’d be thinking vet was wrong