Calving A Cow - The gentle way

onyerbikepat

Watched this last night. Seen so many guys, myself included, rough handle a cow over the years. Straight in and pull like mad.:mad:
This guys shows how to even stimulate contractions.

dohc turbo2

Good clip , seen it before , have my own heifers starting calving shortly , been years since I seen a cow calve , took over uncles farm I'll be happy when I've this lot of calving under the belt

Count Mondego

Great video, thanks Pat.

Would the chains not be a bit rough on them for the pull? I've only ever seen and used ropes here. Not too many Irish auld lads would be that clam and relaxed calving a cow, nothing but panic and roarin'.

Kovu

Good video! Jaysus there's nothing worse than a lad 'helping' at a calving who's panicking and roaring and running about. Cow gets nervous, tightens up and won't settle and everyone there wants to throttle aforementioned person....
A good person helping you at a calving is worth their weight in gold.

That'd be similar to how I'd calve cows, pull and wait, pull and wait, pull and wait, keep the strain on and exert further pressure when she pushes. No point ignoring the strongest muscles in the shed or getting excited while you're at it! Not a fan of those chains though but that hook like a coathanger looks fierce handy to pull on.

onyerbikepat

I'd prefer the ropes myself over the chains. They seem to use the chains in all the US videos I've seen. Those handles would be great with the ropes though.
I like the way he doubles up the chains on the legs and always keeps the last loop on the underside so he's always pulling down more than up.

greysides

Chains are easier to keep clean and spread the pressure better but they're a PITA to use.

tanko

I learnt a good tip lately from a neighbour helping him calve a heifer. He was using a jack and would put on a bit of pressure with the jack and then relax it letting the calf back into the heifer a bit, and kept repeating this slowly.
By letting the calf in and out he was giving the heifer a chance to open up gradually and not putting a constant pull on the calf.
Plenty of lubrication and paitence goes a long way when calving heifers and cows.
I see he's not a fan of hanging calves across gates either.

Willfarman

A lot of handling and waffling about a animal that more likely than not Would calve on her own?

onyerbikepat

Willfarman wrote: »

A lot of handling and waffling about a animal that more likely than not Would calve on her own?

Jeez, it was an educational video.

Kovu

Willfarman wrote: »

A lot of handling and waffling about a animal that more likely than not Would calve on her own?

While it may be very simple to us, there's a lot of people out there who don't have a clue and it would be very instructive for them. Looking at American/Canadian forums before, many of the posters have one/two cows for the house and moved from elsewhere for a simple farming life. A video like that could be the only way they would know what's normal or not if they have a cow calving for the first time.

I'd also say he chose a cow that would calve normally, don't think the video would work too well if the calf got stuck halfway

Count Mondego

greysides wrote: »

Chains are easier to keep clean and spread the pressure better but they're a PITA to use.

Greysides, can you expand on that? In what way are they more difficult that ropes?

greysides

Count Mondego wrote: »

Greysides, can you expand on that? In what way are they more difficult that ropes?

They loosen and fall off, need a hook (sore on the fingers) to pull them with which falls off if you let it down (to pull one leg at a time) and need changing for ropes when you go to use the jack. Expensive to replace when lost in straw.

Willfarman

When I had cows the mantra was only interfere if need be and if need be the "gentle" approach wouldn't have cut the mustard in my experience!

Sam Kade

I know a man that the minute he'd see a cow sick to calve no legs visible it was the Jack straight away and horse the calf out. The cow wouldn't even be properly dilated ffs.

greysides

There's a time to hurry and a time to go slow. Going slow is the more usual. Horsing calves out of cows not open IS going to damage the cow, possibly to the point of not going back in-calf, and pressurises the calf as he's put under more resistance than he need be. I take the approach that what's good for the cow is good for the calf. Cow is worth more than calf.

Base price

Every cow/heifer calving and her particular circumstances has to be taken into account. As long as presentation is normal then I have always used the principle of working with the cows contractions and not yanking the calf out just because a jack has the power to do so.

The man in red and black

greysides wrote: »

They loosen and fall off, need a hook (sore on the fingers) to pull them with which falls off if you let it down (to pull one leg at a time) and need changing for ropes when you go to use the jack. Expensive to replace when lost in straw.

It's all chains out here on Ontario. Why would you switch to ropes for jacking? Everyone out here just hooks chains onto the jack and go on ahead gently, has never been an issue touch wood. I just use one chain and put one end on each leg, sometimes doubled. I find it keeps the chain short and so if you have a long calf you are not running out of jack at the hips. This is the type of jack we all use in our practice:

http://www.neogen.com/AnimalSafety/images/product/CP_DrFranks_lg.jpg

djmc

The man in red and black wrote: »

It's all chains out here on Ontario. Why would you switch to ropes for jacking? Everyone out here just hooks chains onto the jack and go on ahead gently, has never been an issue touch wood. I just use one chain and put one end on each leg, sometimes doubled. I find it keeps the chain short and so if you have a long calf you are not running out of jack at the hips. This is the type of jack we all use in our practice:

http://www.neogen.com/AnimalSafety/images/product/CP_DrFranks_lg.jpg

Always use ropes here they are softer than nylon ropes and have knot's and loop when you buy them so they are ready to go and easy to adjust length.
I have never seen a chain before today but never had a rope break in over 20 years.
The jacks here have a square aluminium shaft and steel head similar to the one in picture but perhaps a bit lighter.
Calving depends on the situation if calf is coming backwards cow is well opened I would work faster
If cow is not dilated she needs time
The easiest way to calve a cow is to feed her properly ie. 2 kg of ration a day for a month before calving and they will usually calve themselves.

grassroot1

The first step in calving a cow is making sure she is incalf to an easy calving sire. A small live calf is better than a big dead one.

Limestone Cowboy

Sam Kade wrote: »

I know a man that the minute he'd see a cow sick to calve no legs visible it was the Jack straight away and horse the calf out. The cow wouldn't even be properly dilated ffs.

I know a man like that too, funny he's actually a very good operator but just panicks when he sees a cow sick to calf, as soon as he sees the blister he will burst it and go jacking. Try to let nature take its course here and intervene only when there is no progress being made. Have often handled a cow to make sure everything is coming right and let her out to calf herself.

cpg093

Willfarman wrote: »

A lot of handling and waffling about a animal that more likely than not Would calve on her own?

I agree with you there. I would like to see him deliver a large Charolais bull calf!

Miname

A lad to hold the tail is all I like calving. There's nothing worse than a slap of a cleaning covered overly excitable limos tail straight in the mouth. Practice is the main thing I've found useful and also helping other lads that have different methods. I had to leave a shed one night when two lads start fighting over whether to jack or not and then whether to sit the calf upright or not. Sometimes it's better on your own.

tanko

Miname wrote: »

A lad to hold the tail is all I like calving. There's nothing worse than a slap of a cleaning covered overly excitable limos tail straight in the mouth. Practice is the main thing I've found useful and also helping other lads that have different methods. I had to leave a shed one night when two lads start fighting over whether to jack or not and then whether to sit the calf upright or not. Sometimes it's better on your own.

Jaysus, that must have been great crack, who won the fight?

Base price

Miname wrote: »

A lad to hold the tail is all I like calving. There's nothing worse than a slap of a cleaning covered overly excitable limos tail straight in the mouth. Practice is the main thing I've found useful and also helping other lads that have different methods. I had to leave a shed one night when two lads start fighting over whether to jack or not and then whether to sit the calf upright or not. Sometimes it's better on your own.

I used to keep sucklers including PBR Blondes. When it came to intervening when one was calving I had a box of kit which included a long length of baler twine to loop around the tail and either tether it to a foreleg or if it was a show animal and used to a halter (tied up for calving) then tether it to the halter - always used a slip knot so that it could be released immediately.

milkprofit

tanko wrote: »

I learnt a good tip lately from a neighbour helping him calve a heifer. He was using a jack and would put on a bit of pressure with the jack and then relax it letting the calf back into the heifer a bit, and kept repeating this slowly.
By letting the calf in and out he was giving the heifer a chance to open up gradually and not putting a constant pull on the calf.
Plenty of lubrication and paitence goes a long way when calving heifers and cows.
I see he's not a fan of hanging calves across gates either.

Correct
Should not r use continuous pressure should only pull when cow
pushes Which let's contluous pressure off nerves to avoid damage
Took calf too quick should have let calf get fluids up when head and shoulders out
Calving a cow should mirror a normal calving

dohc turbo2

Calved my first heifer down last night , I wasn't as nervous as I taught , happy out found that clip very helpful , hopefully the rest will go the same way

onyerbikepat

Had a right rough calving today.:rolleyes: Monster of an LGL Charolais heifer. I had 4 LGL calves this year and I had to pull 3 of them. I could not lift her off the ground and I walked across the field with another heifer early in the week so it's not that I'm that weak. Just managed to get her out too as she got caught at the hips and was starting to bawl.

Another thing too that is a constant problem here and that is calves doing the splits trying to stand on concrete with straw. I know if I let the straw build up it will help but I end up here taking the calf out into the field where it stands no problem. Would a rubber mat underneath do the trick..

tanko

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Had a right rough calving today.:rolleyes: Monster of an LGL Charolais heifer. I had 4 LGL calves this year and I had to pull 3 of them. I could not lift her off the ground and I walked across the field with another heifer early in the week so it's not that I'm that weak. Just managed to get her out too as she got caught at the hips and was starting to bawl.

Another thing too that is a constant problem here and that is calves doing the splits trying to stand on concrete with straw. I know if I let the straw build up it will help but I end up here taking the calf out into the field where it stands no problem. Would a rubber mat underneath do the trick..

Would you not be better off using Bulls like FSZ or LZF rather than LGL, easier calved and good calves too from what I've heard. A neighbour of mine uses LGL and he reckons he an inconsistent bull that breeds some super calves as well as some plain ones.
Are the floors in your calving pens too smooth meaning there's no grip. Haven't seen that problem here.

greysides

tanko wrote: »

Are the floors in your calving pens too smooth meaning there's no grip. Haven't seen that problem here.

Me neither. Rubber could be slippy when wet I would have thought.

Bullocks

greysides wrote: »

Me neither. Rubber could be slippy when wet I would have thought.

Rubber is no better than concrete for slipping maybe even a little more slippy when wet .

onyerbikepat

Concrete is too smooth I suppose. I was thinking of something like the ribbed effect on a car mat.

Miname

Let the straw build up a bit. Problem solved.

Base price

Miname wrote: »

Let the straw build up a bit. Problem solved.

That is the way we used to do it. After every calving scatter a layer of lime on the bedding and add a new layer of straw on top ready for the next calving.
Also get iodine on the naval asap.