Cow on the edge of calving for ages .

The part time boy

I have a cow starting to calf early this morning. Slighty restless and tail up.

She not really forecing. No blister or anything out yet.

I handled her and she still tight the calf not moved up yet and is still in the bag.

She doing a small bit of forseing in the last 3 hours but very little really

Do I give her more time . If you asked me is she calving I would say no . She on the point of it ..but I never seen a cow on the point of it this long before

Mooooo

The part time boy wrote: »

I have a cow starting to calf early this morning. Slighty restless and tail up.

She not really forecing. No blister or anything out yet.

I handled her and she still tight the calf not moved up yet and is still in the bag.

She doing a small bit of forseing in the last 3 hours but very little really

Do I give her more time . If you asked me is she calving I would say no . She on the point of it ..but I never seen a cow on the point of it this long before

Are the pins down? Is it dairy? Possible subclinical milk fever maybe?

The part time boy

Mooooo wrote: »

The part time boy wrote: »

I have a cow starting to calf early this morning. Slighty restless and tail up.

She not really forecing. No blister or anything out yet.

I handled her and she still tight the calf not moved up yet and is still in the bag.

She doing a small bit of forseing in the last 3 hours but very little really

Do I give her more time . If you asked me is she calving I would say no . She on the point of it ..but I never seen a cow on the point of it this long before

Are the pins down? Is it dairy? Possible subclinical milk fever maybe?

Pins down yes . Is Polly suckler. She actually looks in good form for a cow about to calf . She happy enough in her self

Lady Haywire

We had a cow do the same last year, was same as yours, acting like a normal cow about to calve but not progressing. Now I know the cow and she normally gets on with it so we got the vet who basically told us we were eejits and she'd do it in her own time. Convinced him to take the calf regardless and he got a fair land when a giant bull landed, almost dead. Calf was just too big for her to get up to calve him.

Has yours done anything more?

RD10

had a suckler do that the first 3 years she calved. said this year was definately her last.
she'd be all night long racing up and down the pen not progressing. when she'd be checked every few hours she wouldnt be open enough, yet she'd be going daft circling the pen.
would end up trying to pull calf up further or get the vet.
as i said this year was her last chance. noticed her getting restless at 12pm, checked her again at 4am, looked as if she hadnt a notion of doing anything any time soon so left her and by 6.30am she calved a nice sim heifer calf on her own. was completely suprised. she must have known it was either do or die!
Had one before that the same. her calves always seemed to be lying very low down in the uterus and she was never able calf herself. she ended up going to the factory.

TITANIUM.

I'm convinced that some cows know if a calf is just to big and are slow to start calving.
Or she might just be a lazy calver.

patsy_mccabe

Patience and more patience. I think time seems to slow down when you have a cow calving.
That's why I like to keep a note of the time. 2 hours for a cow and 3 hours for a heifer from the bursting of the bag.

The part time boy

Still no progress so I called a vet !

Bullocks

The part time boy wrote: »

Still no progress so I called a vet !

As well off even if it's just for peace of mind . Let us know how you get on .
I've never been sorry for calling out the vet if in doubt but you would be sorry if things didn't go well and hadn't called out someone

whelan2

The part time boy wrote: »

Still no progress so I called a vet !

Would the legs be bent back? Best of luck

The part time boy

Beech birth . Backwards and legs back .

I am gutted as I should have coped it when i handled her . Looking back I can remember feeling something like a tail and no legs . I just taught it was normal position with the calf down a good bit .

Kicking my self as I should have a coped it and b called vet sooner for

I calved had over 1000 cows calf over the year I can't reminder backwards legs down before. I guess I been lucky all these years

whelan2

The part time boy wrote: »

Beech birth . Backwards and legs back .

I am gutted as I should have coped it when i handled her . Looking back I can remember feeling something like a tail and no legs . I just taught it was normal position with the calf down a good bit .

Kicking my self as I should have a coped it and b called vet sooner for

I calved had over 1000 cows calf over the year I can't reminder backwards legs down before. I guess I been lucky all these years

Was it dead?

stretch film

whelan2 wrote: »

Was it dead?

Racheting up the tension ptb.

The part time boy

Sorry ya . Should have said that . Ya came out dead

The part time boy

What threw me was that she never really got going pushing. Vet was saying because he was so badly stuck she could not push as there was no where to go

Willfarman

Ah the devil wouldn't save them when they come backwards like that. A few hours would mak f all differ as its in the calving you lose em. Hard luck but remember tis grand when trouble stays out the back door.

rangler1

The part time boy wrote: »

What threw me was that she never really got going pushing. Vet was saying because he was so badly stuck she could not push as there was no where to go

Yea, nature protects them sometimes in that they don't progress when there's no where to go.....had a hard calving charolais bull here that caused some cows to not push.
Also see it here in the ewes too especially like yours with breech presentation

patsy_mccabe

I think when the feet come through the cervix that stimulates the contractions. I notice that when you rub lubricant around the cervix, the cow will start pushing straight away.

charolais0153

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I think when the feet come through the cervix that stimulates the contractions. I notice that when you rub lubricant around the cervix, the cow will start pushing straight away.

Or if you put your hand on the roof of it

Dozer1

Had a big black LM heifer calved yesterday, only sick since about 5pm legs appeared at 7:30pm went out at 8:30 and she calved herself the finest in front of me no bother...only problem it was a big black LM bull that was dead sh*t just happens

patsy_mccabe

Yep happens to everyone. I think it hits the guy with only a few though harder. Less used to it. The large dairy or suckler farmers have it happen regularly because of the large numbers.

Biscuitus

Sorry to hear the calf didn't make it.

I had the same problem a few weeks ago and got annoyed at the cow for not laying down and pushing, I thought she was just agitated being it her second calf. No sign of waterbag after 2-3 hours so I knew something was wrong. Up the crush and felt only a tail so straight away called the vet who was able to get the back feet out to jack it out. Calf survived and lesson learned.

I spent a good hour searching the net for what was wrong and not one forum, site, guide etc pointed towards a breach. There really is a lack of info online for calving.

Lady Haywire

Jesus christ is reading this thread a jinx!!

Same just happened me, watching a cow, normally gets down and does the business, but two hours later, nada. Noticed her having a foot out on the camera after 2.5 hrs but closer inspection showed it was a back foot. So out of pen and into crush and got second foot up and tail right and pulled handy enough. A big blue...something or other, mammy wasn't sociable enough to let us know after we pulled it in front of her.

Dozer1

Picked up a nice red LM bull for the heifer, seemed a shame not to chance her when she has plenty milk. Drank fine last night and this morning hopefully it'll work out.

Biscuitus

Good choice. I did that last year, worked great. 3 millings a day up the crush for 3 days and she took to the calf like her own. I'd say its quicker with heifers?

NC77

Has anybody calves from the limousin bull OEO. I used him on a limousin Heifer by ADX. 295 days and she hasn't calved yet.