Calving 2018 - Advise and Help thread

Angus2018

I know there was another thread and I'm sure some of you dairy guys are near finished calving but I figured I would start a 2018 thread with the intention of helping out anyone who has a problem or question, or to simply let everyone know how you are getting on. I was looking through old threads and saw someone had a breach but didn't know how to identify it and ended up losing the calf so a thread like this will be great for helping out.

We dived into calving here last week and as luck would have it we had three breaches in 12 hours. Two calves fully backwards with legs tucked in so the vet had to come out twice in one night, they are happy running around in a paddock now. Its an easy fix for a vet but I'm not confident enough to do it myself when a lot can go wrong!

The other was backwards but the legs were out so no problems pulling him out with a jack. He's a little wonky on his front legs, no knuckling but bending in the knees. Suckling and trying to jump around the pen so will just keep an eye on him.

Hard Knocks

Angus2018 wrote: »

I know there was another thread and I'm sure some of you dairy guys are near finished calving but I figured I would start a 2018 thread with the intention of helping out anyone who has a problem or question, or to simply let everyone know how you are getting on. I was looking through old threads and saw someone had a breach but didn't know how to identify it and ended up losing the calf so a thread like this will be great for helping out.

We dived into calving here last week and as luck would have it we had three breaches in 12 hours. Two calves fully backwards with legs tucked in so the vet had to come out twice in one night, they are happy running around in a paddock now. Its an easy fix for a vet but I'm not confident enough to do it myself when a lot can go wrong!

The other was backwards but the legs were out so no problems pulling him out with a jack. He's a little wonky on his front legs, no knuckling but bending in the knees. Suckling and trying to jump around the pen so will just keep an eye on him.

If he’s heavy he’ll do that for a short while
How is he on the back legs? Sometimes they can be tender on the back from the jack

Sugarbowl

I have a heifer who won't take to her calf for about a week now. Only way to get her to suck is put her into the calving gate with ratio and this stops the kicking a small bit until the ration is gone. Anyone know how to get past this stage? She has milk only to let the calf get to it. No mastitis or anything like that.

patsy_mccabe

Sugarbowl wrote: »

I have a heifer who won't take to her calf for about a week now. Only way to get her to suck is put her into the calving gate with ratio and this stops the kicking a small bit until the ration is gone. Anyone know how to get past this stage? She has milk only to let the calf get to it. No mastitis or anything like that.

Patience. Just keep at it. Try bringing a dog into the shed. They seem to get protective of the calf then.

TITANIUM.

Sugarbowl wrote: »

I have a heifer who won't take to her calf for about a week now. Only way to get her to suck is put her into the calving gate with ratio and this stops the kicking a small bit until the ration is gone. Anyone know how to get past this stage? She has milk only to let the calf get to it. No mastitis or anything like that.

If you can let the calf in the same pen as the heifer for a while so long as she wont kick the sh1t outta him. Then take the calf away from her, preferably to some pen where she can still hear him. Leave um apart as long as you can untill you need to feed the calf again and then reintroduce the calf. This works for me, although sometimes I have to vary the approach slightly depending on how the cow reacts. Putting the calf in with another quite cow sometimes works as Well, essentially you want the the cow to think your taking the calf away from her so her mothering instinct kicks in and she's delighted to get the calf back and will let him suck.

anthony500_1

Sugarbowl wrote:

I have a heifer who won't take to her calf for about a week now. Only way to get her to suck is put her into the calving gate with ratio and this stops the kicking a small bit until the ration is gone. Anyone know how to get past this stage? She has milk only to let the calf get to it. No mastitis or anything like that.

Had one the exact same here only 10 days ago, my lady would burry the calf into the ground the min the calf went to stand would not let him suck etc, so I had to separate them put gate across the corner of the pen and she could see him stand but not butt him, on Facebook some one mentioned honey and salt to promote the cow licking the calf so I did that every day when I had her in the head gate, put the honey n salt on his head and neck and hold him in front of her, she would spend 20 min licking him, eventually she took to him but it took a lot of time and patience the guts of a week 3 times a day but it was worth it as they are out in a paddock now and they are flying it. One thing I'll say is your not alone, so keep at her and you should break her down to letting the calf suck

Mooooo

We'd put a shake of minerals or coarse ration in the calf if the cow wouldn't lick

Angus2018

2 more here, both early but coming the right way. Not looking forward to this cold spell coming. I may have to bring the animals back inside for a few days if its to hard on the calves.

Hard Knocks wrote: »

If he’s heavy he’ll do that for a short while
How is he on the back legs? Sometimes they can be tender on the back from the jack

Back legs are perfect. I throw him out to the field anyway and he looked much better today. Should be fine in a few more days. I did have one years ago born backwards that never fully recovered.

john mayo 10

How do ye manage if you have to pull a drop of milk off a cow thats after calving and shes kicking the ****e outta ya. Lucky here as the old fellas here to help.

patsy_mccabe

john mayo 10 wrote: »

How do ye manage if you have to pull a drop of milk off a cow thats after calving and shes kicking the ****e outta ya. Lucky here as the old fellas here to help.

Put her in crush and Jack up leg with leg hoist. She'll be some cow if she can kick you with the far off leg.

Who2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Put her in crush and Jack up leg with leg hoist. She'll be some cow if she can kick you with the far off leg.

Sen a plate set on a pivot that would be put in a crush. A pin is releases when the cow is standing on it and if she goes to kick she starts to loose balance so drops her leg fast. I couldn’t believe it worked but it did.

anthony500_1

My second heifer calved this evening, nice tidy bull calf off a heifer, calved unassisted in the space of an hour, then the lazy calf decide not to get up, 2 hours later he was still in the same spot, put her in and put him in to suck. He had no interest in sucking, milked a drop off her and bottle feed him, and after about a ltr he took off, put him standing and he sucked her to beat the band,

This is 2 from 2 that have been lazy so my question is,

Lmx heifer to Sim bull, is it the Sim that's making them lazy like the ch breed or are the cows lacking something??? They were on pre Calver lick, and 4 way copper lick for the last 4 months at a guess. Am I missing something or just going through a lazy spell???

charolais0153

anthony500_1 wrote: »

My second heifer calved this evening, nice tidy bull calf off a heifer, calved unassisted in the space of an hour, then the lazy calf decide not to get up, 2 hours later he was still in the same spot, put her in and put him in to suck. He had no interest in sucking, milked a drop off her and bottle feed him, and after about a ltr he took off, put him standing and he sucked her to beat the band,

This is 2 from 2 that have been lazy so my question is,

Lmx heifer to Sim bull, is it the Sim that's making them lazy like the ch breed or are the cows lacking something??? They were on pre Calver lick, and 4 way copper lick for the last 4 months at a guess. Am I missing something or just going through a lazy spell???

Some calves do be slightly lazy but what can you do. Bb seems to be the laziest ime but not something id stop using them for
You can never have too much minerals. Very easy drench cows in crush with mineral dose 6 wreks pre calving. Get a cheap gun and get them to put heads up.

squinn2912

Delighted to see this thread. We're 15 calvings in. One calved dead twins 19th Jan. This is one was more developed than the other which had no hair so he must have died a couple of weeks before birth. I came home to the second calf coming but alas already dead.
On Saturday I had a similar situation but got the live calf out ok. I've never known this to happen here before and had thought at first that another cow threw her calf (until I saw it again). Anyone know causes? Vet didn't think there was a problem. Renewed hatred of having twins

whelan2

Iodine in the water. 1cc per cow per day. Lugols iodine

squinn2912

You reckon that's what caused one twin in each case to die? Cows are getting minerals I must read the ingredients I haven't do so as they've always worked out great before now. Thanks

tellmeabit

I have a 1st calver and she is passing a nice drop of bloody slime a week after calving and clearing. Should I be looking to get something for her

whelan2

squinn2912 wrote: »

You reckon that's what caused one twin in each case to die? Cows are getting minerals I must read the ingredients I haven't do so as they've always worked out great before now. Thanks

I dont know but the iodine is a great help in having good healthy calf

anthony500_1

whelan2 wrote:

I dont know but the iodine is a great help in having good healthy calf

What does the iodine do??? How long before calving would you want to be giving it to them, someone else posted elsewhere put it down along the back of the cow. Is it just another mineral of sorts ???

whelan2

anthony500_1 wrote: »

What does the iodine do??? How long before calving would you want to be giving it to them, someone else posted elsewhere put it down along the back of the cow. Is it just another mineral of sorts ???

I put 1cc per cow per day of the lugols iodine in their drinker. Start about 3 weeks before calving. Calves have much better get up and go. Yes you can spray it on the cows either. I have the iodine container and a syringe beside the drinker.

squinn2912

Thank so whealan. Saw a few contributions in here about iodine I think from yourself. Calves obviously get a spray but that's it. I thought minerals were doing enough so will need to look into it more

whelan2

squinn2912 wrote: »

Thank so whealan. Saw a few contributions in here about iodine I think from yourself. Calves obviously get a spray but that's it. I thought minerals were doing enough so will need to look into it more

Its a different type of iodine you put in the water to what you put on their navel, vet or farm supplies place should have it, lugols iodine.

L1985

Just want to say our last3 cows calved within 12hours of each other-surprisingly accommodating of them and I'm looking forward to a full nights sleep . Great relief to be finished (for2months but anyway...)

squinn2912

L1985 wrote: »

Just want to say our last3 cows calved within 12hours of each other-surprisingly accommodating of them and I'm looking forward to a full nights sleep . Great relief to be finished (for2months but anyway...)

You're very lucky there! Nice when they do it civil

Keepgrowing

2am and you dropped your calf on the slatts. I may go down to you, ha eejit. Have to tube calf anyway I suppose

greysides

Just back from an unusual one. Calf lodged in one barrel of the uterus with the head peeping out and a ring of uterus like the cervix that wouldn't relax to let the head out any further into the common body. Pulling, calcium and swearing didn't help. If you hadn't put your hand in to check and just pulled the legs you'd never have known that there was actually two impediments, the cervix and the end of the uterine horn. Checking under traction with both bands pulled together it would have felt just like a thick cervix that would open. I imagine excessive traction would have caused a rip. Anyhow, a calf dead several hours, was delivered by caesarian.

Keepgrowing

greysides wrote: »

Just back from an unusual one. Calf lodged in one barrel of the uterus with the head peeping out and a ring of uterus like the cervix that wouldn't relax to let the head out any further into the common body. Pulling, calcium and swearing didn't help. If you hadn't put your hand in to check and just pulled the legs you'd never have known that there was actually two impediments, the cervix and the end of the uterine horn. Checking under traction with both bands pulled together it would have felt just like a thick cervix that would open. I imagine excessive traction would have caused a rip. Anyhow, a calf dead several hours, was delivered by caesarian.

Sitting sipping coffee awaiting the vet to correct a prolapse. Hate calling them at this time but the sooner in the better. I offered to administer Calcium while waiting, he requested I wait

greysides

Best of luck with it. Rather him/her than me. I've seen enough of today so I'm off to bed. Good night.

Angus2018

Finished the first batch of cows calving before the snow here. Had another set of twins, easy calving and up suckling, was delighted until I saw her rejecting one. It wasn't one in particular and more the idea that she had two. Separated for 8 hours and then put back under her with a bucket of meal as a distraction. Took her a few days of small outbursts but she's fine now. Must be something they do in the wild to ensure one twin survives.

Had another cow have a calf that doesn't suckle, every time for the past 5 years her calves just can't do it. Easy calving and up on its feet quick. This one even got the teet in its mouth but just expected milk to pour out, It would be fine except she's a very cranky cow, she even attacked the other cows in her pen the night before and doesn't let me near the pen. Managed to get her head trapped and the calf underneath to suckle. Usually a bottle of milk replacer does the job and they get the idea but this lad was having none of it. I'll be culling this cow for my own safety. Shame since she has great bull calves and her heifers are 5 star replacements.

anthony500_1

3rd calf on the ground today at lunch time. Small pull with just the ropes and a bit of help from herself, up in about an hour and mad to suck, still working on one 4 days old, has very poor suck and only gets up when you go in and put him up, have to work his mouth to get him going and eventually he might suck, had to tube him twice where he just would not suck. And he is empty, as only sucks for 5 min before he walks away from her, Is there anything that can be done, or given to him to increase his suck. He is slowly getting worse and I'm afraid his time is limited. Not for the lack of minding, jacket on, cow put in 3 times a day and him brought to the cow. I don't know what else to do

greysides

Anto. Long shot. Try dosing some bread soda into him. Maybe half ounce at a time. Working on theory he got a bit acidotic during the calving.