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Calving 2018 - Advise and Help thread

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    #32
    grassroot1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭grassroot1


    Have a few calves with bent back legs and Sunday we have had what looks like a dwarf calf any idea why this is happening?:confused:


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    #33
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Can't really help you with that I'd expect the front more. I'd say they'll straighten out within a week or two if they're healthy and feeding you're right.
    No 16 and 17 here wed and today one brave pull with the jack the other jack job but handy two lovely red bulls.


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    #34
    anthony500_1
    Registered Users Posts: 478 ✭✭anthony500_1


    After a long week, the bull calf that wouldn't suck has finally decided he want to live, sucking away himself now, still looking very thin but at least he is getting up and sucking.

    Also was only giving the cows a small amount of silage in the morning, and a good feed in the evening, first 3 calved during the day, so fingers crossed the other 5 will do the same


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    #35
    Dunedin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,253 ✭✭✭Dunedin


    Lost a good bull calf this morning. Calved yesterday evening, fed him and all was well. Went out just after 7 this morning and he had bled from the navel. He was very shook. Got vet and he gave him a pint of blood but he died while the vet was still here.


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    #36
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    Had one last night..bbx cow carrying a blonde calf, she started getting sick about 6pm so I kept an eye on her.she normally calves herself without any difficulties,but for some reason she wasn't making progress.feet were out but that was it..i put my hand in to see what we were dealing with.couldnt get my hand over the top of his head...monster bull calf delivered by section shortly after 8..hes a bit slow to stand..but he has sucked a few times today...prob just lazy..all well thank got...except me a bit lighter in the pocket..


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    #37
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    blonde10 wrote: »
    except me a bit lighter in the pocket..

    Live cow and bull calf....isnt too much wrong with that


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    #38
    Who2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭Who2


    blonde10 wrote: »
    Had one last night..bbx cow carrying a blonde calf, she started getting sick about 6pm so I kept an eye on her.she normally calves herself without any difficulties,but for some reason she wasn't making progress.feet were out but that was it..i put my hand in to see what we were dealing with.couldnt get my hand over the top of his head...monster bull calf delivered by section shortly after 8..hes a bit slow to stand..but he has sucked a few times today...prob just lazy..all well thank got...except me a bit lighter in the pocket..

    It could have very easily went wrong be grateful for what you got. Super cross the blonde on blue cows but with the blonde if you get them gone over due date then you end up in hassle.


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    #39
    The man in red and black
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭The man in red and black


    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.

    That's bizarre. Must have some weird deformity of that horn? Wasn't a jersey by any chance? They can get that hereditary vaginal stenosis, wonder if this is something else like that in a different spot.


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    #40
    greysides
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,981 Mod ✭✭✭✭greysides


    The man in red and black wrote: »
    That's bizarre. Must have some weird deformity of that horn? Wasn't a jersey by any chance? They can get that hereditary vaginal stenosis, wonder if this is something else like that in a different spot.

    BB calf and Fr cow. I''ve come across a calf residing purely in one horn at least once before. That time it was a head back and too tight to straighten up.

    The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert

    The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It's to promote critical thinking.

    Adam Grant



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    #41
    anthony500_1
    Registered Users Posts: 478 ✭✭anthony500_1


    4th calf this evening from another heifer, another bull, only one leg coming so had to step in, second crub just turned down enough not to come out, gave her plenty of time with the two crubs out but she was very tight, plenty of gel,and worked the Jack nice and steady and with a bit of time and help from the cow , a fine calf, up sucking in an hour on his own which is a huge relief after the first 3.


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    #42
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    Tis the one bit that annoys me about suckling...you make sure your cows are in perfect condition going in calf,You select the best suited bull you can...you deliver the calf however you can...section or natural...then your left with a calf that you intended producing..and he or she won't suck or won't get up.....its very frustrating to get to this stage and then it's up to the farmer to keep them alive......


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    #43
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    blonde10 wrote: »
    Tis the one bit that annoys me about suckling...you make sure your cows are in perfect condition going in calf,You select the best suited bull you can...you deliver the calf however you can...section or natural...then your left with a calf that you intended producing..and he or she won't suck or won't get up.....its very frustrating to get to this stage and then it's up to the farmer to keep them alive......
    blonde10 wrote: »
    Tis the one bit that annoys me about suckling...you make sure your cows are in perfect condition going in calf,You select the best suited bull you can...you deliver the calf however you can...section or natural...then your left with a calf that you intended producing..and he or she won't suck or won't get up.....its very frustrating to get to this stage and then it's up to the farmer to keep them alive......

    Totally agree with this. Sometimes they seem to want to work against you. You can do things to limit the impact. We only had 2/17 lads that took a while to get going. One I believe came early and she calved among the cows and on slats. I was lucky I went down early that morning and got powders into him. He was going on the 3rd day. Other lad was a twin and he also sucked 3rd day.
    At the time you be going insane but after a few days when they're going themselves it's not so bad. Helps to know everyone has his/her share of that messing


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    #44
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    Like I know I'm ranting a bit....but had a lovely roan heifer calf from a box cow adx bull...and if the cow didn't stand on her and put her hip out of place....like what do ya have to do..😡😡


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    #45
    Who2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭Who2


    blonde10 wrote: »
    Like I know I'm ranting a bit....but had a lovely roan heifer calf from a box cow adx bull...and if the cow didn't stand on her and put her hip out of place....like what do ya have to do..����

    id an sfl heifer fall down onto her own lm calf and kill it last week. but for all the hard ones theres a great kick when they go right.


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    #46
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    In fairness your right...its not all doom and gloom...its very satisfying when it click..ðŸ‘


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    #47
    The man in red and black
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭The man in red and black


    greysides wrote: »
    BB calf and Fr cow. I''ve come across a calf residing purely in one horn at least once before. That time it was a head back and too tight to straighten up.

    Luckily not too many of those odd ones. Yesterday our clients had two of the biggest calves we have ever seen. Boss(working 35 years) reckons the one he sectioned yesterday was the biggest he has ever seen. I saw a cow today after a hard calving yesterday. Calf is a monster. Died at 12hours old but I honestly would have to say he is very close to 100kg. I couldn't believe the size of him.

    Think we could be in for alot of this the next few weeks. Around the south east anyway cows are in alot longer than usual and sucklers especially are getting fat. (Seems strange with a feed shortage but what silage was made seems to have been high quality).


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    #48
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    I agree...for some reason I find cows are putting on condition and calves are an awful lot bigger when born...like above the silage quality must be better somewhat...


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    #49
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Really?! Was a lot of siliage not made in wetting weather? We're slightly Down in quality this year but less waste strangely. Most cows in good calving condition


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    #50
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,764 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    greysides wrote: »
    BB calf and Fr cow. I''ve come across a calf residing purely in one horn at least once before. That time it was a head back and too tight to straighten up.
    I had one of them a couple of weeks back, the cow tore her womb and had to be put down, vet shot her but made a mess of it and cow still alive after vet left :mad: I only put a few big cows incalf to BB but I remember back in the late 90's I put every cow incalf to easy calving BB and they were British Friesian and not a bother calving, the BB nowadays must be bigger, thank fcuk i didn't put every cow incalf to BB.


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    #51
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Well turned off the bb here as well. Lovely cattle but so much can go wrong and any about this place were noisy brats


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    #52
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,764 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Well turned off the bb here as well. Lovely cattle but so much can go wrong and any about this place were noisy brats
    My downfall was my ai man telling me last year that a man sold a bb bull 10 weeks for €600, so i chanced a few, not much good when you lose a cow though :(


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    #53
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    I find them fine, touch wood, use DBZ i think he is consistent enough. Out of a dairy cow once they don't go over time they seem fine, suckler different story as the muscle would be on before they calve


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    #54
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Sometimes I get the feeling the Ai men look after number one first. Always mad for lims knowing we have 2 lim sweeper/stock bulls. Or else pushing what's in the flask... too much calving lately maybe I have paranoia!
    That could happen you with any breed but bb make it more likely


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    #55
    Who2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭Who2


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Sometimes I get the feeling the Ai men look after number one first. Always mad for lims knowing we have 2 lim sweeper/stock bulls. Or else pushing what's in the flask... too much calving lately maybe I have paranoia!
    That could happen you with any breed but bb make it more likely

    a good ai man will match a cow to a bull and know what way it will go.


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    #56
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Who2 wrote: »
    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Sometimes I get the feeling the Ai men look after number one first. Always mad for lims knowing we have 2 lim sweeper/stock bulls. Or else pushing what's in the flask... too much calving lately maybe I have paranoia!
    That could happen you with any breed but bb make it more likely

    a good ai man will match a cow to a bull and know what way it will go.

    True of course and to be fair we have good men locally. Like anyone providing a service I don't like letting them feel to comfortable


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    #57
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,233 ✭✭✭tanko


    Mooooo wrote: »
    I find them fine, touch wood, use DBZ i think he is consistent enough. Out of a dairy cow once they don't go over time they seem fine, suckler different story as the muscle would be on before they calve

    When you say consistent, do you mean consistently easy enough calved?


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    #58
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    tanko wrote: »
    When you say consistent, do you mean consistently easy enough calved?

    Yeah, doesn't go over time and have all calved themselves or with a small pull with the hand if I think they were a bit slow. I find he throws calves with small heads which I think helps ease into the calving. Now I only may have 5 or 6 a year and I don't be putting him in small cows either but have had no trouble with him yet anyway. Have had more issues with Hereford tbh. Of course the way fr breeding is going at the minute gestation lengths are shorter so that prob helps in the calves not going over time. Gestation length has a big influence in calving I think the biggest calves all tend to go the longest imo anyway, of course having the small calf and big growth after that isn't the easiest to achieve


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    #59
    blonde10
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭blonde10


    From my own experience with AI you don't always get what you think you do..or if so the figures are not very true when compared with what was in the catalogue...


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    #60
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,723 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Half starved the cows this year pre calving as silage very scarce. Quality of silage was very good so that helped too I guess. Anyway, not a bother with calving and calves up straight away and sucking. Last calf here was sucking so bad I thought she'd break by fingers. Calves are big enough too as my bull is by ardlea Dan so not exactly easy calving.

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #61
    Angus2018
    Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭Angus2018


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Well turned off the bb here as well. Lovely cattle but so much can go wrong and any about this place were noisy brats

    Have one AI BB bullock, lad is cracked! Even as a calf he'd take off to the other end of the field when moving them and made a mess of housing the bullocks before winter. Great condition though, would love 10 more of him.


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