When's calving starting 2021

tanko

I think it's caused by a harder than normal calving in a previous year.

squinn2912

tanko wrote: »

I think it's caused by a harder than normal calving in a previous year.

We have one at note now that does that every year I think this is the 4th. I’ve kept suggesting that we let her go because she has a big oul bag of a hangin elder as well. This year she has very sore feet so if we can get her calved and helped that way then I think we’ll let her at it.

patsy_mccabe

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Last cow just calved there. Outside in fine weather. Nothing like it.

This calf never got drinking herself. Had to put cow in crush and latch on calf. Jeez, she drank all 4 quarters dry.

Do ye all watch to make sure they drink? I asked someone about this recently and he said he just leaves them at it. He reckoned if they can't drink on their own, what good are they. I watch them like a hawk for the first few hours.

tellmeabit

Always try ensure that drink asap. If they not trying after 20 mis I'm helping a bit. Once þhsy get 1st sup and are lively I leave them at it then. Bag one if I think they won't drink soon if it's after midnight.
I often wonder similar 're calving, should they be left at it more, cameras are awesome but maybe put me on alert too soon��

SuperTortoise

Would always check calf gets a decent first drop, if no go after 45 mins i would help.
I try to calf all mine inside if possible, partly to ensure they suck.

Sugarbowl

Calve all mine inside and wait with them until they are up and had the first suck. If it’s the middle of the night, I take the calf off the cow into the pin beside the cow. A few think I’m mad doing it but have had cow sit and walk on new calves before and there’s nothing worse after all the effort.

squinn2912

Wee sim heifer out of a first calver. Tight pull but nice lively calf and I’m happy with the markings

charolais0153

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

This calf never got drinking herself. Had to put cow in crush and latch on calf. Jeez, she drank all 4 quarters dry.

Do ye all watch to make sure they drink? I asked someone about this recently and he said he just leaves them at it. He reckoned if they can't drink on their own, what good are they. I watch them like a hawk for the first few hours.

If most lambsand calf couldn't suck themselves , I wouldn't have any . I leave them at it, if hungry,I'll give them a suck two hours later ish

squinn2912

charolais0153 wrote: »

If most lambsand calf couldn't suck themselves , I wouldn't have any . I leave them at it, if hungry,I'll give them a suck two hours later ish

In ways it can depend on time of day. We’d rarely do much with one that calved early. If a cow needs the jack we almost always get whatever she has into hmm a litre or so to get him going. Any calf that looks lively can work away himself usually. I keep an eye on the camera afterwards

SuperTortoise

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Have a calf there Thursday evening, will not suck, absolutely no interest in sucking, torture!

Success! Just caught him having a suck on the camera.

funkey_monkey

squinn2912 wrote: »

Wee sim heifer out of a first calver. Tight pull but nice lively calf and I’m happy with the markings

Whats the H-iron running across the pen at the top of the block work for?

tellmeabit

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Whats the H-iron running across the pen at the top of the block work for?

I wanted to ask that too.
Tempted to cover I bay of shed here.

patsy_mccabe

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Whats the H-iron running across the pen at the top of the block work for?

Dunedin

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Do ye all watch to make sure they drink? I asked someone about this recently and he said he just leaves them at it. He reckoned if they can't drink on their own, what good are they. I watch them like a hawk for the first few hours.

Everything here is calved indoors under camera. Would watch very closely and if they haven’t sucked within 2 hours, then I intervene and by that I mean I first try to get calf sucking direct and won’t persevere too long before tubing. The length of time I spend depends how late it is or if I have to go to work if it’s morning

squinn2912

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Whats the H-iron running across the pen at the top of the block work for?

Haha yous boys miss very little! What do you think of the calf I near broke me back to pull haha
The calving pen was a milking parlour. Lost my grandmother, uncle at 42 and then that Christmas the cows to brucellosis. 01 was a rank year... little did we know in the depths of that that we’d have an orange march the next September in Dublin!

tellmeabit

She's a grand big girl isn't she. Do you track how many days they carry?

squinn2912

tellmeabit wrote: »

She's a grand big girl isn't she. Do you track how many days they carry?

I don’t no. These heifers were running with the wee bull I think he went into them June 2 last year. I thought she should calve that calf a bit easier but it was a hard pull

tellmeabit

Is she a big calf?

squinn2912

tellmeabit wrote: »

Is she a big calf?

A fair size was very long. Heifer was just a bit tight. Ah happy enough at this stage

Mooooo

Another night time calving, 80% of the feckers are nocturnal this year. Anyway 18 left, nearly there....

Grueller

Mooooo wrote: »

Another night time calving, 80% of the feckers are nocturnal this year. Anyway 18 left, nearly there....

Second last one calved here this morning at 1 a.m. Last one is not due now until the May Bank Holiday weekend. Thinking of selling her now and buying an early calved young cow and taking the hit.

dodo mommy

Good result yesterday I only used 1 si straw last year and had twin heifers happy days.

Mooooo

Grueller wrote: »

Second last one calved here this morning at 1 a.m. Last one is not due now until the May Bank Holiday weekend. Thinking of selling her now and buying an early calved young cow and taking the hit.

Right call I say. Late calving cows still making good money and the extra months milk would cover some of the difference

Limestone Cowboy

Pulled a calf with a friend out of a springer last night, tight enough pull and she went down when he came to the hips and was caught for a minute while we were trying to get her over on her side. Calf appeared to be stone dead when we got him out. No breathing, eye sank, no movement. He started giving him mouth to mouth and after a good minute he took a breath, neither of us could believe it. Was still very weak but he's sitting up properly this morning and a lot livelier looking in general. Think we will be calling him lazarus for the year

Lime Tree Farm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Put a jacket over the calf, as it's coat felt cold and it had moved away from the lamp. Not too long after than it perked up, got up and staggered towards where the cow was. Joined them up - still wouldn't drink. Left them together until 7pm, it took two of us the keep the calf in position, but it sucked. I think it has turned a corner, bit stronger this evening and stubborn. Someone should design a contraption that would keep calves pushed up to the udder.

Attachment not found.

Thanks to all of you for the advice

The heifer calf was pumping out streams of black liquid faeces Sunday afternoon. Gave her a synulox tablet, moved her to a different shed with a calf jacket on. Don’t know if it was the medication, the honey (10ml), or quarter syringe of calf aid that caused the dark scour, never seen that colour before with a day old calf, hopefully not something sinister. She continues to drink milk on her own. And is bopping around the shed this morning, with jacket still on.

squinn2912

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Pulled a calf with a friend out of a springer last night, tight enough pull and she went down when he came to the hips and was caught for a minute while we were trying to get her over on her side. Calf appeared to be stone dead when we got him out. No breathing, eye sank, no movement. He started giving him mouth to mouth and after a good minute he took a breath, neither of us could believe it. Was still very weak but he's sitting up properly this morning and a lot livelier looking in general. Think we will be calling him lazarus for the year

That’s some victory!! I’ve never done mouth to mouth before myself nor seen it done apart from on this farming life and I think that was for the cameras

Anto_Meath

squinn2912 wrote: »

That’s some victory!! I’ve never done mouth to mouth before myself nor seen it done apart from on this farming life and I think that was for the cameras

Had a heifer calving just over a week ago, big head and big feet, I thought he was kind of wedged in the heifer. The new lad that is with the vets landed out and we took the calf with the jack, it was a fair pull and got stuck at the hips for a few minutes. He managed to kind of cork screw the calf out, when landed the calf was very lifeless and the vet proceed to give the calf mouth to mouth, first time I ever seen it & fair play it work. He said once you don't hear the death baul then you should always be able to revive them when you get them out. I must admit I was very impressed with this new vet, (we are lucky as there is now 7 vets in the practice and they are all very good). He is the first foreign vet in there, eastern European chap and lovely lad, very good at explaining stuff to you and very level headed.

Sami23

Have a calf here just born on Easter Sunday and today there is presence of blood in her dung. The dung itself is normal enough looking yellow solid type of stuff.
Calf is in great form jumping around the pen.
The cow was vaccinated with Rotavec Corona 5 weeks ago last Saturday.
What would be causing the blood in the dung and what if anything should I do about it ?
Tia

tanko

I wouldn't be worried about it, dont know what causes it but can happen with new calves.

tellmeabit

Mooooo wrote: »

Another night time calving, 80% of the feckers are nocturnal this year. Anyway 18 left, nearly there....

This year, I fed the bunch coming bear calving for 2 weeks prior close to midnight. As much as they wanted, pushed in a bit in morning and nothing around midday till midnight again. All calved (9)from early moringin so far. One was calved by 7 am, nothing after midnight. I know numbers are small but the late feeding is said to help.