Calving 2019 - Advice and Help thread

whelan2 · 19-01-2019 05:53PM

squinn2912 wrote: »

That’s true our cows condition is improving despite not being over fed. Second cut stuff very wet though.
A neighbour talked her about putting the ropes on a tractor then jumping on them. Lunacy. If the calf isn’t going to come out on the jack then the vet gets a shout

It's all about knowing your own limits, I know fairly soon if I'm not going to be able to calve the cow. Vet has told me some horror stories.

Lady Haywire · 19-01-2019 06:10PM

You'd wince when you hear about things like jumping on ropes or the tractor

I was stumped with two calves last year, one was small yet wouldn't fit out & thought the other was tangled twins. Ended up a sharp/narrow pelvis on the cow and deformed calf. But both cases were sections and vet was called with plenty of time.
It really is disgraceful in this day & age when you not only have a mobile to call the vet, you've the internet telling you when to do it!!

L1985 · 19-01-2019 06:16PM

Can a cow have a prolapse before she calves? We have a cow due a few days ago and when she lies down it's like a red solid ball is sticking out.... she's had it a while now and just thought there would it be a prolapse? And if it is can she calf ok on her own?

tanko · 19-01-2019 06:19PM

L1985 wrote: »

Can a cow have a prolapse before she calves? We have a cow due a few days ago and when she lies down it's like a red solid ball is sticking out.... she's had it a while now and just thought there would it be a prolapse? And if it is can she calf ok on her own?

I've often seen that, she'll be grand i'd say. Just keep an eye on her.

L1985 · 19-01-2019 08:24PM

Thanks tanco-she's in a pen on her own so is being watched closely and they are all being monitored as now have 7 overdue (scanning may not have been as accurate this year!!). Was fine about her as she's in good form but then thought of the prolapse.

greysides · 19-01-2019 10:40PM

L1985 wrote: »

Can a cow have a prolapse before she calves? We have a cow due a few days ago and when she lies down it's like a red solid ball is sticking out.... she's had it a while now and just thought there would it be a prolapse? And if it is can she calf ok on her own?

Cull!

bogman_bass · 19-01-2019 11:00PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Another thing to watch for this year is that silage is nearly too good for dry cows. Have had 3 big calves this last day or so. Friesian heifer calves out of cows.Pulled the 3 of them. Going to feed more straw and use more silage bales on dry cows.

The one thing there is no shortage of this year is gay. Best thing for dry cows IMO

Lady Haywire · 19-01-2019 11:59PM

bogman_bass wrote: »

The one thing there is no shortage of this year is gay. Best thing for dry cows IMO

Jaysus...:D

Marengo · 20-01-2019 12:09AM

Don't rush in. Let the cow loosen out properly. Call for help, veterinary or neighbour if needed. Assess the bone of the calf and how wide the cow is.Basic but can be lost in the heat of the moment. Side door may be required.

A lot of calves are lost when farmers lose the head. Particu;larly with the continental breeds and when a farmer fusses and thinks he can shift heaven and earth. Result can be stuck at the head or hips and a dead calf, possibly a dead cow or a cow that has been roughed up and won't come in heat for a longer spell etc..

Nobbies · 20-01-2019 12:58AM

bogman_bass wrote: »

The one thing there is no shortage of this year is gay. Best thing for dry cows IMO

Till be dry for another while then so.

L1985 · 20-01-2019 12:46PM

greysides wrote: »

Cull!

She's just about to calf and is a great cow....why do I need to cull her??is prolapsing A big deal?

tanko · 20-01-2019 01:14PM

L1985 wrote: »

She's just about to calf and is a great cow....why do I need to cull her??is prolapsing A big deal?

I think he means dont put her in calf again. These things usually get worse every year and there is a risk she might fire out her calf bed along with the calf depending on what type of prolapse it is.
I had to stitch a few cows over the years that were prolapsing as they neared calving and then cut the stitches at calving. I culled them later that year.

greysides · 20-01-2019 01:20PM

L1985 wrote: »

She's just about to calf and is a great cow....why do I need to cull her??is prolapsing A big deal?

Assuming it's the cervix, cull after calving, when the calf is reared and she's fat.and not in-calf. It has a propensity to get worse every year. Exposure to air liquifies the cervical seal and can leave in bugs that result in a weak or dead calf come calving. This gets earlier every year and while a stitch can be put in to keep it in, the material is a foreign body and will only be tolerated for so long before swelling and infection start. It's not easy to satisfactorily deal with if, say, it happens at 7 months.

Same story as with sheep.

This is a different type of prolapse to what happens immediately after calving, when the uterus turns inside out. However if she has a tendency to be 'hanging out' during the calving she's going to need supervision during it. You want the calf to come out without pulling her passage out and stretching it any more than it is already. Let's hope for a small calf that comes out easy or a massive one that it's immediately obvious needs a side door. The large one that comes with traction is the one you don't want.

(More time today to give you a proper answer)

greysides · 20-01-2019 01:22PM

tanko wrote: »

I think he means dont put her in calf again. These things usually get worse every year and there is a risk she might fire out her calf bed along with the calf depending on what type of prolapse it is.
I had to stitch a few cows over the years that were prolapsing as they neared calving and then cut the stitches at calving. I culled them later that year.

bogman_bass · 20-01-2019 01:23PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Jaysus...:D

Doh!

Angus2018 · 20-01-2019 03:37PM

We had a cow with a mild prolapse a month or two before calving. Calved her and put her in calf again. It was much worse the next year, some days it looked like a football when she lay down. No problems once she calved but I had to be fearful of an actual prolapse after she calved. Culled her anyway since her udder was wonky.

Marengo wrote: »

Don't rush in. Let the cow loosen out properly. Call for help, veterinary or neighbour if needed. Assess the bone of the calf and how wide the cow is.Basic but can be lost in the heat of the moment. Side door may be required.

Patience and experience is the most important thing when it comes to calving. Being able to say she needs more time and we have to intervene now is what makes sure your cow comes back in calf. You only learn that by being in those situations though so its very much trial and error if you don't have someone training you in.

L1985 · 20-01-2019 04:09PM

Thanks greysides and Tanko. It will be a pity to cull her as she's a good cow but TBH my motto around calving is to have it as easy and painless as possible for man and beast so I think I'll be listening to ye on culling her. Hopefully she calves ok by herself but I'll be faster to intervene now that I know there is an issue. Calves so far have been good sized but came themselves so we will see...

grassroot1 · 20-01-2019 07:10PM

L1985 wrote:

She's just about to calf and is a great cow....why do I need to cull her??is prolapsing A big deal?

Yes it is let's hope she does not prolapse after calving

golodge · 21-01-2019 10:18PM

L1985 wrote: »

Thanks greysides and Tanko. It will be a pity to cull her as she's a good cow but TBH my motto around calving is to have it as easy and painless as possible for man and beast so I think I'll be listening to ye on culling her. Hopefully she calves ok by herself but I'll be faster to intervene now that I know there is an issue. Calves so far have been good sized but came themselves so we will see...

Had two such cows not so long time ago. Blood related...
One was doing that for around 3 years and it got worse with each year. The last year it looked horrible and she was very close to fully prolapsing. She calved okay, but less than one month after calving she started prolapsing again and that's when she had to go. Either way it would have been the last year for her, but wanted that she at least had raised her calf.
Another, the first ones granddaughter, did that for two years. She had raised her last calf, but had to go after weaning. Was a very nice cow...

whelan2 · 25-01-2019 08:43AM

lanod2407 wrote: »

Being v premature I was caught offside when he dropped, so it would have been around 6 hours between birth, finding him and then getting the colostrum from the chemist - which I'd understand is too long.

Anyway, I'm getting 3 litres of milk into him a day now, and he's slowly starting to perk up - not moving around much at all, and I put a jacket on him yesterday as I've no access to power up in the shed for a lamp and his mother is in and out to him - she's broken back out to the others a few times, so I decided to let her have access in and out. Seems to be happier with that.

How did he do?

L1985 · 02-02-2019 04:45PM

Cow with the prolapse calved there no bother. Came home after two hours and calf was up trying to drink. Had a quick look at her before I left and didn't see any sign although I was in a rush! Happy days &#55357;&#56898;

ozil10 · 02-02-2019 05:52PM

Has anyone tried transformula milk powder before transitioning onto the shine once a day milk replacer
It is quite expensive.
Just wanting to know was it of any benefit

Castlekeeper · 02-02-2019 08:17PM

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I bought Glucose and Bread Soda in Dunnes Stores last week. Quick homemade electrolyte.

http://animalhealthireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Recipe_for_Homemade_electrolytes.pdf

Didn't read the link but Lo- salt is better than table salt as it has potassium as well as sodium.

Castlekeeper · 02-02-2019 09:09PM

L1985 wrote: »

Can a cow have a prolapse before she calves? We have a cow due a few days ago and when she lies down it's like a red solid ball is sticking out.... she's had it a while now and just thought there would it be a prolapse? And if it is can she calf ok on her own?

Harmless, we've one does that for years, and used go have another one before, never made a bit of a difference, about the size of an orange to a grapefruit?

whelan2 · 03-02-2019 08:55AM

Calved a cow there now. A 5th calver, bb 2083. Some job to get him out. Massive head and shoulders. Served 22nd April. Cow fairly shook too. Used jack

greysides · 03-02-2019 11:07AM

whelan2 wrote: »

Calved a cow there now. A 5th calver, bb 2083. Some job to get him out. Massive head and shoulders. Served 22nd April. Cow fairly shook too. Used jack

Calcium, oxytocin, glycerine.

Consider antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.

Maybe fluids.

Go as far down that list as appropriate.

charolais0153 · 03-02-2019 01:29PM

greysides wrote: »

Calcium, oxytocin, glycerine.

Consider antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.

Maybe fluids.

Go as far down that list as appropriate.

What would ab be used for on that instance?

greysides · 03-02-2019 02:24PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

What would ab be used for on that instance?

Large calf... tears, bruising, devitalised tissue, possibility of retained cleaning in part or complete. Trying to head off metritis, endometritis, toxaemia, infertility.

Madisonmenece · 03-02-2019 05:04PM

Anyone heard a loud popping noise when pulling a calf, we have had on three occasions this year twice when jacking but not massively hard and another with just ropes.

It does sound awful like a strap/rope giving under pressure. Cows and calves are all fine and from that point calving seems be easier.

L1985 · 03-02-2019 06:41PM

I really hope I'm not jinxing myself here but this is the first year we have been using oats to the in calf cows every day and it seems to be making some difference. Last four calving were done in an hour with th calf up and drinking before I even knew she had starting calving. Decent sized calves as well and they are full of beans which is good for Charolais!! Had 5 out of 16 in the spring calving calf in the last 24 hours and only two calving pens! It felt like every time I looked there was another new calf standing there!!

Calving 2019 - Advice and Help thread

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