When's calving starting 2021

tellmeabit · 29-04-2021 10:42AM

valtra2 wrote: »

Finished last of mine few weeks ago. 51 cows 51 calfs. One died and one set of twins. 3 vet assists no sections. Started ai 17 of last month and just finished up there Sunday. Bull in 17th last month with second group. Scan first lot this Sat and will group any that are in calf and bull into the rest. Bull out on 17 June. Then summer off. Crona over and holidays.

Living the dream

Limestone Cowboy · 29-04-2021 10:50AM

valtra2 wrote: »

Finished last of mine few weeks ago. 51 cows 51 calfs. One died and one set of twins. 3 vet assists no sections. Started ai 17 of last month and just finished up there Sunday. Bull in 17th last month with second group. Scan first lot this Sat and will group any that are in calf and bull into the rest. Bull out on 17 June. Then summer off. Crona over and holidays.

That's some going, fair play.

Dozer1 · 29-04-2021 01:15PM

you've spare time now....I'll send you on a few late calvers...

that's fair going nice to get to a place where your ducks are in a row, it'll be a few years here yet

valtra2 · 29-04-2021 01:23PM

Dozer1 wrote: »

you've spare time now....I'll send you on a few late calvers...

that's fair going nice to get to a place where your ducks are in a row, it'll be a few years here yet

I am afraid to go home now just incase I jinxed myself. Its 10 years in the making so don't get me wrong it's the best year I had. But getting a live calf is only a bit of it its calfs sold per cow per year and ppk that's the most important thing. This is also the first year I never had to give a lectaide to a calf.

tellmeabit · 01-05-2021 08:21AM

Dep heifer 282 days. Watched on camera until the arse. Cow was doing fine, then stood and calf was getting stretched for air. Maybe 3 mins for me to get there. Bit of a pull with ropes, and calf not breathing. Couple mins blowing and rubbing, straw water. And she took few half breaths. Few more mins she was breathing better. Not sure would she have made it if I want watching.calved around 5 , looks to have sucked and have her 1lts at 7. Leave them in for few hours to see her take good suck. Stopped watching what time I feed them at couple weeks ago. 1st one to calve during the nite.
Nice calf I think jot huge like I was fearing. End of June next I think.

tellmeabit · 01-05-2021 10:43PM

Ah, to be honest I'm digging way back into the memory bank for most of my farming, say 30 years ago when young lad and my dad (rip) milked a few. He seemed to know his stuff, between him and the older neighbours they had plenty cures tips and tricks around a lot of areas of farming, most forgotten now.
Now all of none of these may have an effect ,they are just what I try or have tried.
1st thing is sitting them up on the back legs to let the lungs open.
I'd try the straw up the nose.
Water on head and ear.
Blowing in the ear, picked that up on here this year.
Shaking or rubbing ears. Not great description by me.
Blowing into the mouth was a new one to try this year too.
Rubbing ribs vigorously with straw.. seems to wake them, or keep them awake.
Used lift them up by back legs for a bit to get the fluid out. back in day Never had a gate in old shed to hang them but vet did it last year on one for a min or so. As he gave him a shot to get him going. --Head wasn't coming with that lad, had to put bailing rope around the head while still inside to get them out.
This am felt like I was working on her for maybe 2 mins before she went from limp to taking some bit of breath.

Keeping them sitting up all during it makes sense as lungs not sqeezed

As to how long to keep trying, I don't know. I did notice a sign of life a couple of times after breathing into her and then chancing straw up nose again. So kept trying.

This wouldn't happen often here now. The one back in March felt like he was going to just stop to kept him alert. With running ears and ribs.

What do other people do?

patsy_mccabe · 02-05-2021 09:27AM

I never put them sitting on their back legs.. Sounds like a good idea. I just wedge some straw in under their back to get them sitting up some bit. I try too to get their backside higher than their front, to help drain out the fluid in the lungs.
I'd get straw in both hands and rub both sides of their ribcage back and forth. Cow kinda does this too when she licks them.
A bit of water in the ear seems to wake them up big time. I only once managed to resuscitate a calf that stopped breathing when caught at the hips. Blocked one nostril and closed mouth. Filled the lungs with air then. Pressed then on the side to get air out. Repeat a few times until it took a breath. Calf did have some brain damage as it kept running in circles. It came perfect by weanling time though.

RD10 · 02-05-2021 06:23PM

Dont know if it helps in in cases of resuscitating, especially if the calf is out cold - but heard somewhere before that if the calf is having trouble breathing after a hard pull to tuck the front knees in under the belly and spread the back legs out behind them (bambi on ice kind've stance)

Irish Beef · 03-05-2021 04:57PM

Last two cows to calf this season, thank god!

squinn2912 · 03-05-2021 08:17PM

Irish Beef wrote: »

Last two cows to calf this season, thank god!

Lovely calves well done! What is the breeding of the wee black lad? I’ve a heifer the image of that one she was the second to calve here. Seems like a long time ago now!

Irish Beef · 03-05-2021 10:48PM

squinn2912 wrote: »

Lovely calves well done! What is the breeding of the wee black lad? I’ve a heifer the image of that one she was the second to calve here. Seems like a long time ago now!

She's a little Angus heifer, by AI bull Portauns Volcano AA2259, the cow is a first Calver limousine. The white heifer is by my stock bull.

lab man · 03-05-2021 11:12PM

tellmeabit wrote: »

Ah, to be honest I'm digging way back into the memory bank for most of my farming, say 30 years ago when young lad and my dad (rip) milked a few. He seemed to know his stuff, between him and the older neighbours they had plenty cures tips and tricks around a lot of areas of farming, most forgotten now.
Now all of none of these may have an effect ,they are just what I try or have tried.
1st thing is sitting them up on the back legs to let the lungs open.
I'd try the straw up the nose.
Water on head and ear.
Blowing in the ear, picked that up on here this year.
Shaking or rubbing ears. Not great description by me.
Blowing into the mouth was a new one to try this year too.
Rubbing ribs vigorously with straw.. seems to wake them, or keep them awake.
Used lift them up by back legs for a bit to get the fluid out. back in day Never had a gate in old shed to hang them but vet did it last year on one for a min or so. As he gave him a shot to get him going. --Head wasn't coming with that lad, had to put bailing rope around the head while still inside to get them out.
This am felt like I was working on her for maybe 2 mins before she went from limp to taking some bit of breath.

Keeping them sitting up all during it makes sense as lungs not sqeezed

As to how long to keep trying, I don't know. I did notice a sign of life a couple of times after breathing into her and then chancing straw up nose again. So kept trying.

This wouldn't happen often here now. The one back in March felt like he was going to just stop to kept him alert. With running ears and ribs.

What do other people do?

Use the calving jack to lift them put the rope high on their thigh and jack till high enough

tellmeabit · 03-05-2021 11:14PM

RD10 wrote: »

Dont know if it helps in in cases of resuscitating, especially if the calf is out cold - but heard somewhere before that if the calf is having trouble breathing after a hard pull to tuck the front knees in under the belly and spread the back legs out behind them (bambi on ice kind've stance)

Ya that's the position . Easier for them to fill the lungs

lab man · 03-05-2021 11:15PM

tellmeabit wrote: »

I put salt on calf to get them licking, if they don't take then I try and get the smell of the calf to them, bit of clearing or straw after wiping the calf. Big of meal then. If not at that stage. When calf can get up, into crush. The the cows legs and get calf drinking. Couple days at that I'd find the calf drinking in the shed. Sometimes another cow sniffing around the calf can help kick in the protective mode.

Bring in a dog

Sami23 · 04-05-2021 06:04PM

Have a cow calved about 6 weeks and noticed yesterday and today when she is lying down this is protruding a little bit. When she stands up it goes back in again.
Is this anything to be worried about as haven't seen ot before ?
Thanks

tanko · 04-05-2021 06:14PM

It’s a prolapse, i’d get a vet to look at it, will need to be stitched up.
I wouldn’t be putting her back in calf again.
Did she have a hard calving?

Sami23 · 04-05-2021 06:20PM

tanko wrote: »

It’s a prolapse, i’d get a vet to look at it, will need to be stitched up.
I wouldn’t be putting her back in calf again.
Did she have a hard calving?

I pulled the calf alright as one of the front legs was bent back. Was no pressure on her and I'd say she would have calved on her own only for that.

tanko · 04-05-2021 07:33PM

She may have been pushing hard for a while with the foot down which along with the pull could have caused the problem.
Prolapses are common enough, once she’s stitched she should be fine.
Your vet will advise what’s best for her.

Sami23 · 04-05-2021 07:43PM

tanko wrote: »

She may have been pushing hard for a while with the foot down which along with the pull could have caused the problem.
Prolapses are common enough, once she’s stitched she should be fine.
Your vet will advise what’s best for her.

Thanks for the advice.

Grueller · 04-05-2021 07:48PM

tanko wrote: »

It’s a prolapse, i’d get a vet to look at it, will need to be stitched up.
I wouldn’t be putting her back in calf again.
Did she have a hard calving?

I have one here to calve in the next day or so that's doing this now. I'd say the calf bed will be out after the calving. She is as fat as a snail so it's partly my fault.

High bike · 04-05-2021 08:33PM

Got the bad news this evening from the vet that I was expecting,he confirmed that a yearling heifer is in calf and too far gone to inject.She-ll be calving at 16/17 Mt's any advice welcome

charolais0153 · 04-05-2021 08:45PM

High bike wrote: »

Got the bad news this evening from the vet that I was expecting,he confirmed that a yearling heifer is in calf and too far gone to inject.She-ll be calving at 16/17 Mt's any advice welcome

Put provisions in place that it can't happen again. Rest down to luck , she may or may not calf herself

Albert Johnson · 04-05-2021 09:30PM

High bike wrote: »

Got the bad news this evening from the vet that I was expecting,he confirmed that a yearling heifer is in calf and too far gone to inject.She-ll be calving at 16/17 Mt's any advice welcome

Can you narrow down what she's incalf too? Although it's as much dependent on the heifer as the bull imo, would she be something you'd consider keeping as a replacement or a real beef type?

As for management I'd recommend a bare run and a small feed of rolled oats daily nearer to calving. The oats should help put a bit of energy into both her and the calf without swelling them up. At least you've gotten prior notice compared to waiting for her to spring down and can manage her accordingly. I'd resist the temptation of starving her in the month prior to calving as it's counterproductive in my experience. It's a matter of keeping a close eye once she's near calving and timely introvention as needed. I sold a similar average type 14 month old Angus heifer around 400kg that was 5-6 month's gone to bull unknown for a neighbour recently that made €830, he's away working every day and didn't want the hassle of calving her

04-05-2021 09:36PM

High bike wrote: »

Got the bad news this evening from the vet that I was expecting,he confirmed that a yearling heifer is in calf and too far gone to inject.She-ll be calving at 16/17 Mt's any advice welcome

We had one ,she calved safely,a small calf and despite her small size came into the parlour and gave us about 6000 litres in her first year!
Her mother is a topper
She's gone back in calf only recently
She herself was born premature and raised bottle fed under a heat lamp so we were devastated when a rogue bull put her in calf
It all turned out well,just feed her well and watch her like a hawk at calving time

Edit,our one was in calf to a hereford

Mac Taylor · 04-05-2021 09:37PM

High bike wrote: »

Got the bad news this evening from the vet that I was expecting,he confirmed that a yearling heifer is in calf and too far gone to inject.She-ll be calving at 16/17 Mt's any advice welcome

All you can do now is mind the diet from here on in. Rolled oats, hay and a bit of silage. I’d source beastings if you don’t have it. Did the vet handle her, I’d one a few years ago and because of her age she just hadn’t developed enough to calf on her own so when the water bag came no question it was a side job. other lads have had no issues calving. She could turn out to be a great cow yet:D

High bike · 04-05-2021 09:53PM

Thanks for all the tips folks will keep an eye on her and see how it goes.Will update when the time comes

whelan2 · 04-05-2021 10:05PM

Often found one like that will calve herself, after been worrying about them for ages beforehand

High bike · 04-05-2021 10:06PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Often found one like that will calve herself, after been worrying about them for ages beforehand

Hope ur right thanks

squinn2912 · 04-05-2021 10:15PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Often found one like that will calve herself, after been worrying about them for ages beforehand

Yep we have a big halion like that and she calves every year, bit on the late side but worth keeping her place. She puts it out from maybe a month before calving. Thank God she didn’t ever put out the calf bed and I don’t recall her having a hard calving either to cause it.
Once we get her calved alright I tend to be moved onto other ones and look at the calf more to see he’s ok I must try to get a glimpse of her lying down to see does anything come out after calving. From memory i don’t think so. If it’s weeks after calving then you’re as well get the vet to examine her.

Who2 · 04-05-2021 10:16PM

I’d one calve down last July at 16 months, she calved down a lm bull that I never thought would come to much but I got 900 for him recently so happy enough. I didn’t think she would go back in calf and out of pure laziness I left her with the cows with the bull for a couple of weeks . I scanned at the end of September and she was incalf and calvesd down a good bull ch bull a week ago. Keep an eye on her and the feeding and there’s a good chance she’ll come alright.

When's calving starting 2021

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