Calving 2025

Not a fan of twins, but it's sure is nice to see them once everything goes well.

Calving season is going to an end bit by bit, but the most fun is still ahead-heifers. We usually calve them in April-May, while cows start as early as December.

Second calving for this one. 276days, 75% bazadaise twin heifers. Loving both so far.

Not sure yet. Dam and granddam were real good for milk. Gonna give her some meal until grass. Don't really like young cows raising twins, so if there will be a possibility to adopt one calf onto another cow, sure gonna do that. Last year another first calver had twins, but one heifer had a dead calf, so twins were raised by different moms.

Hi,

Have 8-day old big BB calf, had to jack – tough enough calving. Wouldn’t suck cow for 3 days, was stomach tube feeding. Very dopey calk, zero sucking effort, would just stand beside cow, got steroid injection from vet (that appetite stimulate injection is no longer on the market). I was balancing keeping him hungry to suck and keeping him alive!

Bit of progress Day4, would suck cow if I held cows teat in mouth and kept his tongue in – thought he had the hang of it so let them out and didn’t watch too close. Day6 very shook – he didn’t get the hang, dehydrated. Day8 scouring – busted him with milk after his 48hr hunger strike!

Back tube feeding lectades and holding in the tongue.

Was talking to vet – long story short “floppy tongue”. Didn’t hold out much hope for him.

Thing is – calf is putting on weight, has overcome the scour – getting lively (started running this morning after cow). But I have to be there – put teat in mouth, hold tongue in and away he goes no bother! 😊 OH thinks I’m mad

Take away my hand and he just stops

Tongue always out same side (only when sucking) and actually cut underneath now as his teat must be cutting it if I don’t push tongue back in

Any thoughts – am I wasting my time? Will he be able to eat crunch/grass etc…

Do yous think he will get the hang of sucking?

Vet did mention potentially stitching one side mouth abit to stop the tongue coming out the side

You’re definitely not wasting your time, sure you could be at worse things. With a bit of luck at all he will get the hang of it, he is only 8 days old after all and has had a tough start, where there’s life there’s hope and all that.

What bull is he off??

Cheers. He's the Dovea BB4438. Cow normally goes 2 weeks over past 3 calvings, she went 1 week over this time. Another point forgot to say, she had blood in 4 quarters for first 24hrs, cleared very quick, I just milked her out 1-2 times. I had colostrum from another cow.

Will try get pic later …when I'm up holding his tongue in!

Interesting - see stitching mentioned here also to prevent the tongue slipping out.

would it be white muscles/ selenium deficiency? Had that in a calf here that wouldn’t stand. Shot from the vet and 24 hours later, a new calf!

I had to pull a calf myself here 2 days ago. Cow was 2 days over. Saw her passing some bloody slime around noon. Watched her all day and she was constantly walking around the field. By 7 that evening, she was still passing slime.

I dunno, just got it into my head that the calf was coming tail first. Saw it with a neighbours cow last year. Anyway slight pull got him as far as head out and then just pulling the ropes got him the rest of the way.

Big bull calf. He was trying to stand straight away.

Calf in question

A milky cow like that can often have blood in the beastings, I think it's caused by blood vessels bursting because of so much milk and is no harm so long as it clears in a day or 2. My longest ever is 23 days of helping a calf to suck when I gave up and separated the cow a calf. 2 days later i needed the pen I had the calf in so put her back in with the cow and in she went and started sucking, so dont give up just yet.

Keep at it. I had a calf once that I thought had permanent brain damage. It kept going around in circles. I revived it after it had stopped breathing after a hard pull. About to give up and after 3 weeks, it latched on itself and it's walk came right eventually.

Check his navel again, just in case. Did the Vet prescribe anything for follow up.

How is he going now?