Farming Chit Chat

Bodacious wrote: »

Some crack to pull a trailer I've been pulling for years!

Congrats lad. Don't forget about the pushing either Keep that trailer tidy reversing around the corner

Bodacious wrote: »

I'm sorry for your loss, I read your earlier post and when I saw 306 and FL25 I thought you'd have bother he hard enough calved.

Yeah I know, I'd been watching her like a hawk! She's been on restricted feed though but 3 weeks overdue and FL25 bull calf didn't help!

Head rope ? For holding the cow is it? Excuse my ignorance if it's for pulling the calf

The head rope is for around the calves head. It's like a lasso that goes around the back of the ears and the knot tightens in the mouth above the tongue. Have you noticed your calving jack has three hooks on it for holding ropes? The third one is for the head rope. Attach it here with a little less pressure than on the legs. It keeps the head coming with the legs. But before pulling the head out make sure the shoulders coming behind it aren't too wide to come out. I like someone else's suggestion by the journal vet to only loop the rope around the back of the calf's head and pull the two ends, but you'd really want 2 lads then to calf the cow. The head rope is only really to keep the head coming with the legs, rather than "pulling" the head - if you catch my drift.

At this stage of course you're in the grey area where maybe you should be considering a C section, so it's really only for the more confident guys at calving cows. I lost the gamble on this occassion:(.

Hindsight of course is a great thing, and I did make a big mistake. The cow kept going down in the sitting position when I'd apply some pressure. This of course is a disaster so let off the jack, let her get up and about the 3rd time she went to go down I got her over on her side. But I didn't get the lower back leg out from under her. I should have had her completely over on her side. I put a rope on that leg and did give a bit of a pull, but I should have made sure to get that leg right out from under her. (I hope the OH doesn't read the next bit). My first born was a borderline C section due to his size and space available to come out. OH has expressly stated natural delivery unless absolutely necessary so consultant obliged. She was prep'ed in the operating theatre and ready for C section before the consultant tried to pull. He explained that he would give one pull to get a feel of the lie of the land. Then he would give a second pull, if nothing was happening on the second pull it was straight to C section. He later credited a mid-wife for the natural delivery as she had said if my OH's pelvis was tilted just a bit more in a certain direction the baby would come - and so it did! (Jeez I shouldn't be telling you all this). But my point is presentation at the time of delivery is v. important when it is a difficult delivery.

Anyway, I'm posting this in the hope it helps someone else. I love calving cows and never fail to enjoy a healthy newborn hitting the ground. Conversely I take it a bit too much to heart when it goes wrong, and I'm glad to say that is rarely.

pakalasa wrote: »

On the head rope - the Vet that writes for Journal was saying that he uses an ordinary rope just going back over the head, behind the ears, with both ends loose. He just pulls then on both ends together.

Agree that not that much pressure should be put on the head, but he must also have someone on the jack as well? Maybe not.

Just wondering how did you do the CPR? I revived a calf 2 wks ago by blowing up a nostril with the mouth held close and the other nostril covered. Inflate the lungs then and allow to deflate with slight pressure on the side. I got a heartbeat first and then one breath. I was just chancing my arm really, but it worked. I know there are risks etc with Lepto and all that.

I wasn't that optimistic to be honest as the eye looked poor if you know what I mean. For humans it's 15 chest compressions followed by 2 deep breaths if doing it by yourself, so that's what I did. I closed the mouth, blocked one nostril and blew in the other nostril - same as what you did. You can see the chest inflate and then deflate. I've had one before come back after 5-10 minutes but I was never too optimistic about this one.

Karen112 wrote: »

No reply from Mods, I've my new website up and running www.mayosligomart.com

I'd appreciate any feedback on what farmers would like to see on a website from a mart.

Fair duece Karen, you're taking the critical feedback on the chin!;). First can I say it's very good - is this your first attempt at putting together a website?

Alot of good points already so just to add my thoughts! Who are you targeting with this website? Not your regulars as they'll keep coming, so new or infrequent buyers/ sellers that use other marts. What do they want when they visit it? I don't know your mart so a few things spring to mind for me - do you sell only beef or do you sell dairy stock as well? Do you sell cows? How does your booking system work? Add in a picture of the digital display you have over the selling pen (I'm sure you have one;)). I like the way you've the map on the bottom - good touch.

Best of luck with it!