When's calving starting 2021

Sugarbowl · 24-01-2021 11:07pm

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Anyone else think there is a couple in this lady, she got stuck in the crush last November before I put them to the winterage and she wouldn't be the biggest cow in the place. Have only had a few sets of twins here in my memory. Gone fierce bulky looking in the last fortnight.

I have a cow similar to yours - showed it to the vet when he was around. Was too late to check but he said twins are the better outcome than having 1 huge calf inside her. Told me to feed her ration daily as she needs the energy for the 2 calves and it would have no impact on the size of the calf at this stage. When is she due?

patsy_mccabe · 25-01-2021 12:29am

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Anyone else think there is a couple in this lady, she got stuck in the crush last November before I put them to the winterage and she wouldn't be the biggest cow in the place. Have only had a few sets of twins here in my memory. Gone fierce bulky looking in the last fortnight.

She's huge. I'd be expecting and hoping for twins.
Neighbour here had a cow past week that had gone very big. I said to him its either a big bull or twins. Turned out she had a big, but not huge, heifer.

Limestone Cowboy · 25-01-2021 1:19am

tanko wrote: »

That's a serious belly, you'd swear it was photoshopped. If it's only one calf it'll be huge. I'd be expecting twins, maybe even triplets:D.
Has she long left to go?

As for scanning, are any scanners able to predict twins. Do they have to be scanned at a particular stage in pregnancy to pick them up?

I didn't scan them and don't have a time for her but she's starting to soften a bit, still a good fortnight in her yet though at least I'd be thinking. I got everything scanned last year and half them this year and he was fairly on the ball with them but I did them very early. I scanned after 8 weeks of breeding and again at about 14-15 weeks for the ones that didn't show the first time. Think the earlier they are done the more accurate it is.

charolais0153 · 25-01-2021 1:52am

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

She's huge. I'd be expecting and hoping for twins.
Neighbour here had a cow past week that had gone very big. I said to him its either a big bull or twins. Turned out she had a big, but not huge, heifer.

Some of them can have a lot of water inside them , you'd expect twins with that cow though in my opinion,she's showing very wide cos she a smaller type of cow

tismesoitis · 25-01-2021 2:28am

Just in after another calving fr heifer by fr5593.
Don't want to jinx myself ... but very unusual start this year
22 calved
7 by sexed fr semen 6 heifers 1 bull
11 by conventional fr semen 8 heifers 3 bulls
And 4 Saler Bulls
Waiting for the fr bulls to start flowing.

jd_12345 · 26-01-2021 8:06pm

Having serious issues here with heifers not settling down to calve. Not overly big calves but out of 5 heifers calved now 4 have had dead calves ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ They could be slightly fat but I’m slow to go cutting back the feed now as they’ll nearly all be calving over the next few weeks. Would it be a mineral shortage? Calcium shortage? On about 1.5kg of an oat based easy calver nut, minerals on silage and mineral licks blocks.
Will ring vet first thing in am.
The calves aren’t swollen or yellow looking and are a good size. All friesian calves. Calves are coming out and a big sliver of fluid coming out. Water in the ear. Rubbing the belly with straw. Catching them up to clear any fluid( I know that’s controversial)
Any ideas?

whelan2 · 26-01-2021 8:10pm

Do you use iodine in the water pre calving?

Say my name · 26-01-2021 8:40pm

jd_12345 wrote: »

Having serious issues here with heifers not settling down to calve. Not overly big calves but out of 5 heifers calved now 4 have had dead calves ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ They could be slightly fat but I’m slow to go cutting back the feed now as they’ll nearly all be calving over the next few weeks. Would it be a mineral shortage? Calcium shortage? On about 1.5kg of an oat based easy calver nut, minerals on silage and mineral licks blocks.
Will ring vet first thing in am.
The calves aren’t swollen or yellow looking and are a good size. All friesian calves. Calves are coming out and a big sliver of fluid coming out. Water in the ear. Rubbing the belly with straw. Catching them up to clear any fluid( I know that’s controversial)
Any ideas?

Are they slow and lazy to calve?
Are they calving themselves or have you intervened in each calving?
Had you much potassium spread for the growing silage crop?

jd_12345 · 26-01-2021 9:14pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Do you use iodine in the water pre calving?

No. Never have but will look into it. Thanks very much!

whelan2 · 26-01-2021 9:19pm

jd_12345 wrote: »

No. Never have but will look into it. Thanks very much!

It's great for get up and go in calves. 1cc per cow of lugols iodine in the drinker.

jd_12345 · 26-01-2021 9:19pm

Say my name wrote: »

Are they slow and lazy to calve?

I would say slow and not really opening up. I suppose they're fairly lazy

Say my name wrote: »

Are they calving themselves or have you intervened in each calving?

We are intervening. Interestingly, the only live one calved herself on the cubicles. The rest we calved on straw. Was looking online there and saw that walking through them too often can be harmful. Theres times during the day we would be walking through them in the cubicles every 2 hours.

Say my name wrote: »

Had you much potassium spread for the growing silage crop?

Not massively. First cut gets about 3 bags/acre of 18-6-12 and maybe slurry for second cut. One of the main silage fields wasn't managed great and just got slurry, 10-10-20 and a bit of CAN for the second cut. Haven't tested the silage.

White Clover · 26-01-2021 9:25pm

jd_12345 wrote: »

I would say slow and not really opening up. I suppose they're fairly lazy

We are intervening. Interestingly, the only live one calved herself on the cubicles. The rest we calved on straw. Was looking online there and saw that walking through them too often can be harmful. Theres times during the day we would be walking through them in the cubicles every 2 hours.

Not massively. First cut gets about 3 bags/acre of 18-6-12 and maybe slurry for second cut. One of the main silage fields wasn't managed great and just got slurry, 10-10-20 and a bit of CAN for the second cut. Haven't tested the silage.

If not opening up, it's most likely a selenium deficiency.
Enquire from your Vet about getting some blood samples analysed.

Say my name · 26-01-2021 9:38pm

jd_12345 wrote: »

I would say slow and not really opening up. I suppose they're fairly lazy

We are intervening. Interestingly, the only live one calved herself on the cubicles. The rest we calved on straw. Was looking online there and saw that walking through them too often can be harmful. Theres times during the day we would be walking through them in the cubicles every 2 hours.

Not massively. First cut gets about 3 bags/acre of 18-6-12 and maybe slurry for second cut. One of the main silage fields wasn't managed great and just got slurry, 10-10-20 and a bit of CAN for the second cut. Haven't tested the silage.

A few years back we had fat cows calving.
Especially montbeliarde cows were effected. Slow to calve and then down with milk fever.
If they're slow to calve, the calf can swallow fluid and smother.

Turns out it was an excess of potassium in the silage coupled with being overconditioned.
If they've too much potassium their body and blood is not able to metabolize calcium from their bones pre calving.
I think it's chlorine and sulphur is the opposite of potassium (and sodium) in anion exchange in the body.

Had a neighbour had cows always lazy to calve. He was just blaming them for being lazy and waiting for intervention.
Calves were fine. But he paired back his potassium application on silage ground and ever since calvings improved.
This would be a high natural soil potassium area.

Say my name · 26-01-2021 9:44pm

And there's another one too.

Excess Zinc supplementation can increase the risk of milk fever and trouble at calving.

Hard Knocks · 26-01-2021 9:55pm

Say my name wrote: »

A few years back we had fat cows calving.
Especially montbeliarde cows were effected. Slow to calve and then down with milk fever.
If they're slow to calve, the calf can swallow fluid and smother.

Turns out it was an excess of potassium in the silage coupled with being overconditioned.
If they've too much potassium their body and blood is not able to metabolize calcium from their bones pre calving.
I think it's chlorine and sulphur is the opposite of potassium (and sodium) in anion exchange in the body.

Had a neighbour had cows always lazy to calve. He was just blaming them for being lazy and waiting for intervention.
Calves were fine. But he paired back his potassium application on silage ground and ever since calvings improved.
This would be a high natural soil potassium area.

Agree with your point
Noticed doing soil samples, P could vary from 1 to 3 but K was always a high 4
Sadly it’s hard to get super Phos locally and compounds are high K and low P

Say my name · 26-01-2021 10:11pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Agree with your point
Noticed doing soil samples, P could vary from 1 to 3 but K was always a high 4
Sadly it’s hard to get super Phos locally and compounds are high K and low P

I'm able to get a fertilizer with the same phosphorus and potassium levels.
Target sell it to me.
It might be worth enquiring if target is available locally.
A lot of wexford is high in potash. So they sell and bag mixtures with equal p and k.

GrasstoMilk · 27-01-2021 8:09am

Test your silage for mins is best way to figure out what's lacking or what's excessive in it
Do it here every year

We spread a good bit of potash here and never an excess in silage, big fan of 0 7 30

Get the yield too so it uses it up fairly well

dar31 · 27-01-2021 9:03am

jd_12345 wrote: »

No. Never have but will look into it. Thanks very much!

I'd get iodine into them straight away. Its cheap and effective. Works within in 24hrs.
Tablets in water but need suitable through in calving area and access to no other water, or I used to use topical iodine. Ordinary iodine squirted on udder isn't much use.
Typical signs of lack of iodine or lazy calving, calf dead or alive while calving and dead before they hit the ground.

FeelTheBern · 27-01-2021 9:38am

whelan2 wrote: »

Do you use iodine in the water pre calving?

If you’re giving dry cows minerals on the silage and blocks, and the heifers can access it (as opposed to being bullied away by cows) then imagine they should be ok for iodine unless a very severe issue. On the milk fever, heifers usually much better at mobilising calcium from bones than old cows - so would expect it would be your older fatter cows which would have issues as opposed to heifers.

Possible as well that could be an infectious agent - partic if only heifers affected as new to cows - do you vaccinate for Lepto?

As this certainly isn’t normal, my advice would be to get your vet out and follow their advice regarding blood tests etc to try to get to the bottom of it.

Gawddawggonnit · 27-01-2021 11:39am

jd_12345 wrote: »

Having serious issues here with heifers not settling down to calve. Not overly big calves but out of 5 heifers calved now 4 have had dead calves ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ They could be slightly fat but I’m slow to go cutting back the feed now as they’ll nearly all be calving over the next few weeks. Would it be a mineral shortage? Calcium shortage? On about 1.5kg of an oat based easy calver nut, minerals on silage and mineral licks blocks.
Will ring vet first thing in am.
The calves aren’t swollen or yellow looking and are a good size. All friesian calves. Calves are coming out and a big sliver of fluid coming out. Water in the ear. Rubbing the belly with straw. Catching them up to clear any fluid( I know that’s controversial)
Any ideas?

Green hay ad lib if you can get your hands on it. It must be green.
Grass silage with a high inclusion of clover or better still pure clover silage. Both green hay and clover are very heavy with phosphate.

orm0nd · 28-01-2021 7:14am

A week early and we're away.

AAX bull from a FR4338 first calver.

whelan2 · 28-01-2021 7:28am

Was talking to someone who's cows started calving up to 17 days early. Sheds not ready and withdrawal of tubes will be a problem too.

whelan2 · 28-01-2021 7:29am

orm0nd wrote: »

A week early and we're away.

AAX bull from a FR4338 first calver.

2 during the night here. 1 at 2 am and a backwards fr bull at 5.45am. All good. Jacked the backwards one out

greysides · 28-01-2021 10:01am

whelan2 wrote: »

2 during the night here. 1 at 2 am and a backwards fr bull at 5.45am. All good. Jacked the backwards one out

Hints:
Keep the jack level for longer, don't squash the chest. Cows take longer to open so beware going too early, allow arse to dilate the cervix. Only hurry once calf's tail is fully out and even then there's no panic. Calf is already ideally strung to jack to be elevated by levering the jack up using the cow end on the ground.

john mayo 10 · 28-01-2021 10:17am

Had a heifer calf here on Tuesday evening. Bull calf by Zag. I had to jack him out cos she was calfing in an awkward spot and wouldn't get up. Couldn't get him to suck. I stomach tubed him. Got vet yesterday evening. She gave him steroids and a boaster injection. 2 last night and 2 today. He's up and sucking this morning. Thank god

whelan2 · 28-01-2021 9:47pm

See mullinahone have a new cover for the bvd sample. No fiddly cap any more

liosnagceann75 · 28-01-2021 10:05pm

whelan2 wrote: »

See mullinahone have a new cover for the bvd sample. No fiddly cap any more

Old cap was a disaster. New cap is most welcome

jd_12345 · 29-01-2021 1:40pm

FeelTheBern wrote: »

If you’re giving dry cows minerals on the silage and blocks, and the heifers can access it (as opposed to being bullied away by cows) then imagine they should be ok for iodine unless a very severe issue. On the milk fever, heifers usually much better at mobilising calcium from bones than old cows - so would expect it would be your older fatter cows which would have issues as opposed to heifers.

Possible as well that could be an infectious agent - partic if only heifers affected as new to cows - do you vaccinate for Lepto?

As this certainly isn’t normal, my advice would be to get your vet out and follow their advice regarding blood tests etc to try to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks very much for that! Yes heifers vaccinated for Lepto. Rang vets on Wednesday and the one that answered basically said nothing could be done. Had a cow down with milk fever and another heifer that we thought was calving so got them out yesterday. Different vet this time and he threw all possible options at us. Blooded about a quarter of the heifers ( a mix of calved and incalf) and bloods dropped to lab. Also took one of the calves to the lab on Wednesday. Hopefully get results start of next week.
Atm just gone to go in and calve the heifers at the earliest possible opportunity until we get results back and get minerals made up to suit.
The heifers are well conditioned but not overfat I would think. Put it this way I’d be worried if they were a good bit thinner.

Thanks a million for all the responses. Will definitely cut back on the K on silage ground.

jd_12345 · 29-01-2021 2:09pm

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Green hay ad lib if you can get your hands on it. It must be green.
Grass silage with a high inclusion of clover or better still pure clover silage. Both green hay and clover are very heavy with phosphate.

Thanks! I’ll keep an eye out for it!

bogman_bass · 29-01-2021 3:32pm

First calf landed last night. Grand and lively and up and sucking. Bull got her early so another 2 weeks till we start properly

When's calving starting 2021

Comments