Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

When's calving starting 2021

Options
1235741

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,701 ✭✭✭dar31


    Wildsurfer wrote: »
    What gates did you go for Moo? I'm debating between Bo steel and O Donnell Eng as they can fix the headlock with a drop pin and the full gate swings around the cow to guide her in. I have one where only a small section of gate swings and it can be hard to get cow in as she'll keep wheeling around
    Bo steel gate here, absolutely brilliant, can't fault it in any way.


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,143 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Are many people getting the texts/ calls to genomic test bulls for ai? Had 2 calls/ texts today about another calf, interest in 2 calves last week.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23 Suckler farmer


    We had heifer due end of March but started to spring up ten days ago. Initially we thought maybe we had wrong dates. Tail out all day yesterday. Passing blood and mucus. Handled yesterday evening. Heifer hadn’t opened. Vet came this morning. He was able to get heifer opened slightly. Calf was way down. Reckons calf is probably dead from a puck and heifer is aborting. Vet going to call tomorrow morning to give steroid/induce if heifer hasn’t made any further progress herself. Anyone any experience of this?

    We had more senior vet out today. He scanned heifer. No calf. He said it’s probable calf never developed properly and has been passed in bits and pieces over the last week or so. He also said heifer hasn’t developed properly inside which may be the reason why calf didn’t develop


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,090 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    We had more senior vet out today. He scanned heifer. No calf. He said it’s probable calf never developed properly and has been passed in bits and pieces over the last week or so. He also said heifer hasn’t developed properly inside which may be the reason why calf didn’t develop

    That's a new one to me. Never heard of a calf being aborted in that way before. Not much condolence, but at least you can take heart from knowing there was nothing you could have done about it.
    One for the hook.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭older by the day


    We had heifer due end of March but started to spring up ten days ago. Initially we thought maybe we had wrong dates. Tail out all day yesterday. Passing blood and mucus. Handled yesterday evening. Heifer hadn’t opened. Vet came this morning. He was able to get heifer opened slightly. Calf was way down. Reckons calf is probably dead from a puck and heifer is aborting. Vet going to call tomorrow morning to give steroid/induce if heifer hasn’t made any further progress herself. Anyone any experience of this?
    Same happened here, scanned to calf end of Feb. Small springing the end of November. No sign of a calf. Passing right dirt this week. It must have died inside. Usually they would pass something. Hopefully I won't see no more of it


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,390 ✭✭✭Wildsurfer


    dar31 wrote: »
    Bo steel gate here, absolutely brilliant, can't fault it in any way.

    Yeah they look the business alright but I was thinking maybe a bit over engineered for dairy cows , probably more features to suit a suckler farmer?


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Wildsurfer wrote: »
    What gates did you go for Moo? I'm debating between Bo steel and O Donnell Eng as they can fix the headlock with a drop pin and the full gate swings around the cow to guide her in. I have one where only a small section of gate swings and it can be hard to get cow in as she'll keep wheeling around

    O Donovan engineering in Coachford, got a 10 ft and 12 ft. 10 ft was replacing an old head lock and gate in calving shed and got the 12 foot for another shed which was originally a calf shed .
    The pic is the 10 ft one. They have ones which go all the way to the floor as well I think, the website should show what they have. Availability may be an issue this time of year tho.
    The bar to the left of the locking bar has a spring in it so can be taken out if cow goes down or moved over for a bigger / smaller cow without having to unbolt it. They are a fair weight anyway


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    DukeCaboom wrote: »
    Every body here is grateful for you sharing so honestly. Don't think many will chance them.

    No bother, the cows are grand but they were big when they were born, their brothers particularly, all went over time and had cows shook after them. Stubborn ol friendly yokes, but of no advantage, I think anyway, over the hol/fr


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,692 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Yesterday morning this girl went early and calves on the slats. Not ideal but luckily all ok. Nice heifer calf


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,701 ✭✭✭dar31


    Wildsurfer wrote: »
    Yeah they look the business alright but I was thinking maybe a bit over engineered for dairy cows , probably more features to suit a suckler farmer?

    Yea seriously well made and heavy.
    Have a condon engineering gate in same shed. They are light years apart even down to the bits that look the same are that bit better thought out and engineered on the bo steel gate.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 3,944 ✭✭✭Hard Knocks


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Yesterday morning this girl went early and calves on the slats. Not ideal but luckily all ok. Nice heifer calf

    Lovely milky cow


  • Registered Users Posts: 660 ✭✭✭ABitofsense


    dar31 wrote: »
    Bo steel gate here, absolutely brilliant, can't fault it in any way.

    2nd this. I've had 2 different vets and number of neighbors comment on how good the design of the Bo steel gate is. I'd be lost without it! Madness how my father used to calve the awkward ones without one


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,692 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Lovely milky cow

    Thanks pal yea super cow that’s her 8th calf. She calved a week earlier 6 years ago so she’s kept her date brilliantly! Last years didn’t do well but he had a bad start I like the look of this calf.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Dunedin


    dar31 wrote: »
    Bo steel gate here, absolutely brilliant, can't fault it in any way.

    Could you stick up a picture of it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,692 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Had one calved early to twins one dead and not full term and the other is weak enough. Got him fed with the tube and standing but he still has a lot to do. Will try a bale of straw under him and see can we get him to suck the cow. She’s a thick bitch at the best of times. I hate ones like this


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Balls of a Sunday here, had a girl go over time and a big bull has her with a touch of paralysis on the right side. Had to mix the dries to make a bit of space and two dropped overnight then last night, no springing. Have the calves under the lamp hopefully they'll pull thru, bull calf stronger but heifer very weak


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Are the red lamps after getting weaker or what these days? Feck all heat out of them compared to what I remember anyway


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,143 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Are the red lamps after getting weaker or what these days? Feck all heat out of them compared to what I remember anyway

    Have you any calf jackets ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,390 ✭✭✭Wildsurfer


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Are the red lamps after getting weaker or what these days? Feck all heat out of them compared to what I remember anyway

    You wouldn't have got the 175w instead of the 250w by any chance? I often put two over a weak calf which helps


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Must check the bulb that could be it. Bull calf has come round fine, lost the heifer. Have a feeling the mother stood on her, was only 10 days early. Have a calf jacket or two alright was just annoyed there wasnt more heat out of the lamp


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 29,143 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    5 calves this morning. All fr bulls


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    whelan2 wrote: »
    5 calves this morning. All fr bulls

    Keep them coming


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,181 ✭✭✭Lady Haywire


    I was putting reminders into Alexa this morning for calving dates for cows (don't judge me, it's very handy!!) and see three cows I'll need to keep replacement off. All three have come forward to March calvers from May & June calving two years ago.
    One in particular had twins late May 19, huge white blue last year in April & due first week of March this year. Reckon fertility had dropped here for a while so trying to pick it back up again, along with milk.


  • Registered Users Posts: 926 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    Sitting here waiting on a first calver to pop and got me thinking about times when a cow needed help and how making that decision to try to pull calf or ring vet is very difficult. I suppose it's a lack of experience calving cows but it's a very stressful time! I remember vet telling me that generally if you can get your hand over the calfs head and both the sides of his shoulders he should come out the back. If ya can't more than likely a c section is required.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭tanko


    What is she calving to, is she a blue cross heifer?


  • Registered Users Posts: 926 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    tanko wrote: »
    What is she calving to, is she a blue cross heifer?

    Lm2014 Tanko. She's a big blonde heifer. Had vet here Sunday to bring a 2014 bull calf from a 3yr old heifer that was too fat. This lady is similar shape. Only myself to blame for not keeping the silage back.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    3 calves today, 2 ch heifers and a ch bull. Last 1 had a leg down but all good and sucked outside of that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭Dozer1


    1st one yesterday evening, saw on the camera she was sick, when i got there I knew I was in for bother, one leg sticking out...handled her and calf was backwards.

    got the vet as it was 1st from a new CH bull, smashing heifer calf came out ok in the end but not an ideal start calf.
    As an aside it was the whitest calf ever born here kind of albino looking if I'm honest but she drank so she'll be fine


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,090 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Had one calved early to twins one dead and not full term and the other is weak enough. Got him fed with the tube and standing but he still has a lot to do. Will try a bale of straw under him and see can we get him to suck the cow. She’s a thick bitch at the best of times. I hate ones like this

    Hows this calf coming now?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭Dozer1


    Flying it today


Advertisement