2016 calving has begun here in the hills

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Ky hills

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Clark County, KY
Tuesday morning, I found an industrious baby bull calf up nursing. Tuesday night about 11, the Gert heifer looked to be starting to calve. I soon realized it was a breech presentation. To my surprise when I got it out, it was alive. I haven't had much success with breech calves in the past, hopefully I got to this one in time. After working with it to try to clear fluid from lungs, we tubed it with colostrum. The cow was licking it when we left the barn.
 
Congrats on saving the calf, and good luck for the rest of the season! We pushed ours back to start around March 20. I got worried after last year having snow late.
 
greatgerts":1a2w06oq said:
Congrats on saving the calf, and good luck for the rest of the season! We pushed ours back to start around March 20. I got worried after last year having snow late.
Click to expand...

Thank you Greatgerts. I prefer a later calving time too, but the sale heifers seem to bring a little more if they are further along bred at sale time. I have had the heifers that I kept in the barn for a few days now. Cows are due to start calving March 1, I'm hoping for better weather then.
 
I've had bad luck with breech births as well.. and I think the key to it is intervening early enough, which is sometimes hard if the cow isn't showing.. I'm 0/2.

My neighbor across the river (they get a lot more sun) has got tons of calves on the ground.. being on the west side of a mountain, I get no sun until march.. We used to calve out early, but it's so much easier when things dry up.. I'm expecting my first in the second week of March.

Good luck with the rest of 'em!
 
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Nesikep":24bqc85d said:
I've had bad luck with breech births as well.. and I think the key to it is intervening early enough, which is sometimes hard if the cow isn't showing.. I'm 0/2.

My neighbor across the river (they get a lot more sun) has got tons of calves on the ground.. being on the west side of a mountain, I get no sun until march.. We used to calve out early, but it's so much easier when things dry up.. I'm expecting my first in the second week of March.

Good luck with the rest of 'em!
Click to expand...

I think you are right, early intervention is the difference maker. My track record for breech births is 2/5.
 
The trouble with breech births is that there is nothing solid like the head to engage the pelvis to begin the heavy contractions. Things just progress slowly so you don't notice that it is happening and the delay with them calving increases the mortality even if they have it themselves.
Ken
 
We had breech twins and the first one was on his back so the legs seem on the normal forward position, the 2 calves were dead since some hours. We saved a full breech and have 8 pairs of twins alive on 101 cows so far.
 

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