afterbirth

[TMRwife]

How long before I need to worry about a cow not "cleaning up." Gave birth (her 4th calf) yesterday afternoon- no problems. She has been up and eating, calf nursing, acting okay, but still not cleaned up - about 15 hours now.

 

[dun]

A week or so, or if she starts to act off. The stink will get to you but it's all part of the process. If it's hanging really low or dragging I tie it up with itself so that it's about knee high or a little higher.

 

[TMRwife]

I have never had this before - usually within 3 or 4 hours it's all over - really, a week? I would worry about infection.

 

[dun]

I have never had this before - usually within 3 or 4 hours it's all over - really, a week? I would worry about infection.

I saw a Holstein go almost 2 weeks before she dropped it, right on the parlor floor during milking. She cleared the barn. The only thing it did was make her breed back a month or 2 later then she normally would have, but that could have been a result of something being deficient in her diet that caused the retained AB in the first place. The thing to not do is go in and pull on it or mess with it. If you just have to do something, call your vet

 

[spinandslide]

I had a heifer this year go a week before she totally cleaned out..called my vet after a day and he laughed and told me I'd been around horses to long..sure enough, it was gone within the week...provided the cow is acting normal, I'd say let nature take its course.

 

[CKC1586]

Are you sure she didn't already clean and eat it?

 

[wbvs58]

Often if you call a vet in it is too early. Early intervention, manually seperating cotyledons, will often cause damage and further delay rebreading. Antibiotics are only indicated if cow is showing signs of septicaemia, ie high temp. Putrifaction is a normal process to allow it to seperate if it does not do it at the time of calving.
Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow - I'm soooo glad there are so many with the RIGHT answer!!! Old timers still insist you need to call the vet & manually "unbutton" the cotyledons - and some of the old time vets insist on it also.
It's been proven thru research time & again - just leave them alone - unless the cow goes off feed/ gets sick.
If you want to help the process, the best thing to do is wait 7-10 days and give her a shot of Lutalyse. Don't give any antibiotics unless she is sick. Antibiotics kill good & bad bugs. She needs lots of good bugs to eat away the rotted pieces inside of her.

 

[TexasBred]

I'm one of those old timers who removes afterbirth if necessary. By the time the afterbirth is putrified as one put it, you have a problem especially in the Texas heat. Haven't had to do it since I quit dairying but use to have some with holsteins and it never caused any problems. Pull slowly and easily. Once removed Give a shot of lutalyse, infuse with half dozen Nolvasan Cap Tabs and repeat the cap tabs next day if needed. Jeanne I don't think their are any "good bugs" in there to eat rotted meat. They're all bad at that point. Now I know most of you will disagree with me but just my way of doing it. :bang: