greenwillowhereford II
Well-known member
Went to check cows this morning on way to work. First calf heifer lying in the remnants of hay, doesn't get up. I'm suspicious, and sure enough, two hooves are protruding, several inches of ankle showing. "I'll just hang around and make sure this goes all right..." This is about 6:50. After putting out some hay, I go back over to take a look. No progress, and the hooves are turned with the toe pointing down and toward the heifer....A growing sense of something amiss comes over me. I make a call to an old friend for advice, and go home for a halter and rope, etc. Back to pasture, no progress at close to 7:30. During this period of time, I've called the vet but haven't told him to come. I halter the heifer, tie her up to a post of the barn chute. Tie the arms of my coveralls around my waist, roll up shirt sleeve. Reach inside, straining against the straining against me. Fluid cascades out in spurts. I eventually locate a tail....I fasten around the ankles and give an experimental tug or two, vaccillitating. In seven + years I have actually never had an assisted birth. I did a lot of observing but little actual work when it came to pulling calves in the years of Grandpa and Uncle's herds being next door as a kid. I call the vet. "If you decide to pull, you've got 4 minutes once you start," he says. I tell him to come on out. Thirty or so minutes later, he arrives. It's an easy pull with his fancy equipment. $75 dollars, but a live calf and cow. Heifer gets up with little urging, but acts a little skittish of calf. We put both in the barn, and as she isn't mothering him, I rub him down with hay, tie her to a post, and lay him beside her. She moos softly at him from time to time, but still isn't doing her job. I pour some cubes over and around him. She noses all around him in the process of eating them. I throw some handfulls of sweet hay around him, and she eats that. Two or three times, she gives him an experimental lick. I leave eventually, and go to work. Vet has said just to make sure he gets colostrum within 12 hours.
I left work early, got a bottle scoured just in case, and some colostrum mix just in case. Good thing I didn't need the mix, as I forgot water! I intended to milk heifer anyway if need be as first resort. When I got to the barn, both were lying down, and the calf had moved several feet. He had obviously been licked down much better, and when the heifer stood, two or three of her teats had been sucked down. The calf got up and walked about fairly confidently, and before I left he nursed and lay back down. I untied the heifer, who seems to have totally claimed him. I did leave them in the barn for the night, but all I can say is "Thank God!"
I left work early, got a bottle scoured just in case, and some colostrum mix just in case. Good thing I didn't need the mix, as I forgot water! I intended to milk heifer anyway if need be as first resort. When I got to the barn, both were lying down, and the calf had moved several feet. He had obviously been licked down much better, and when the heifer stood, two or three of her teats had been sucked down. The calf got up and walked about fairly confidently, and before I left he nursed and lay back down. I untied the heifer, who seems to have totally claimed him. I did leave them in the barn for the night, but all I can say is "Thank God!"