another birthing disaster

Help Support CattleToday:

Using a rope in front of the hips & udder, tightened down real good, sort of paralizes their hind legs. Be sure to use a SLIP KNOT, because, if she really fights, she can fall down, not having good use of her hind legs.
As the calf gets sucking, if the cow relaxes, you can slowly start letting the rope get looser, but be ready to tighten down again if she attempts to kick.
You may have to get the calf on a bottle & "lead" the calf to the udder. If calf is a good sucker, get it drinking than use your finger to "lead" it to the teat.
 
thanks, will try it----the calve was not sucking? i had the milk jug and udder in it's mouth--we were stroking the neck and I was squeezing the muzzle to simulate sucking----not much

I hear moma bawling---got to go
 
dun":3cmaa2ht said:
Throw a rope with a loop in one end over her back and bring it up just in front of her udder. Put the tag end of the rope throw the loop and pull it tight. When you think it's tight, give it another yank/pull. Rope should be between 1/4 and 3/8 inch in diameter.

Never tried that, I'll keep it in mind. I've run a rope around the back fetlock and tied it to their front feet before. Even tied it around her neck, kind of entertaining to watch the cow realize what is happening each time she kicks. But nothing beats a 2x4, for my satisfaction anyway.

SmokeStack - You seem to be having quite the experience this year, don't let it discourage you.

cfpinz
 
cfpinz":30obo7i7 said:
Never tried that, I'll keep it in mind. I've run a rope around the back fetlock and tied it to their front feet before. Even tied it around her neck, kind of entertaining to watch the cow realize what is happening each time she kicks.

It's the oldest tool in a dairy for kickers.
 
The news:
The calve did not make it.
She was too weak -faded away.
An old timer called me this morning, giving me some good pointers--a bit too late for this one--but good for the future.

On a calve not wanting to suckle-----on his dairy cow farm-he notice when moma went to the rear of the calve and began licking from the balls up the tail--after a series of that the calve was out stretched sucking and bawling. Of course he doesn't do licking but he does steroke up that area (sometimes he gets a little poo) but his stroking has proven to be a sure winner.

He thinks that I should have never given these 1st time heifers any sweet feed--as that advanced the growth--helping to make faster,bigger calves. (of course genetics works in this too)
I continue to listen and learn..

I've got to get moma to leave the calve now--will return later.
 
Feeding your heifers is not going to cause them to have too big of calves. It's been said here before: you can't starve a small calf out of a cow. It's more important to have heifers in good body condition for calving then worring about if your making the calf too big.
 
SmokeStackFarms":2w1k7079 said:
The news:
The calve did not make it.
She was too weak -faded away.
An old timer called me this morning, giving me some good pointers--a bit too late for this one--but good for the future.

On a calve not wanting to suckle-----on his dairy cow farm-he notice when moma went to the rear of the calve and began licking from the balls up the tail--after a series of that the calve was out stretched sucking and bawling. Of course he doesn't do licking but he does steroke up that area (sometimes he gets a little poo) but his stroking has proven to be a sure winner.

He thinks that I should have never given these 1st time heifers any sweet feed--as that advanced the growth--helping to make faster,bigger calves. (of course genetics works in this too)
I continue to listen and learn..

I've got to get moma to leave the calve now--will return later.

well everyone is going to have an opinion on what has worked for them. i will give you mine.
when i have a calf that is a little slow and is discouraged cause the momma is kicking and circling and wont let it suck. i wait , then if it doesn't change, i don't let the calf wear itself down, by trying. i tube feed it with a nice bag of warm colustrum, then calf will laydown and gain energy, while i figure out what to do with the cow. there are a number of things for the cow, as you have read.
everything has to be just right for some calves to suck, i have put the teat in their mouth and had them just hold it and not suck. first they have to be strong, then they have to be hungry, then the cow has to be willing, or made willing. what has worked for me is put the cow in the chute and take the side walls down and if the calf is strong, by now, just let it find the teat, without being kicked to death. hope maybe this has helped a bit.
putting horse hobbles on hind feet, also works, had one heifer wear them for a week, before she got the idea. course their's always lots more, but this is some ideas
 
here is an easy trick...works well for milking and cutting weaned calves...vet did the weaned calf

secure the cow in the mat pen, chute or halter to a post and pannels

we use to cut a rung out of a pannel for milking and made the rung able to hook back in when not in the milking postition

So here is the big trick...works real well.

take the tail and through it over the back in a large "C". If you have to use on hand at the base of the tail to hold it up right and the other hand to through over the back. Careful not to tight so as to not damage the spine. When the tail is like that they can not kick...seen some real kickers unable to kick because of this simple trick.
and last have on hand a bag of the powder colostrum. Get from the vet a bag of green and a bag of red (colors of the bag). One bag has more immuglobulins than the other.

The one with the most is for a calf who does not get colostrum and the other is if a calf gets some but not enough

A calf must have some colostrum with in the first 2 hours perferably 6 if there are problems. The second suck should occur by the 6-12 hour. Real important. One of the reasons we have one bag of each on hand...just in case
Dairies are good to but...
their colostrum is lighter so it takes more pounds of milk to make up the same amount if immuglobblins, as well the worry of disease transfer of something like johnese(SP) from dairy milk.
The bags of powder are tested for disease, dried dairy colostrum
 

Latest posts

Top