Nesikep
Well-known member
yup, it's usually the 2nd one that's backward.. and with any luck, their legs aren't pointing the wrong way.. lost one to that ones
Backwards Calves
- Thread starter Silver
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Oh I know that feeling, I had to do the last one alone... kinda hard to do any stitching, I had to use my knee to keep everything inside to free up a hand to stitch.. I didn't have the right tools for that either, I used a tire plug inserter tool that I sharpened up good.. Didn't have any lidocaine at the time but she was too out of it to care much
Bull really didn't like the smell on me the next day and bellered at me like he'd never done before
I looked like I was in a war after that...
Dosed her with draxxin and she was fine, didn't breed back but she was going on the truck anyhow.. she was feeling pretty down the next day but I let her out to where there was some green grass and that perked her right up
Rydero
Well-known member
Wow you're a champ going it alone...I think I'd opt for the tractor method of I was by myself. I did it on the 1st one because she was less active. Put slings around the back egs and lift her up some. The prolapse wants to fall back in so it's easier.
TwoByrdsMG
Well-known member
Well... I wanted to dig this one back up.
11 years breeding cows and we are at our highest number of pairs now. Small potatoes for most folks but what on earth is with all the backwards calves!?
Never had one until January and we have had 3 since then. Only have 15 pairs. 4 left to calve in the next 30 days.
First one was upside down and backwards. 3 vets in the area and not one will answer the phone after 5pm or on a weekend. It took me 2 hours to turn the little stinker (he kept trying to flip back over) then we pulled him. AI calf out of a first calf heifer. Not a big calf but I was done and it was clear she had been pushing for a while when I did my midnight check. Live healthy calf.
Second backwards one was ET bull and completely unrelated to the first calf. 104 lbs and a hard pull on a mature cow. He was just castrated.
Most recent one was 88 lb ET heifer and a Charolais calf to boot! "Normal" backwards but the hoof had curled and she wasn't making progress after 2 hours of pushing we pulled the calf. Live healthy calf.
Is there anything we can do to reduce our incidence of backwards calves? I was told working the cows or moving them within a month of calving could have cause it but the last cow has been in the same area- same feed-same calving group for 2 months.
3 backwards out of 11 births is nuts! After the second one I bought a calf jack
11 years breeding cows and we are at our highest number of pairs now. Small potatoes for most folks but what on earth is with all the backwards calves!?
Never had one until January and we have had 3 since then. Only have 15 pairs. 4 left to calve in the next 30 days.
First one was upside down and backwards. 3 vets in the area and not one will answer the phone after 5pm or on a weekend. It took me 2 hours to turn the little stinker (he kept trying to flip back over) then we pulled him. AI calf out of a first calf heifer. Not a big calf but I was done and it was clear she had been pushing for a while when I did my midnight check. Live healthy calf.
Second backwards one was ET bull and completely unrelated to the first calf. 104 lbs and a hard pull on a mature cow. He was just castrated.
Most recent one was 88 lb ET heifer and a Charolais calf to boot! "Normal" backwards but the hoof had curled and she wasn't making progress after 2 hours of pushing we pulled the calf. Live healthy calf.
Is there anything we can do to reduce our incidence of backwards calves? I was told working the cows or moving them within a month of calving could have cause it but the last cow has been in the same area- same feed-same calving group for 2 months.
3 backwards out of 11 births is nuts! After the second one I bought a calf jack
coachg
Well-known member
On a lighter note my grandma told us kids that the bull put them in there backwards . 
us kids not knowing yet how all that worked , accepted that explanation without question. 
us kids not knowing yet how all that worked , accepted that explanation without question. 
I'm pretty sure I had a first calf heifer have a backwards calf this year. It was dark and I couldn't see very well with my headlamp, but all I could see was one big hoof that wasn't positioned right and my alarm went off. Grabbed the chains, etc from the workshop and by the time I got back, there was a live calf - with its head right next to her behind. Now, it's possible she calved, got up, turned around and laid back down. But she still had that dazed & confused look on her face (as heifers do). Things that make you go Hmmmmm . . . .
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I was always told a big calf or small heifer was most of the cause of malpresentation. And also told that lack of exercise also could cause it. Lack of cow movement made it harder for the calf to get into position??? Twins are my main backwards calves. We had one set of twins last year or year before? that one calf was coming proper, but a spine was going from side to side in front of the head and over the two legs. The twins were criss-crossed. Nephew had a heck of a time, but got the first one pushed back and got the 2nd one turned around. He saved both!!! He is blessed with ape-like arms (long and slender) and has extremely strong hands. I am blessed to have him!!!
puzzled in oregon
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 31, 2020
- Messages
- 829
- Reaction score
- 1,097
Hmmmm, and I thought matching up lamb heads and feet in a ewe carrying twins or triplets could be challenging.
I didn't know what challenging is
GoWyo
Well-known member
Heard a OB doctor say one time that some babies are screwed in and some are pounded in and the doctor's job on delivery is to figure which way to get them out.On a lighter note my grandma told us kids that the bull put them in there backwards .
Redgully
Well-known member
I thought a calf stopped turning at about 7 months, that is when it is set which way it will come out.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I had never heard of such a thing. Nephew described what he was feeling. and HE figured it out.
Always a great day when you find a jumbled mess and come out with a live calf - or TWO. Very rare we have to intervene. When we do - it's usually not very pretty.
Always a great day when you find a jumbled mess and come out with a live calf - or TWO. Very rare we have to intervene. When we do - it's usually not very pretty.
OP
OP
Silver
Well-known member
Almost all fetuses are carried upside down and backwards until about 6-7 months at which time they (95% or so) rotate to the position we like to see at birth.
