Bull and cows too fertile ????????

[hillsdown]

My cows are popping out calves like crazy and I just had my second set of twins tonight,,Two purebred polled girls...
While I was checking them another cow popped one out, so that makes 5 since 3 am..Did I mention I only have a small calving herd ..
I am really ready for some sleep...... :cry2: And now I have to bottle feed more calves........Not B@tching just really tired....Half way done now... :cowboy:

 

[Angus Cowman]

When it rains it pours and it sounds to be like it is raining babies

good luck on the twins HD

 

[KNERSIE]

My cows are popping out calves like crazy and I just had my second set of twins tonight,,Two purebred polled girls...
While I was checking them another cow popped one out, so that makes 5 since 3 am..Did I mention I only have a small calving herd ..
I am really ready for some sleep...... :cry2: And now I have to bottle feed more calves........Not B@tching just really tired....Half way done now... :cowboy:

I have the same problem, but inconvenient as it may be, its still alot better than the alternative.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Why are you bottle feeding calves?? you mean the twins?
I know at the time when they are popping left & right, it can be awefully tiring - but I like that much better than when they drag out forever. Like having a bunch ready, but they keep running late. Or like the end of our 60-day calving season - got 5 due last two weeks. BORING! When I check for "labor", I would rather be checking a dozen rather than ONE.
Had 24th calf last night (in past 3 weeks) - got another 10 "on deck" outside my window - all past due except 3. (all in barn at night except 2)

 

[bigbull338]

enjoy having all those calves popping out everywhere.it means your calving season will be over faster.

 

[LoveMoo11]

better to have babies than a bunch of fat open cows! Hope you get a chance for some rest soon!

 

[hillsdown]

Thanks everyone..

Well I feel a little better today..Hubby did 4 am check for me so I got 6 hours sleep..Now he is gone up north so I will have to do the middle of the night checks again..

Jeanne I am feeding 3 calves two are a twin and one is a Holstein calf that is out of a flush cow. Megan came down with mastitis really bad with her last calf and I did all I could to treat it but lost 2 quarters ,,when she calved now I checked her again and now she only has one quarter so the infection was very very bad..So I pulled her calf .. I haven't decided if mom is going down the road yet or if we are going to flush her again. I have another Holstein ,Muriel that calved the night before Megan that I thought I could put the calf on just in case but since she had a uterine prolapse I do not want to add any more stress to her...Some people might add a calf but I am not going to..Freaking Holsteins now I remember what a pain in the @ss the dairy was but I sure miss those big checks every month... :cowboy:

I don't really mind bottle feeding as it keeps me out of trouble...

I am 3/4 's done now and if they keep going like they are I should be done in a week...but no more twins please :lol2:

Love Moo when we did preg checking last fall all of my girls were bred...I just didn't know how close they were .. :help:

 

[KNERSIE]

How big a % of dystocia do you have? Do you still have heifers that have to calve? I am just curious why you feel you have to do all the night checks?

I check heifers first thing in the morning, will drive past the pasture during the day carrying on with other work, check them just before dark and if I think one is imminent I will check just before I go to bed.

From the second calf onwards I go out and tag early morning and early evening and drive past the pasture during the day whilst doing other things.

I am not saying you shouldn't do all you can to get a live calf, I am just trying to understand the need (or whether its just a nervous and excited hillsdown?) for the checks. If you do indeed need to check (because of high occurrence of dystocia) its better to terminate the hard calving lines early on in a purebred operation rather than to wait and get a name for cattle that can't calve. My late neighbour always used to say that once you have a name for sleeping late you can get up at 2am, but everyone will still call you a late sleeper. (some effect was lost in translation, but since Mr HD can understand Afrikaans..."As jou naam 'Laatslaap' is kan jy maar twee uur ook opstaan, jou naam sal 'Laatslaap' bly"

 

[hillsdown]

Knersie ,,babies pop out fine. Actually the last twins were unassisted and walking around when I found them and I had just been out there 2 hours before and Kalea had her head stuffed in the feeder,,,,, but it is fricken cold and in minus 20 or 30 weather if you are not there you will have a popsicle in the morning especially if there is a wind..

Remember this is Alberta Canada.. If it was warm out I would have a sleep full night... :nod:


Btw hubby is gone for a few days again (back to work so I can support my hobby ;-) ), so I will have to wait for translation....

 

[KNERSIE]

Remember this is Alberta Canada.. If it was warm out I would have a sleep full night...

Forgot about that

It does complicate things a little doesn't it? ;-)

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

This isn't Canada - but Upstate New York. Also very cold. We calve in the barn, but the barn is the same temperature as outdoors, just NO WIND and has bedding.
If we have a LONG labored calving, the calves come out tired & weak, and when they hit the cold, they can just lay there. Go down hill in a hurry with no colostrum in them. So, I just make sure mom is getting the job done QUICKLY, and calf jumps right up. Two assists this year (twins & breech) out of 24 so far.
Only calf born outside (my screw-up, first calf heifer, week early, really showing no "imminant" signs) found dead, frozen to ground. Same day as twins, so heifer got the freemartin. LOVES her!