I run my cattle on 240 acres or hard access terrain. I bought some cows at the sale barn in October one said 5 months the other said 6. The one that had the big 5 on her hip calved I am guessing overnight Wednesday night when her "due date" according to the preg check at the sale barn would have been about 4/1. I noticed her bloody tail when the cows finally came up yesterday afternoon, after spending 4 or 5 days out in the nice weather not wanting/needing to come up to eat. I thought she had aborted! I locked her in the front pasture so I could keep an eye on her and last night when I went out to get firewood I heard a loud moo. I thought that this cow or one of the other ones that was bagging was missing one of their buddies. It was starting to snow pretty good and a couple of recent babies were in that trap, so I just decided to let all the cows together so they all had access to the loafing shed. This let the suspect cow back to having access to the 240 acres. This morning she was MIA, so I went looking for her and found her out pretty far with her little heifer calf. IT is 28 degrees with up to 2 feet of snow in some areas. She seems to be mothering the calf and the calf followed her momma off a little ways WADING through the snow after I had sprung her from her nap. I thought she was a dead calf curled up in the snow. I know cows are hardy, but I have never had a calf in such poor weather conditions. The lucky part is that it is not THAT cold, but with the deep snow I worry about the little tyke. Getting them back over here to where the loafing sheds are is probably not possible. I hiked on foot to get to her this morning in waist high snow. Should I let her mother take care of her or get aggressive about getting them over here (which might involve a horse, a sled, and a very pissed off momma)? I just have never had to deal with thsi before!
Calf born in adverse conditions...what can I expect?
- Thread starter raykour
- Start date
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randiliana
Well-known member
Well, I don't know where you are located at, but here, we would probably want to bring the cow and calf in where we can watch them a bit easier for the first little while, especially if you usually get or are expecting more bad weather.
The easiest way we have found of moving a new calf is to use a sled. For a calf this old and as far as you sound like you will need to move it, I would definitely tie it's legs so it can't get out of the sled. Mom should follow pretty good.
Good luck!
The easiest way we have found of moving a new calf is to use a sled. For a calf this old and as far as you sound like you will need to move it, I would definitely tie it's legs so it can't get out of the sled. Mom should follow pretty good.
Good luck!
jerry27150
Well-known member
why don't you just keep feeding her hay closer to where you want her. if you have that much snow she should follow you with hay if you break a trail for her
Oldtimer
Well-known member
If she's made it this long she'll probably be fine... Any damage (frozen ears, tail, or feet has already occurred if its going to happen) Once they get up and get their belly full I don't worry much about them...
I agree with feeding them somewhere where the snow is the least/most packed is the best...But if you can't easily get her- they will probably do fine...And as the calf gets older she should start bringing the calf in closer..
I agree with feeding them somewhere where the snow is the least/most packed is the best...But if you can't easily get her- they will probably do fine...And as the calf gets older she should start bringing the calf in closer..
Thanks all. We drove this mom and calf 3/4 miles through 2 foot snow home today. The calf seemed to be doing g reat, though she might be less some ears here soon. I am sure she was born when the weather was fair, but I know the damage can happen even after they dry. WE took a sled with us but the little trooper kept up most of the way and the last 100 yards was uphill and my husband carried her. So they are now home with the other mommas who can help babysit around the herd where the coyotes won't be bold and plenty of hay for the mother cow. The main thing I was worried about was the mom leaving to eat and drink (as she did the other night) because the coyotes and lions can be pretty fierce this time of year. While I could have hauled hay to her on a horse, not so much on the water and we don't live high enough they are trained to eat snow.
Anyway, thanks again for the advice. I am sure the calf would have been fine if they had just ridden out the storm, but at least I feel better that they are up with access to a loafing shed and water.
Anyway, thanks again for the advice. I am sure the calf would have been fine if they had just ridden out the storm, but at least I feel better that they are up with access to a loafing shed and water.
kjonesel
Well-known member
Just curious but you never did say where you were at.
Oldtimer
Well-known member
raykour- one more little tidbit...Since you have the calf now where you can observe it- at the first sign of droopy ears or scours- doctor it...Sometimes when a calf is stressed early or in your case in snow (which may soon be mud) you will get a sick calf... And if you can get it early they usually snap out of it- and can keep the rest from getting sick... A couple of scour tablets or shot of Noramycin 300LA are cheap prevention from them dying...
Oldtimer....
Thanks. This little heifer calf is a spit fire. She and her momma are clearly cut from the same cloth. Calf only needs momma to eat, momma could probably care less if she ate if it didn't hurt her udder to get big. Heifer spends half the day RUNNING in circles, chasing the dogs, etc. Healthiest little critter I have seen!
On another note, I had a bull calf born about noon yesterday. He got dried off and got his oral scour stuff early in the afternoon and we left him and momma where she had picked, which although snow covered was a very clean area where the animals don't usually travel. We went up to move them to the pen this afternoon and he is scouring. We gave esophageal feeder of electrolytes but no other treatment. The sulfa boluses say they are non-effective on a calf that is not ruminating. I have oxy-tet boluses (calf specific size), LA-200, Nuflor, and Excede. I also have the Sustain boluses. I thought to just wait and see how he was in the morning before treating him. He is separated for the other calves.
Thanks. This little heifer calf is a spit fire. She and her momma are clearly cut from the same cloth. Calf only needs momma to eat, momma could probably care less if she ate if it didn't hurt her udder to get big. Heifer spends half the day RUNNING in circles, chasing the dogs, etc. Healthiest little critter I have seen!
On another note, I had a bull calf born about noon yesterday. He got dried off and got his oral scour stuff early in the afternoon and we left him and momma where she had picked, which although snow covered was a very clean area where the animals don't usually travel. We went up to move them to the pen this afternoon and he is scouring. We gave esophageal feeder of electrolytes but no other treatment. The sulfa boluses say they are non-effective on a calf that is not ruminating. I have oxy-tet boluses (calf specific size), LA-200, Nuflor, and Excede. I also have the Sustain boluses. I thought to just wait and see how he was in the morning before treating him. He is separated for the other calves.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Good English cows can calve in snow and cold. Some SH or Herf blood seems to help. Just need to get out of the wind. A clean bale ring in the pasture works for them. Rain and cold is a bigger problem.
Poor cows will find a way to kill the calf even in decent conditions.
Poor cows will find a way to kill the calf even in decent conditions.
