calf puller

[zkrioka]

I am getting ready for calving season here in the Southern Hemisphere. Our experience last year showed the vet takes too long to arrive mainly because we are small operation and far away from town. Ive been thinking of buying a calf puller. The local feed supplier carries a model made in Germany that has a ridged tube and rachet system but with a plastic butt piece for $200. Did a search on google and some other brands showed up. Can anybody share their experience in model types use etc.

Also any helpful resource on handling problem births. How to turn a calf in the womb for example would help.

 

[Bez]

We have a "Doctor Franks" - it has been used exactly twice since we started raising cattle some years ago - but I consider it to be one of the best on the market. All of the vets in this area use the same model.

There are others, but we don't pull very often.

Bez

 

[msscamp]

Our's has a widely curved steel piece that goes behind the heifer/cow's butt, with a double nylon strap that goes over the top of her rump. The pole fits into a receptacle in the butt plate and extends about 10-15, maybe 20' with a ratchet that the chains attach to. To move the ratchet handle up the pole, there is a small metal piece that is depressed. We have used it for at least 36 years. Occasionally the notches that the ratchet handle works on need to be lightly sanded to remove gunk, debris, etc. Otherwise, no problems! Not sure of the brand, not even sure it is still visible, but I will check and let you know.

 

[Wewild]

We use rope and a come along.

 

[Bez]

We use rope and a come along.

I have seen it used - and it works - as long as there is something to hook on to.

All too often there is nothing around but grass.

Bez

 

[Wewild]

We use rope and a come along.

I have seen it used - and it works - as long as there is something to hook on to.

All too often there is nothing around but grass.

Bez

We usually have a truck with us.

 

[Bez]

Good for you - trucks can't get to most of the places folks around here pasture. Horses is most common - they do not like having come alongs tied to them.


Quads or 4-wheelers are sometime used but very inconvenient.

Bez

 

[Wewild]

Good for you - trucks can't get to most of the places folks around here pasture. Horses is most common - they do not like having come alongs tied to them.


Quads or 4-wheelers are sometime used but very inconvenient.

Bez

Very rarely do we have to use the come along. Most cases, which are rare, can be handled with rope on the legs and a little twisting/pulling. Worst case is a leg or two back. Had this happen twice in my short time on earth and both were dead. Just had to cut the head off because we couldn't get the legs out. Pushed it back in and the legs could be properly extracted. A hack saw comes in handy.

I quess you go back for "Doctor Franks" when you find one having problems.

 

[jcarkie]

they are useful but be careful of excessive force you can do more damage than good. get a copy of "calving the cow and care of the calf" by the tv vet. it is an old book but very helpful.

 

[CWT Angus]

I agree "be very careful".

A month ago I had to pull my first calf on a 1st yr angus heifer. Bred to calving ease bull & she was a big girl & all that good stuff. It was tough but I was able to work on it with just ob chains & calf delivered o.k. Heifer (then cow) cleaned out ok & all was great. Tons of milk/ great mom, everything you would want to see. Then exactly 2 weeks later I found her prolapsed & dead. She was fine in the morning & I found her in the afternoon. We watch our small herd very carefully & she was never "off" at all. Obviously something went wrong. Just goes to show you that you can do all you can & things still go wrong.

Her calf is doing great- thanks to all of you for your orphan calf advice.

 

[cul8r]

The cheapest and works just as good, is a tackle box with the following items in it: bottle of iodine and a bottle of baby oil, some rubber gloves, (although sometimes it's hard to work with the gloves on.) Oh, and your hands. That is all that I have ever used. Only had one calf over the years that could not be pulled this way, called the vet with his high dollar calf puller and he couldn't pull it either. His suggestion was haul her to either Bryan or Corpus for a c-section. Only one problem, cow was already down, kinda hard loading one in a trailer that's down and more than likely will not make it anyway. Just put the cow down, calf was already dead.

 

[Tod Dague]

The cheapest and works just as good, is a tackle box with the following items in it: bottle of iodine and a bottle of baby oil, some rubber gloves, (although sometimes it's hard to work with the gloves on.) Oh, and your hands. That is all that I have ever used. Only had one calf over the years that could not be pulled this way, called the vet with his high dollar calf puller and he couldn't pull it either. His suggestion was haul her to either Bryan or Corpus for a c-section. Only one problem, cow was already down, kinda hard loading one in a trailer that's down and more than likely will not make it anyway. Just put the cow down, calf was already dead.

Why didn't he do the c-section?

 

[joe]

we just use the OB chains here. Except the Mrs's purebreds, the get the OB straps, by her request. Keep a set in a coffe can in the truck, a set hanging in the barn. A couple chains a couple handles, and a come along just incase. Only had to use the come along twice and both were big backwards calves, and both lived and did well. I have a couple of the big cotraptions for pulling. Thought it would be easier for the Mrs. but the are a little too much for the little woman, and they are too long to fit behind a cow in the head gate in the barn.

 

[cul8r]

Why didn't he do the c-section?

This was about 18 to 20 years ago, he had only been a vet for 4 or 5 years and was mainly a cat and dog vet. He was the only vet available that day to come out. I already knew before he got here that more than likely he wasn't going to be able to pull the calf either, at this point calf was already dead and I was just trying to possibly save the cow. After I called him, it took him 3 to 3 1/2 hours to even get here.

 

[diamond_a]

I calve out about 60 head of 2 year old heifers every year. I try to pull every one of them so they have some assistance that first time around. On top of pulling all those heifers I usually have to pull a couple breech deliveries, ones with feet back, head back, whatever. Calving out 500 head of momma cows a year lends experience quickly. My advice on a puller would be to get the friction type. A previous poster noted a Dr. Franks. I believe that is the brand that I have, and it works great. I would stay away from the ratchet type pullers. I don't think you have as much "feel" for how much pressure you are applying. Another handy little hint: If you're serious about pulling calves, get two pullers and put them on the same pole. Use one puller for the left leg, and one puller for the right. This allows you more of that "feel" per leg. You gotta be careful not to get carried away with trying to "jerk" them calves out.

 

[Chuck]

I calve out about 60 head of 2 year old heifers every year. I try to pull every one of them so they have some assistance that first time around.

diamond-a Please explain the benefit of pulling calves that are coming fine on their own.

 

[TheBullLady]

Yes, please explain that! I can't imagine pulling a calf just to be doing it is any good for the cow or calf.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

I calve out about 60 head of 2 year old heifers every year. I try to pull every one of them so they have some assistance that first time around.

diamond-a Please explain the benefit of pulling calves that are coming fine on their own.

:shock: pull ever gol durn one?
why?

 

[diamond_a]

Yes, please explain that! I can't imagine pulling a calf just to be doing it is any good for the cow or calf.
TheBullLady

First thing you have to understand about "assisting" a labor is that you are there to do just that.
Second thing you have to be sure of is that you know how, and are properly set up to pull calves. Now when I say assist a cow (heifers in this case) I am not talking about running her into your shed (or whatever your facilites might be) and just go to yanking stuff. What I do is bring her in. Let her nest in the shed for about an hour or so. After this point one of two things is gonna happen. She'll either have some feet sticking out, or she will be in a corner laying down pushing. Actually three things. The third being absolutely nothing. If shes ready to go then I catch her in the maternity pen and get to pulling. If shes not, I don't give her more than about another hour to calm down and start pushing. If shes still not ready after this point thats when I catch her, reach inside, and find either a leg back, a breech, a head back, a dead one... You name it. Its either C-Section time or turning body parts around.

Now, as of to why I do this? A few reasons. Number one. 2 year old heifers are not exceptionally bright. They are not real sure about whats going on. I've seen far too many heifers both on my place and others that have killed a calf simply because they won't bear down and calve. They start to push then get up and wander around. Now, older cows that have a had a couple will go nest somewhere and get it done. When you have a cow that extensively labors for one reason or another they will start to cut off oxygen to the calf. Not good. I personally have never killed a calf because I pulled it too soon. I have killed calves because I didn't pull them as soon as I should have. Foggy eyes in dead calves is a good sign of waiting too long.
Number two reason. When we preg-test our 2 year olds after having their first calves we have remarkably high conception rates. My vet (I know, everbody's vet is the smartest one on the planet) who worked in a large research station pulling heifers (several hundred) noted that: Heifers that have had assistance in delivery are more likely to conceive and carry a calf that same year after being assisted.
Those two reasons are hands-down the only two that I really need. I certainly don't do it just for kicks and giggles. However, if you are going to be the type to yank out calves, my suggestion is to not try this. I've pulled calves that took two minutes, and others two hours. But I know the difference between emergency pulling and assisting. I know how tight you can pull on a 65 pound calf and how tight you can pull on a 100 pound calf without breaking legs or tearing muscle.

 

[Bama]

I guess everbody has their opinions. I very rarely assist, I go by the theory that calves were being born long before I was here. If at all possible I let them have them themselves, unless they get in trouble. Best assistance I can give a heifer is bull selection.