Calving assist setup?

[Ohrmundt Simmentals]

So with a lot of us into calving season. Our first one to pop any day. I just thought of a good question for everyone.
When you have to assist a cow in calving. What kind of setup do you like? I know a lot of times you can never get her to where you want her but if you could choose on your operation. Do you want in the chute, open head gate/lock so she has room on both sides, just tied to a post?

We have 1 head lock and a good squeeze chute but it is actually easier to help in the head lock.

 

[TexasBred]

Last one I pulled I simply pushed her up into the chute and put a couple of posts behind her. I don't catch the head in the headgate as this will allow her to move backward toward the post I have behind her and that seems to help keep her from trying to go down. Haven't had a really hard pull in a long time.

 

[randiliana]

This is our corral set up. For the most part one person can get a cow up into the corral and into the barn. The cows are brought in from the pasture shortly before they calve, and kept in the big pen where you see the bunch of cows down the hill at the beginning of the video. They have to come up the hill and through a gate for water every day, we can lock them into the big corral on top of the hill and eventually (even with the wildest cow) get them into the alley and then into the barn from there.


This is our actual barn set up. The panels on either side of the headgate swing so we can catch a cow. The big pen where the cow and calf are can be divided in two as well.

 

[dun]

If possible we get them in the chute and put a halter on them with a long lead rope and put the chains on. Then we let them out and time them to the chute then start pulling or putting the puller on as required. The one we pulled this morning we just ran into a 10X10 area and hooked her up and pulled the calf. A lot depends on the cow. This one was really pooped from trying to calve for so long and not getting anywhere.

 

[plumber_greg]

I built a very simple calving pen based on what powder river and Linn Pipe and Post have. Wooden headgate, crowd gate, both gates open to allow access to cow. However, I usually only have to open one gate for them. Best thing I ever built. Cost was next to nothing, used materials I had. gs

 

[Bigfoot]

I never put one in a chute to pull. I prefer a halter dallied to a post, if I can get it in my pens. The vast majority that I pull, are out in the pasture.

 

[Rafter S]

I wouldn't try to pull a calf in a loading chute unless I could open up the sides. If the cow goes down in a chute and can't get up you have a problem. I agree with putting a halter on her and tying her to a post.

And then I have some haystring and a stick. Loop the haystring around the legs, use the stick for a handle to pull on, and if that doesn't work I have the vet's number in my cell phone.

 

[slick4591]

I wouldn't try to pull a calf in a loading chute unless I could open up the sides. If the cow goes down in a chute and can't get up you have a problem. I agree with putting a halter on her and tying her to a post.

And then I have some haystring and a stick. Loop the haystring around the legs, use the stick for a handle to pull on, and if that doesn't work I have the vet's number in my cell phone.

I've had two pulls and put both in the head gate. Used straps and a come-a-long anchored at the bottom of the panel at the ground. I had one go down so I just stood on the cable and everything went fine. Maybe I was lucky, but I'd do it the same way again if i needed to.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I love the Powder River calving pen in their catalog. I am trying to replicate that in my corral for the future. The ones that I have pulled have been in the pasture or in the chute. But it has been very rare for me. Thank goodness, my Brangus have been very easy calvers!

 

[Ohrmundt Simmentals]

I wouldn't try to pull a calf in a loading chute unless I could open up the sides. If the cow goes down in a chute and can't get up you have a problem. I agree with putting a halter on her and tying her to a post.

And then I have some haystring and a stick. Loop the haystring around the legs, use the stick for a handle to pull on, and if that doesn't work I have the vet's number in my cell phone.

Yea the issue we have with using the chute is it only opens on the right side. Not good when they go down on their right. That only had to happen once to not want to use the chute. Plus there is just more room at the head lock. Kind of a trick to get them in their but it just works better.

Always interesting to hear what others do for different situations.

 

[Nesikep]

With most of my animals I can help them wherever they are, though if I need to, I put them in the headgate, which has 2 doors on each side.. Like TB, often their head isn't in the gate, they're just wedged in there with a post behind their butt. Don't own a calf puller, though I have calving chains that I've used a number of times... If I don't need the chains, I think the cow could have done it on her own and don't list it as an assisted birth, If I use the chains, but don't have to get muddy laying behind the cow pulling, that's light assistance, and if it takes me, or me and my dad on the ground pulling, that's serious assistance that we're certain the cow wouldn't have done on her own.