Calving preparations

[Newmex2010]

I am fixing to start calving my heifers and cows. Just wondering what a good list of things to have on hand would be.

 

[blacksnake]

The smart a$$ answer is calving ease heifers bred to calving ease bulls. As for as to what to have on hand will depend upon your what area you are in and what facilities you have. Can you psot your location and what type of facilities you have available and someone in your area can give you the best advice. also always helps to have good luck on your side!

 

[dun]

Chains w/handles, lube shoulder length gloves, iodine, towels/rags (ear tags and bander as required), someone with experience on speed dial (just in case)

 

[angie1]

Hard to add to duns list, but I would also suggest a flash light and powdered colostrum (just to have on hand). A pair of jersey gloves too, the legs can get pretty slick. A scale if you don't have one.

 

[Isomade]

Chains w/handles, lube shoulder length gloves, iodine, towels/rags (ear tags and bander as required), someone with experience on speed dial (just in case)

An ice chest with bud light, a spotlight, and an alarm clock set to go off at 2 and 5 AM, coffee pot ready so all you have to do is hit the button.

 

[Newmex2010]

Thanks for the help!

 

[randiliana]

Electrolytes too

 

[jerry27150]

guess i am behind times again, i don't have any of that stuff

 

[tsmaxx47]

guess i am behind times again, i don't have any of that stuff

i've got the ear taggers and banders.....

 

[slick4591]

Anyone used the nylon straps for pulling?

 

[R&SGilles]

We use nylon straps and they work great. Very strong. Just a little harder to clean after the job is done.

 

[regolith]

I've always used a strap, it's just what I'm used to. I've got a pic somewhere around.

that what you mean?

 

[Headache Acres]

Iodine (to dip navel), BoSe (cuz our state is deficient) B12 (in case one had a rough trip to give a little boost)

 

[OH Breeder]

We had an extremely sad case last year of a calf folded and cow needing c-section. Vet showed up with no suture. Refused to proceed with the section without his suture. So round trip to his office and back to farm was 3 hours. Long story short lost calf saved cow. I feel lucky. I worked in the ER a long time. I have 2 sisters that are nurses and a sister that's a respiratory therapist. So usually we are pretty good in emergencies.
Here's our supplies:
Shop lights
I put together an emergency kit(just a long tool chest with handle). It has syringes, cat gut or suture, needles, scalpels, razors, betadine, suction machine and catheters, sterile drapes, lidocaine, lube, feeding tube and chunk of garden hose. We also keep OB Chains and handles and the calf jack handy as well as electrolytes and powdered colostrum.
Garbage bag of old towels and blankets.
5 gallon bucket clean
Lowe's has these gloves that have grips on them that work great with slick or wet stuff. You don't loose your grip.
Neighbor is 2 miles from us and they have frozen colostrum fresh so I always keep their number handy. I go through a check list to make sure its all ready prior to calving.

if you have access to a squeeze chute you may need it or at least some sturdy pipe gates and a head catch. the older I get the more our cold winters bother about every joint in my body. So, we have a nice sized room that is heated we can put heifers or cows that are ready to calve or we think might have trouble.

 

[Lon]

Anyone used the nylon straps for pulling?

All we use. Seemed back when we was pulling char calves out of cows ,aww the good old days dont miss that a bit, the chain was way harder than the straps on the calves legs specially the hide talking about a real hard pull that is.

 

[Lon]

Also if your in a colder area it sure dont hurt to have some blankets to rub a calf down with incase of being to cold. Some straw to bust out on the ground when it is real cold (so that newborn wet calf aint laying on frozen ground and snow getting the heat sucked out of it) and if calving close to the house a nipco or calf heater is also great. but this is for us up here that like to test the blizzards and neg wind chill numbers when calving. and one more to add a rope if calving out in the pasture not close to corrals that way if something does go wrong and you need to pull something you can snub her up to a tree or corner post and pull that calf.

 

[slick4591]

Anyone used the nylon straps for pulling?

All we use. Seemed back when we was pulling char calves out of cows ,aww the good old days dont miss that a bit, the chain was way harder than the straps on the calves legs specially the hide talking about a real hard pull that is.

I was buying a few things and saw those. First thing I thought of was they were probably easier on the legs. Thanks!

 

[Victoria]

Colostrum
My husband bought me a really handy thing - a headlamp. I was complaining about having to try to hold a flashlight and do everything else.