karlie45
Well-known member
We had just gotten done with a week of flawless, no-trouble calves. Looking forward to a flawless calving season (yeah...right...) And then this week we had the weirdest bunch of things happen to our calves and calvers.
A little simmental calf was born in what we call the "mud pit" (a little 3x5ft mud hole at the corner of a big pasture..the only mud we have) We found her, 'swimmin' in the mud,tryin to get out. Momma cow was full of mud from her nose to her shoulders, knee deep and diggin the calf out. My dad pulled the calf out of the mud, brough it up to an empthy pen, and we washed her off with warm watter. Both were pretty tired, but Momma was an old show heifer, so we tired her up and the calf nursed. (both just wanted to lay down) All is good now, they are out with the other cows, back in the pasture.
The next one...I wasnt there to witness it, (it was 2 am, on a school night) so I dont really know what happened. Anyway, a shorthorn first-calf heifer was due to calve. We were planning on weaning off her calf, and then selling both. (she is not very good quality) She was having trouble calving, so they loaded her up and drove the 1 hour drive to our vet. He cut her open, and did a C-section. Somewhere in that time, the calf broke her leg. So we now have our first C-section cow, and a calf with a big ol' blue cast on her leg(front right leg). Calf gets around fine. She learned quickly to use it to her advantage when getting up. Running was a different story, but some how, she does it, and keeps up with our 'normal' calves.
I will try to post pictures of them.
There is more, just not as abnormal.
Everything was scary at the moment, and yes, we wish that it didnt happen, but it keeps calving time interesting. Just goes to show, you never know what to expect.
A little simmental calf was born in what we call the "mud pit" (a little 3x5ft mud hole at the corner of a big pasture..the only mud we have) We found her, 'swimmin' in the mud,tryin to get out. Momma cow was full of mud from her nose to her shoulders, knee deep and diggin the calf out. My dad pulled the calf out of the mud, brough it up to an empthy pen, and we washed her off with warm watter. Both were pretty tired, but Momma was an old show heifer, so we tired her up and the calf nursed. (both just wanted to lay down) All is good now, they are out with the other cows, back in the pasture.
The next one...I wasnt there to witness it, (it was 2 am, on a school night) so I dont really know what happened. Anyway, a shorthorn first-calf heifer was due to calve. We were planning on weaning off her calf, and then selling both. (she is not very good quality) She was having trouble calving, so they loaded her up and drove the 1 hour drive to our vet. He cut her open, and did a C-section. Somewhere in that time, the calf broke her leg. So we now have our first C-section cow, and a calf with a big ol' blue cast on her leg(front right leg). Calf gets around fine. She learned quickly to use it to her advantage when getting up. Running was a different story, but some how, she does it, and keeps up with our 'normal' calves.
I will try to post pictures of them.
There is more, just not as abnormal.
Everything was scary at the moment, and yes, we wish that it didnt happen, but it keeps calving time interesting. Just goes to show, you never know what to expect.
