Calving Tip

[randiliana]

Here's a tip to consider.

We had a heifer calve the other night. Ended up having to pull the calf, and she really wasn't that interested in him. Happens often enough when you have to assist a heifer. Usually, we just leave them alone for a few hours (2-4) and when we come back she will have settled down and decided to love the calf. In this case, the heifer just laid down on the other side of the stall, and never looked at the calf. So, since it was 3 am, I just went into the house, made up a bottle of colostrum for the calf and fed the calf. Didn't really feel like messing with the cow at 3 am. Well, as soon as that calf drank that bottle down, he wanted to get up and started moving around. And that is when the little light bulb clicked on in the heifer's head, as soon as I got out of the way she was mothering him up. From what I could tell, the calf didn't really do much moving because the heifer wasn't licking( no stimulation) him, and the heifer didn't mother him because he didn't show a lot of life (more or less just laid still), sort of a catch 22 situation.

So my tip, in this situation, is
1. get the calf breathing (if necessary) and stimulate the calf a bit so he doesn't just lay there like a lump
2. give the pair a little time ALONE (at least 2 hours), don't check in on them every few minutes or you just stress the heifer even more. The more you interfere in this situation, the longer it is going to take for her to accept the calf.
3. before you bottle the calf, get him moving, if you can get him to stand up even better.

 

[Cowdirt]

Here's a tip to consider.

We had a heifer calve the other night. Ended up having to pull the calf, and she really wasn't that interested in him. Happens often enough when you have to assist a heifer. Usually, we just leave them alone for a few hours (2-4) and when we come back she will have settled down and decided to love the calf. In this case, the heifer just laid down on the other side of the stall, and never looked at the calf. So, since it was 3 am, I just went into the house, made up a bottle of colostrum for the calf and fed the calf. Didn't really feel like messing with the cow at 3 am. Well, as soon as that calf drank that bottle down, he wanted to get up and started moving around. And that is when the little light bulb clicked on in the heifer's head, as soon as I got out of the way she was mothering him up. From what I could tell, the calf didn't really do much moving because the heifer wasn't licking( no stimulation) him, and the heifer didn't mother him because he didn't show a lot of life (more or less just laid still), sort of a catch 22 situation.

So my tip, in this situation, is
1. get the calf breathing (if necessary) and stimulate the calf a bit so he doesn't just lay there like a lump
2. give the pair a little time ALONE (at least 2 hours), don't check in on them every few minutes or you just stress the heifer even more. The more you interfere in this situation, the longer it is going to take for her to accept the calf.
3. before you bottle the calf, get him moving, if you can get him to stand up even better.

Good tip Randi. If a cow is not absolutely vicious toward a new calf, I've found that confining them together after calving is beneficial. Seems that the cows usually wants some contact with her kind. If I'm having trouble with her the only contact with her kind must come from her new baby. If she kicks the baby as it tries to nurse, unlike what someone said, her experience will not be remembered as pleasant. ;-)

 

[jcarkie]

i agree when a heifer goes a little long in labor and even a easy pull they seem to be out of it. i had to drag a calf to find his momma this year and all the sudden it is like the light comes on and boom. i have seen it a few times. when i pull one i always put it in front of her and leave her alone, good advice.