Calving update....the saga continues

[HOSS]

This has been a hard year so far. Firstly my beat momma cow had a pre-mature heifer that lived 5 days. Then I had another cow abort early. The 3rd calf of the season was born Saturday to a heifer that is sort of a pet around here. She is a Jersey x Balancer which is a by-product of my nurse cow and Balancer bull. Anyway this Jersey x Balancer heifer calved saturday. Normal birth and it seemed like the calf came easy. I watched from the house. It took about 45 minutes from the time I saw her going into labor until the calf was born. It was about 65 pounds and very energetic. It was up and trying to nurse in a just a little bit. The heifer was being an attentive momma with her cleaning it and being protective. When the calf went to nurse it was another story. She just kept spinning away from it and kicking at her. After some mud-slogging work I was finally able to get the calf up, dried it off and bottle fed it colostrum. I could not catch the heifer as she took off for the woods. I noticed while bottle feeding tha the calf was bleeding at the gums?????? I have never seen this before. I kept her up in the barn under a heat lamp over night and bottle fed her twice. She stayed strong and energetic. This afternoon I was able to catch the heifer and milk her a little bit to make sure her teats were working ok. I then loaded her into the trailer and took her to the barn. I put the calf in there with her after I poured some of the heifers milk on the calf's back. The calf basically forced her to let it nurse. It stayed persistant until the heifer gave in. She smelled the milk on the calf and started licking it all over good and bonding. I penned them up together just to make sure that she will nurse it. I am starting to get gun-shy with every calf that hits the ground. This is another A.I. calf from JBOB Carolina5432P. I hope this calf makes it. It is bigger and stronger than the last one and not pre-mature. The bleeding gum thing bothers me but it has stopped. Here is a pic of the little heifer calf. It is hard to breed out the Jersey look in their face :lol:

 

[Isomade]

Dang Hoss, I sure hope the rest of em come easy. Sounds like what is usually a time you look forward to has turned into a nightmare. Here's to wishing you the best for the rest of the calving season :drink:

Isom

 

[farmwriter]

Sounds like a tough year, to be sure, and ya have my sympathy. Any word from the vet re. the lab work on the other 2?

 

[HOSS]

Sounds like a tough year, to be sure, and ya have my sympathy. Any word from the vet re. the lab work on the other 2?

Not yet farmwriter. He said 8 to 10 days before I would know something. The last calf born is doing well so I still am holding out hope that it was a fluke.

 

[cypressfarms]

Tough luck Hoss, hope it turns for you, and soon!

 

[backhoeboogie]

Keep 'em alive if you can Hoss. I think this little thangs are turning to gold. Its a bad time to get on a bad run like that.

Here's wishing you better luck on the next bunch.

 

[HOSS]

Sounds like a tough year, to be sure, and ya have my sympathy. Any word from the vet re. the lab work on the other 2?

Tests come back negative. I wonder if it could be something in the hay. I have been feeding from a different source for a month or so.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Sorry about the bad start. Hopefully, all the bad is behind you this season.
The bleeding gums might have been because the cow kick it in the mouth.

 

[farmwriter]

Sorry about the bad start. Hopefully, all the bad is behind you this season.
The bleeding gums might have been because the cow kick it in the mouth.

I wondered that too, or if perhaps the calf had grabbed some foreign object (who knows what) and tried to nurse it? I see our's grab all kinds of things to see if it might have some dinner in it.

 

[HOSS]

My thoughts on the bleeding gums are now leaning toward birth pressure. Her tongue was swollen also and she was having difficulty nursing. After the swelling went down she could nurse fine. I believe that the pressure on her head during birth caused her gums to bleed around the base of the teeth. I could see no external signs of injury from a kick. That was my first thought and I saw no cuts inside her mouth. She is doing fine now and she is very healthy. She runs and plays like nothing ever happened. It is amazing how resiliant the little squirts can be.