Calving

[Anonymous]

Starting at about 5 am this morning, my Jersey cow was "waxing". Her udder is not full, but is filling. She's still eating hay, but is very restless and doing some pacing.

Approximately how long after a cow starts to "wax" will the calf come?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

In forty plus years I've never seen a cow "wax", horses "wax". A cow will frequently keep eating right up till shortly before she calves. If she is very restless, trying to find a little privacy, lays down and stands up a lot, she is getting very close. But, (there is always a but when it comes to cows) she could calve in the next couple of hours or wait a day or two. Keep an eye on her, if she really starts to strain a lot and nothing happens within an hour or so, it's best to check and find out why. Ones the sack appears the feet should appear within a half hour or so, once the feet appear, if she hasn't had the calf within an hour or so, find out why

dunmovin farms

> Starting at about 5 am this
> morning, my Jersey cow was
> "waxing". Her udder is
> not full, but is filling. She's
> still eating hay, but is very
> restless and doing some pacing.

> Approximately how long after a cow
> starts to "wax" will the
> calf come?

> Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

> In forty plus years I've never
> seen a cow "wax", horses
> "wax".

She appears to be doing the same thing that my goats do right before kidding -- in human terms, it would be called "passing the mucus plug". Sort of a slimy discharge from the vulva. The vulva is slack, somewhat edemous, protruding slightly, and "jiggles" when she walks. I'm not seeing, or feeling, any contractions at this point, but they could still be far enough apart to just miss them too.

I'm waiting for the vet to call back -- I've got lots of experience with other large animals (horses and goats, primarily), but nothing with cattle since I was a teenager and those were Angus/Hereford crosses.

This gal has really become my baby since we've had her and I'm worse than I was when my grandson was born!! LOL

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Except for the multiple birth part, it's exactly the same as a goat, but if you see the soles of the feet pointing up it means trouble. With goats you get used to that, with a cow it means either the calf is backwards or didn't rotate and is on it's back. Before we really got into cows, this is 25 years ago, we had a small goat dairy, 25-30 head of milkers. We had so much experience with pulling kids and the problems related to hard deliveries that the cow people in the area called us to help with the cows when they had problems. What I'm getting at is, other then single birth and physical size, everything you know about goats will work for cows.

dunmovin farms

> She appears to be doing the same
> thing that my goats do right
> before kidding -- in human terms,
> it would be called "passing
> the mucus plug". Sort of a
> slimy discharge from the vulva.
> The vulva is slack, somewhat
> edemous, protruding slightly, and
> "jiggles" when she
> walks. I'm not seeing, or feeling,
> any contractions at this point,
> but they could still be far enough
> apart to just miss them too.

> I'm waiting for the vet to call
> back -- I've got lots of
> experience with other large
> animals (horses and goats,
> primarily), but nothing with
> cattle since I was a teenager and
> those were Angus/Hereford crosses.

> This gal has really become my baby
> since we've had her and I'm worse
> than I was when my grandson was
> born!! LOL

> Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

[No message]

 

[Anonymous]

I'm seeing progress, but it could still be another day.

The udder is filling, the pelvic ligaments have relaxed, the calf has changed positions, the vulva is *really* protruding and appears to have mild pressure behind it. She's intermittently passing mucus and would only play with her grain ration this morning. I'm still not seeing or feeling any contractions, but I do expect the calf by tomorrow.

Thanks for all your help and I will post about the calf when it gets here.

Ann

 

[Anonymous]

I've had problems accessing this board for the past several days, but it's all worked out now.

Anyway, Sunday evening the Jersey had her calf, a little bull. I had thought her bag was full when I wrote before, I now see that it wasn't even close! Poor thing has to walk bowlegged, her udder is so big!

Both are doing quite well, youngster has taken to the bottle with no problems, and that cow is giving 4 gallons a day!

My hands about gave out before we located a portable milker (carpel tunnel), but we have one now and things seem to be going just fine.

Ann