Cold Weather Calving Frozen Ears

[AudieWyoming]

I am looking for your best cold weather calving stories. In paticular tell us your best methods for saving the ears. I have heard just get them as dry as possable and spray them with rubbing alcohol.
We dry them and try to keep a pair of cut pantyhose pulled over their head to hold the ears next to the neck. It should work better but most mama's keep licking them off the ears.

 

[mncowboy]

You'll have to let the cow clean the calf off, but as you seem to know already if she continues it can be counter productive and they'll loose their ears. What we have been using is a calf warming box. Its a polly single calf sled and cover. In the sled is a rubber coated grate with a heater blowing air beneath the calf rising up and around it. The nice thing about it is it warms the calf slowly as to not send it into shock. Couple hours in there and it'll come out dry and fluffy. Its still important to let the cow clean the calf first to create the maternal bond but after that, your good to go. They seem to run about $350 or so but, after saving one calf its paid for itself. Good luck

Try www.polydome.com and click on the "calf warmer" link

 

[randiliana]

First, the best thing you can do is fill the barn up. The more cows you have in the barn, the warmer it will be. More work keeping things clean, but warmer, some times 15 degrees warmer than outside.

This past spring we probably had the wierdest March. We had everything from +20 C to -35 C from week to week. One day they'd be popping them out outside and the next you'd have the barn full. I remember one calf, mama hadn't any more than licked her off, and I was throwing a baby blanket (yeah, a real one) over her and pulling a hockey sock over her face and ears. I find that they work great, they are thicker and therefore warmer than pantyhose and they have elastic ends which helps to keep them in place. She was standing right there watching me in a 10x10 stall. I looked at DH and said, God, am I ever glad we have QUIET cows!! I think we brought 1 calf of the hundred or so we calved into the house.

 

[novaman]

There is a local lady who makes "caps" out of fleece. She puts elastic on one end to hold it on the head. It slips over the head and ears. There are a couple holes cut for the eyes and a bigger one in the end for the nose to go through. The fleece material works very well for insulating the heat. I have noticed that the caps will soak up the moisture readily so if the calf is really wet they don't always work so great. The other problem I've had is keeping them placed properly so the calf can see to nurse. They turn all different directions often covering the eyes of the calf. If I have an extremely chilled calf I put the calf in a PolyDome calf hut and put a heater in front of it. I suppose it would be similar to the calf warmers you can buy but the huts are used for other applications so they are around anyway. Its too bad the weather wouldn't be more predictable. It seems that no matter when calving season comes there are always frigid temperatures somewhere along the line. I've seen guys calve in January and have nicer weather then April. Every year is different and you just have to be ready for the worst.

 

[AudieWyoming]

It seems that no matter when calving season comes there are always frigid temperatures somewhere along the line. I've seen guys calve in January and have nicer weather then April. Every year is different and you just have to be ready for the worst.

I start calving Feb. 1 because I sell a few yearling bulls and I want them to be 14-16 months old before most guys turn them out. I prefer the cold and frozen to wet and sloppy (when we get nornal spring moisture), but it also takes a lot more feed to get a wet cow to green grass. I feel I need to sell a few bulls and replacment quality heifers to capture the value of my genetics. If I were running comercial cows and just selling pounds I would calve a lot later.

 

[angus9259]

There is a local lady who makes "caps" out of fleece. She puts elastic on one end to hold it on the head. It slips over the head and ears. There are a couple holes cut for the eyes and a bigger one in the end for the nose to go through. The fleece material works very well for insulating the heat. I have noticed that the caps will soak up the moisture readily so if the calf is really wet they don't always work so great. The other problem I've had is keeping them placed properly so the calf can see to nurse. They turn all different directions often covering the eyes of the calf. If I have an extremely chilled calf I put the calf in a PolyDome calf hut and put a heater in front of it. I suppose it would be similar to the calf warmers you can buy but the huts are used for other applications so they are around anyway. Its too bad the weather wouldn't be more predictable. It seems that no matter when calving season comes there are always frigid temperatures somewhere along the line. I've seen guys calve in January and have nicer weather then April. Every year is different and you just have to be ready for the worst.

I bought a bunch of these and couldn't keep them on. Too bad too - good idea. I'm back to duct tape. I probably could have saved a calf or two with the calf warmer. Think I'll have to break down on that here in not too long.

I know folks that keep a bunch of cows in the barn and inevitably they'll lose one a year that gets sat on or otherwise crushed.

 

[cfpinz]

I run a couple wraps of duct tape around their head, best thing I've found yet. If you do it right you're going to have to catch the little buggars again in a couple days, though.