Daytime calving tricks

[Nesikep]

well, it's always nice to be able to sleep once in a while when calving time comes around, though it's always a bit of a pipe dream. So it's always nice if they calf out in the early morning or daytime.. wondering if anyone has any suggestions on this...

the only one I heard is feeding in the evening a little before nightfall, that way they eat, then they chew cud, then by about 5 am might think it's the right time to get to work.. Anything else?

 

[buckmaster33]

No, I dont have any other tricks...but the nightime feeding has done me well. Average around 90% of my spring calves during daylight hours. Who knows...maybe I'm just lucky?!? :cowboy:

 

[hillsdown]

I feed as late as possible during calving season and 80% are born between 5am and 7 pm ..BUT you still have to check, my last check is at around midnight and if I don't see anything going on they are on their own until around 5am (if I do see something going on I am usually on here visiting with Angie until something Happens...)

HOWEVER ,when we had a dairy farm, the cows were giving free choice food 24 hours a day. The ready to calve group calved probably 80-90 % in the day time .........So go figure ,I think cows like to mainly calve in the day if at all possible no matter when you feed..

 

[Nesikep]

we found the ones who were going to have a problem liked to do it around midnight to 1 am, so you had to be up until dawn!.. I think we're around 60% daytime, or early morning at least.. they do like that 5 -7 am stuff

 

[VtMapleGal]

I was told by an old farmer on time cows will calve in the daylight or close to it so they can see predators, and so the calf will be stronger at the end of the day to run for coyotes, but i dont know how true that is...

 

[LoveMoo11]

We always walk out in the morning and get a surprise Once in a while they will calve during the day, but a lot of times at night. Luckily we've never had ANY calving problems with our Angus other than an abortion or two from cows that had reproductive issues.

 

[rockridgecattle]

That feeding at night so you can calve in the day is just a pipe dream here. It seems like they stuff themselves silly, lay down and out pops a calf at about 3am, several infact.
I do know that when a low pressure comes in, calves come out.
at night we check every two hours, but that is because of where we live, and the dislike of frozen ears. If something is going on, every hour. If it is -20 C or colder we live in the calving cabin pretty much.

 

[CWT Angus]

Pipe dream or not, it seems to help for us too. We usually feed in the late afternoon/evening anyway so it works out well. Seems that, for whatever reason as the cows get older they are calving more & more in the daylight. It's usually the heifers & anyone that will be having drama that likes to do it during the night! I swear some just like the satisfaction of keeping me up all night. Then the minute I run to the house to grab a snack or something warm- out comes baby.

It has also been handy to feed in the evening as I can see if someone is "off" & not acting themselves. Then I have a better idea of when things started & who to be watching extra close that night. It is also nice to see them in the daylight, if there is any left at feeding.

 

[Nesikep]

I totally agree.. it's nearly as frustrating as watching a calf looking for the teats!

Oh, a little to the right, c'mon, open your mouth.. .. darnit, take the bloody thing in your mouth already.. Oh, cow kicks... *sigh*

 

[buckmaster33]

Yeah, I had one last year that got dropped on his head pretty good coming out(why do moms stand up so soon?!?!) and that damn thing just insisted that his milk was between mom's FRONT legs?! Was really starting to wonder if it would ever figure it out....really tested what little patience I have. Luckily he was a bull!(and shortly after a steer)

 

[1982vett]

For a long time, the only time I ever saw a cow calving is when she had one stuck :frowns: and needed help. Still get a sinking feeling when I catch one in the process of having one, just know it is the one that is going to break the easy calving streak. So far so good, did have a heifer have a dead calf several weeks ago. Looks like she might have had trouble, but she had it so the streak is intact. Have to say the majority of mine are born in the dark. Judging by umbilical cords and the way they are up and about in the mornings, I'd have to say probably around midnight, give or take a few hours.

I generally feed in the afternoon. Used to be because I had a day job and the only time I had to feed was afternoon. Continued to do so if for no other reason is I figure they should be out hustling in the daylight. They can stand around a hay feeder at night if they need more. Right now because of the lack of grazing and pasture, I feed the dry cows around mid-morning to shut em up and get them away from the house. Cows with calves get fed also unless it is their day to graze so oats. Those days they get to graze a few hours before they get run off the oats and are given their hay.

 

[3waycross]

We feed just before dark if possible. Try to give them enuf time to cleanup the hay. I don't think we have had a calf between midnight and 7 am since we started doing that. However on of my cows and both her daughters calved between 5 and 10 pm this year. Must be a famiy trait.

We had a lot of calves born about feeding time this year???

 

[Angus Cowman]

I calve in the fall and feed hay between 6-8 in the evening most of my calves are born between 5 and 8 in the morning will have a few throughout the day but haven't had any in the evening and very few between midnight and 5 am

 

[1982vett]

I calve in the fall and feed hay between 6-8 in the evening most of my calves are born between 5 and 8 in the morning will have a few throughout the day but haven't had any in the evening and very few between midnight and 5 am

I'd call that night.

 

[Nesikep]

I calve in the fall and feed hay between 6-8 in the evening most of my calves are born between 5 and 8 in the morning will have a few throughout the day but haven't had any in the evening and very few between midnight and 5 am

I'd call that night.

Depending on the season.. in the summertime nightfall is around 10:30 for us, and you can see fine all night

 

[1982vett]

AC isn't as far north as you and I don't think he is feeding hay in the summertime. But today it was dark at 5:30, cloudy and overcast. In the summer it might not get dark till 9:45.

 

[Nesikep]

we're at about 52degree latidude.... in june/july, dusk is somewhere around 10 pm, never gets entirely dark to where you can't see when your eyes adapt

I've noticed short days when I went to california in the summertime.. I was in Death Valley in july, and it was dark at 8 PM... it was also 118F at 8 pm... I loved it, I did the trip without the AC in the car, since if I was going to experience it, I was going to do it right

 

[Angus Cowman]

AC isn't as far north as you and I don't think he is feeding hay in the summertime. But today it was dark at 5:30, cloudy and overcast. In the summer it might not get dark till 9:45.

Most of my calving is done in Sept. and usually is just getting dark when I feed first halfof the month 7-8 last half 6-7 now it is usually dark by 5:30