Dead Calves

[cyoest]

We have had six calves this year and two have died. One died several hours after being born and the other died 9 days after birth. Both appeared healthy and the older one gained 15 pounds in the 9 days alive. Neither had any visible signs of injury. The remaining four seem very healthy and active. They are all from a registered Longhorn bull and cows. This is our second year raising longhorns and first year with calves. Please help.

 

[KNERSIE]

How long has the calves been dead? If not long take one to a vet for an autopsy and so that a sample can be sent for analysis. You vet should always be your first call in a situation like this. The rest of us can only guess.

 

[cyoest]

We did call the vet immediately upon finding the second one. She was still warm so she could not have been dead that long. He was not available and did not call back until the following day (this morning). In the mean time we buried the calf well away from the pasture and other animals.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

I currently have 82 calves on the ground and we only lost one due to lightning. So the odds are you do have some kind of major problem if you look at the percentage of your losses. I find it to be very rare to lose that many percentage of your calves and it's got to be your cow and probably not the bull.

 

[KNERSIE]

I currently have 82 calves on the ground and we only lost one due to lightning. So the odds are you do have some kind of major problem if you look at the percentage of your losses. I find it to be very rare to lose that many percentage of your calves and it's got to be your cow and probably not the bull.

It could be one of so many things that speculation is not going to do much to help prevent future losses.

I good starting point would be to test the BVD status of all the calves, testing the cows for BVD will follow is any calves test positive. In the meantime have the cows tested for Brucelosis and TB and whatever diseases your vet suggests.

 

[MikeC]

We have had six calves this year and two have died. One died several hours after being born and the other died 9 days after birth. Both appeared healthy and the older one gained 15 pounds in the 9 days alive. Neither had any visible signs of injury. The remaining four seem very healthy and active. They are all from a registered Longhorn bull and cows. This is our second year raising longhorns and first year with calves. Please help.

You have a 33.33% calf mortality rate and you are asking for help on a chat forum? :roll:

You need a new hobby. Ever thought about an ant farm?

Try goats, if you lose 100%, you still haven't lost anything..........................

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Hang on now before we all go setting off the alarms... for those folks with a small herd size it may not be a catastrophic issue resulting in a high percentage of loss -- it could just simply be a bum year with unfortunate circumstances especially for the first year with calves.

Questions:
1. What is your feeding and/or mineral program?
2. Vaccinations given and timing to the cows?
3. This is your first year with calves... do you have a calving record of any of these animals? or all they all first time moms?

First, the one that was dead within hours of being born... was it a hard birth? were you there to observe the birth? Could be that the calve was too long in the delivery and was oxygen deprived.

Second, the one that died at 9 days old -- appeared healthy to you meaning what? ears alert and perky? poop was solid? poop was what color? running and playing with the tail held high in the air? or was the calf a day or so prior to dying laying around and not traveling with the herd so much?

Please provide additional information so we can give you some options or something to watch out for in the future.

Very sorry for your losses.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Instead of buring the calf, should have froze it or taken it to the vet and had the receptionist "put it on ice".

Davis is right more info is needed.

1. did the calves recieve timely colostrum...within 2 hours and again between 6 and 12hours did you see the new born suck or just presume it sucked. did you see it get up or just presume it did
2. what was the poop like
3. did they calve in the same area...or out on pasture
4. calving problems
5.how lively were they both?

What was the weather like the last couple of days.
then there is over eating disease or cryposporidia. (for the older calf)What happens is inclement weather happens or they get separated for longer 10 hours or longer. Then the calf gorges itself on the abundant supply of milk and volia...several hours later a sick then shortly after a dead calf

Then there is ecoli
BVD PI calf
IBR
mineral deficencies
lack of colostrum
scours roto/corona virus and a few others
navel ill/joint ill
twisted gut/ hole in the heart/ stepped on by another cow...you know bad luck things

So many possiblities....endless

 

[f4leggin]

Last year was my first year calving - I got the cows in January, and they started calving in February/March - my statistics were like yours - I had 6 bred cows (I thought) lost 2 calves in that group - one still born, one to coyotes w/i in the first few hours. I ended up getting 2 more from 2 heifers I bought with the cows that I was told more than once - were not bred. So, out of 8, I lost two - it was not a good first year. But, in the past year, I learned a lot about my cows, I knew when the bull was put in, the cows learned who I was, I read a lot - and I'm happy to report this year, we had 9 calves and all are doing well. So... I would suggest you learn as much as you can from this year's heartbreak - you have a year to research and learn and hopefully next year will be better. I'm very sorry that those two calves of mine had to die - there is no doubt in my mind I made mistakes last year that my cows paid the price for. But, dwelling on those mistakes was not going to help me much. I'm not saying the calves dieing is your fault at all - but I am saying don't feel too guilty, just learn as much as you can from the experience.

Jill

 

[angie1]

Instead of buring the calf, should have froze it or taken it to the vet and had the receptionist "put it on ice".

Just for my own information, because I am sure I will need it in the future ~ it is my understanding that a dead animal to be posted should not be frozen to preserve for the vet. I was told they need to be kept as cool as possible w/o freezing (for example ~ put it on ice). This is not so?

As for your calf, a post would have been nice if you had been able to preserve the calf. That being said I appreciate the thought behind getting it buried away from the others etc...

Coulda. shoulda, woulda? Been there done that. Quite honestly I didn't think you could kill a longhorn with a hammer from what I've heard on here ~ but I have no experience with them.

The others have made important points, things you need to consider. Next year you will know the answers and you will do better I am thinking. Good Luck!

 

[grannysoo]

My first year, I lost 2 out of 5 calves. 99.9% my fault for being ignorant. Haven't lost another one since then to anything but the freezer.

 

[hopalong]

Not very likley black leg even on the 9 day old one next to impossible on the new born.
Any advice on here is second guessing at best.
Sorry for you loss but I would have hauled the second calf to the vets and had them put it in his cooler!!!!

 

[KNERSIE]

Instead of buring the calf, should have froze it or taken it to the vet and had the receptionist "put it on ice".

Just for my own information, because I am sure I will need it in the future ~ it is my understanding that a dead animal to be posted should not be frozen to preserve for the vet. I was told they need to be kept as cool as possible w/o freezing (for example ~ put it on ice). This is not so?

As for your calf, a post would have been nice if you had been able to preserve the calf. That being said I appreciate the thought behind getting it buried away from the others etc...

Coulda. shoulda, woulda? Been there done that. Quite honestly I didn't think you could kill a longhorn with a hammer from what I've heard on here ~ but I have no experience with them.

The others have made important points, things you need to consider. Next year you will know the answers and you will do better I am thinking. Good Luck!

Correct, freezing would just about be the equivalent of boiling it.

 

[rockridgecattle]

your right, the freezer is not the best place but to keep it cool...brain freeze moment...!
Having said that we have always if needed taken the calf in. But we have also asked the receptionist or called the cell of the vet to ask what to do to preserve this calf. Lastly, if that fails to invoke a response the local ag office will more than likely know what to do to preserve the calf until a vet can see it....my point was there are options other than buring it just can't get ahold of the vet

Rr

 

[Keren]

Just to make everyone feel better ...

My first goat I purchased in kid.

Two months later I have 100% doe mortality and 33.3% kid mortality.

She had twins then died due to one dead one stuck, which ruptured her uterus and bowel.

On the bright side, I knew I could only improve from there

 

[Dixon_Club_Calves]

sounds like selenium deficciancy

 

[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Yeah man, it sucks. Last year we had six calves and two died too. . You know what they say
"Life's a B*tch, and then you die." lol

 

[leenihon]

Hey I don't know what you have, but my first year calving I lost 14 of 16 calves. Finally had an analysis done and it turned out to be lepto in my herd. They said normally the calf would be aborted with lepto but my came out fine, lived a day or two and died. Could not keep them alive. Started vaccine on cows and bull had no more problems like you describe.