FATAL CALF BIRTH---PHOTOS

[CowCop]

Hello All,

There is a nice snowstorm presently swirling around outside, so I have a few moments to get these photos to you before I go out to shovel.

April 2004 photos
productive Hereford #193 age 11
Large Angus/Hereford fullterm Heifer

I found the cow walking to the stream to get a drink.
Took 15 minutes to dislodge the calf.

The owner shipped the cow 4 days later.

Comments ?


There are many pocket sized, inexpensive digital cameras on the market--many on "after xmas" sale right now. Photos document a situation and are a great educational tool. I encourage everyone to get a camera, carry it with you and use it liberally.


CowCop

 

[cherokeeruby]

suffocated?

 

[dun]

Looks like a simple case of hiplock. Easily resolved in a timely manner. The end result is a large healthy living calf. Unless it was breech, that's what my wife thinks. Even if it was, timely pulling it would still have the same result.

dun

 

[cherokeeruby]

I saved one of the pictures to my picture file and blew it up, upon closer inspection it does indeed look like breech.

 

[dun]

I saved one of the pictures to my picture file and blew it up, upon closer inspection it does indeed look like breech.

The more I looked at it, and my wife pointed out the tail in the first picture which I couldn't figure out, I agree it sure looks breech. I'm just surprised by the amount she had managed to get a breech calf out.

dun

 

[WORANCH]

I saved one of the pictures to my picture file and blew it up, upon closer inspection it does indeed look like breech.

Yes it 's a breech . as Dun said you have to resolve it early t o save the calf .

 

[Bez]

I have only had one breech. Here is what my vet told me to think about if I have another breech birth.

The umbilical cord has a tendency to break off while the calf still has it's head inside the birth canal. That is why Mother Nature and God makes them come head first. So they can breathe. If the cow cannot get the calf out it pretty quickly, it stands a real good chance of it drowning or suffocating. Once the back legs are out - and if you have the opportunity - pull!

Unless of course the calf tail is up - then you have to "go up to your shoulder" and "rearrange everything".

This one could quite possibly have been saved if there had been help available - but thems the breaks in this business. I think anyone who has been around cows for any length of time can say they have lost at least one that they probably could have saved if the circumstances had been different.

Bez

 

[Dee]

question.... sometimes like in one of the pictures, the calf has yellow colored slimy (sp) stuff on it, not clearish white like most other times. Is the yellow slime a sign of something wrong?

 

[dun]

question.... sometimes like in one of the pictures, the calf has yellow colored slimy (sp) stuff on it, not clearish white like most other times. Is the yellow slime a sign of something wrong?

No. I was told years ago that sometimes a calf will have bodily fluid discharges before birth and that is what that gunk is.
Besides, if the calf has been soaking in it, there isn't anything you could probably do for it anyway. The dams don't seem to mind licking it off.

dun

 

[Vicky the vet]

Calf is backwards. I personally don't call them breech unless there's a tail and no legs...but that's semantics. Muconium staining --yellow crap--is from the calf being stressed during birth. With a backwards calf, it will be inhaled into the lungs and cause some real problems if the calf is alive in a lot of cases. The calves die from pressure on the umbilical artery preventing oxygen getting to the calf and it can't get oxygen inside...thus it dies. Sometimes you can bring them around by pouring cold water in their ear, but the heart still has to be beating.

V

 

[Beefy]

I'm with Dr. V, breech means buttfirst. This calf was backwards and in a normal backward presentation. Some cows will have a backward calf by themself just fine. The trick is the umbilical cord "breaks" as the calf passes thru the birth canal. the calfs oxygen supply is thereby cut off and the calf will gasp for air, inhaling fluid, if not expelled immediately. In the normal presentation, the birth canal has a chance to expand with the legs, nose, face, forehead all leading up to the shoulder (which is supposed to be the climax) followed by the body and hips and then the little rascal just shoots on out (in theory. however we all know that doesnt happen with bighipped calves. anyway). With a backward birth the birth canal doesnt get the chance to gradually expand, all of the sudden you have this enormous butt to push out. and when you finally get that out, then you have to deal with the shoulders. On a sidenote we had to pull a breech calf last year and he turned out to be the best one in the bunch. just had to push him forward enough to get him coming in a normal backward position.

 

[Beefy]

Why in the ear?

 

[docgraybull]

Calf is backwards. I personally don't call them breech unless there's a tail and no legs...but that's semantics. Muconium staining --yellow be nice--is from the calf being stressed during birth. With a backwards calf, it will be inhaled into the lungs and cause some real problems if the calf is alive in a lot of cases. The calves die from pressure on the umbilical artery preventing oxygen getting to the calf and it can't get oxygen inside...thus it dies. Sometimes you can bring them around by pouring cold water in their ear, but the heart still has to be beating.

V

I (and I assume the rest of the board) always appreciate your posts. Agree with your semantics, but have also heard this called "footling or hindfoot breech" as opposed to "frank" (or butt) breech. Meconium vs. muconium?

 

[Vicky the vet]

Well, it could be spelled differently, but I've always said and spelled it muconium and wasn't corrected at vet school. Maybe because I'm Canadian??

Cold water in the ear stimulates the reticular activating system in the brain and causes them to take a breath. Only works once.

V

 

[dun]

Well, it could be spelled differently, but I've always said and spelled it muconium and wasn't corrected at vet school. Maybe because I'm Canadian??

Cold water in the ear stimulates the reticular activating system in the brain and causes them to take a breath. Only works once.

V

Is the water in the ear trick more effective then tickling the inside of the nose with something?

dun

 

[baldy]

I was taught at a young age taht as soon as the backward calf hits the ground to get its head downhill, either buy hanging it over the corral or pickup box or however you can, adnd then try to stimulate with a piece of straw or a breath . It seemed to help drain the lungs and I don't remember losing any. The last time I tried this was 25 years ago and since I started to get back into cattle I have learned that alot of things I was taught are not accepted practice anymore(or maybe they never were) I guess my question is did hanging them upside down help or not

 

[Andyva]

The correct method for making a non-breathing calf to start breathing as shown to me by a vet is to face the animal preferably facing downhill on its chest with its legs spread out in front and behind and do not tickle but stab inside of the nostril with a straw or small stick. If that doesn't work, swing them around and try it again. Swing by the back legs. If that doesn't work, they're dead.

 

[Vicky the vet]

Is the water in the ear trick more effective then tickling the inside of the nose with something?

dun

I've found that COLD water in the ear has worked where the other hasn't. I've surprised a few long time cattlemen with that one. Another thing which works is dopram, but that must be given in the vein and most farmers/ranchers won't have that handy...

V

Re: hanging cattle--still done, helps drain fluid out of the chest. I use it on anything which sounds "rattly" (and yes, I likely spelled that incorrectly, but it's Sunday and I'm on my own time...)

 

[docgraybull]

I use it on anything which sounds "rattly" (and yes, I likely spelled that incorrectly, but it's Sunday and I'm on my own time...)

HAHAHA! :lol: I appreciate your sense of humor as well as your knowledge! Thanks.

 

[CowCop]

Good Morning,

All this information has been wonderful and I THANK YOU all for providing real insights and answers to this particular problem. I will be better prepared the next time I see a situation such as #193's in the future.
I failed to mention it took 3 people to get that calf out....

I will upload another photo tonight and see what info you can give about it.

Different cow, different issue.

Today I have to go sort out my friends cows that were preg checked as "OPEN" and ship them. 3 out of the 30 main herd. All the heifers in the younger herd were all pregnant. ( amen )

Beef prices are a little better this week.

CowCop