Geez Louiez!!

[Black and Good]

I had a first calf heifer trying to getted stared calving this afternoon. I watched her the whole time. 10 minutes after her water broke she laid down and started half way pushing. I only ever saw one front foot. So, because she's wasn't trying and only saw one foot I got her up to the barn to help her. Both feet were right there. Easy pull. I drug the calf around front cleared its nose, it moved one time and never again DEAD . This entire episode took less than two hours??? I have no idea what could have went wrong. The calf was fully developed on the outside? :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: B&G

 

[Deepsouth]

I wish you would stop posting you're making me nervous. I'm waiting on heifers myself.

 

[greybeard]

I wish you would stop posting you're making me nervous. I'm waiting on heifers myself.

Waiting on 4 of them here DS. Beginning to wish I had hauled em all 4 to the salebarn in November...

 

[Nesikep]

I really don't know what it could have been.. Sorry about the loss...

You're making me nervous too.. I have two heifers that are big as balloons and they still have over a week to go..

 

[FourSquareFarm]

So sorry to hear that....Sounds like you did everything right. Hang in there.

 

[angus9259]

If I get one that's late - especially a heifer - I will induce. That way I know when it's coming and can get ready. I know it's not ideal on the cow and the process but so far it's worked for me. I only do that if I know through AI or observed breeding and timed preg checking that I know exactly when she's due.

 

[M-5]

I'm 0 for 1

 

[Black and Good]

If I get one that's late - especially a heifer - I will induce. That way I know when it's coming and can get ready. I know it's not ideal on the cow and the process but so far it's worked for me. I only do that if I know through AI or observed breeding and timed preg checking that I know exactly when she's due.

Any ideas on what could have happened to cause that calf to die? With it coming out right and all, and how little she pushed and as quick as I got her in a pulled it. I was shocked that the calf moved once and that was it. B&G :compute:

 

[Black and Good]

I'm 0 for 1

Sorry to hear that M-5! If I count twins I've lost 5! But, I just count twins as 1 lost. B&G

 

[cowgirl8]

I have 50 this year and 60 next. By the end of the season I'm a wreck. So far we've lost 2 out of 12 or so. Best thing ever is to look in the heifer pasture and see one that calved without you knowing and it's already up and nursing.

 

[torogmc81]

Sorry about your loss, I would be banging my head against a wall too!

cowgirl, you're right, we had two heifers do that! One was a few days early and when I got out of the truck and saw that calf laying their I must have jumped higher than I've jumped in 10+ years. She got bred 3 months earlier than I would've liked so it was a huge relief and bonus. Then I walked up and saw that the calf had sucked! Good with the bad ....

 

[jerry27150]

sometimes the lungs are not developed enough or they don't have a breathing reflex

 

[nobull82]

I had a similar death, it's very disheartening when it happens.

 

[kucala5]

That sucks. Just pulled a big live bull calf from a heifer we had high hopes for. She isn't interested so far. Going out now to check the progress.

 

[Nesikep]

I had one calf, a 110 lb bull on a heifer, that required LOTS of pulling.. he got hiplocked halfway out, and thankfully started breathing (and bellowing).. 20 minutes more pulling we got him out, and he stopped breathing... Heck, I just about stopped breathing too, but I did basic CPR on him and puffed in his nose a couple times and compressed his chest, and he came to again... closest call I've ever had that didn't go south on me.

 

[highgrit]

You guy's are working for your cows, I want mine to work for me. 100lb plus calves from heifers borders on animal cruelty to me. But at the end of the day it's what works for you that really matters.
Good luck and happy trails.

 

[dun]

She was probably ready long before she got serious. Our vet calls that "heifer disease", they just don't actively go into labor.

 

[insurman]

I wish you would stop posting you're making me nervous. I'm waiting on heifers myself.

Waiting on 4 of them here DS. Beginning to wish I had hauled em all 4 to the salebarn in November...

Same thing here...1 due in 30 days, 4 in 60 days.

 

[Dale L]

Sorry about your luck. We were fortunate to have 6 live calves out of 6 bred heifers. Had to pull one but was able to pull it myself with only the chains so it wasn't terrible. That calf was a little slow getting started but seems to be doing well now. 3 more 2nd calvers to go and we are done. Hope things turn around for you!

 

[dirtfarmer1000]

We are calving out 45 heifers this year, they get a 21 day breeding cycle, so since Feb 27 to March 12, we have had 42 calve. I have had to use the puller on 1 and chains for an easy pull on 3. Bred to Red Angus and Simmental bulls. All calves so far are alive, my biggest challenge is getting the heifers to take calves, right now I have 3 heifers running around with hobbles so calves can suck without getting kicked to hard. Best advice I can give is make sure the heifers are grown out and in good condition prior to calving and you pick clean shouldered heifer bulls. 45 heifers is an average year for us, but peanuts compared to this. Check out this link. http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2015/03 ... c-88125605