Getting a little panicky and need some guidance

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oakrunfarm

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We bought our first cattle in November - now they are a yearling heifer, two year old heifer and a three year old due to calf sometime within the next 2-3 weeks with her first calf. We have owned and been breeding horses for 20+ years, but this is our first calving. All three are registered Belted Galloway.

Right now, all three are together in a 4-5 acre pasture that has fencing with an (open) gate in between that allows for dividing it in half. There is a pond and a shed with 2 1/2 walls in one pasture, and a water trough and no shed in the other.

We also have a horse barn. It has two 12' x 24' stalls (with the ability to make a total of four 12' x 12' stalls) and two 75' x 150' fenced runs off the barn that the 2 stalls open into. There is also another 2-3 acre big pasture next to the barn/run-ins. All of these are about 150 yards from the house.

This week, they are fencing two more pastures for us. They will be another total of 9 acres - one about 3 and the other about 6. No structures and no hotwire yet.

Problems:

1. We are not sure exactly when she is due. Previous owner told us April 10 was best guess of vet who is very good at predictions. First calf heifer would make her due any time now through then.

2. We have never had cattle, so are not as good as telling when a calf is imminent as we are when mares are. She is showing less interest in food and spending more time alone. Vulva is more relaxed, bag is noticeably fuller just within the last 24 hours, teats are larger/fuller. No discharge from vulva or signs that there have been. We check on her several times a day.

3. We have predators in the area. Across the street neighbor lost two goats to an attack last summer. We know we have coyotes and next door neighbor said he saw a "large cat" in our driveway last year. We supposedly have bobcats also, but they are pretty rare. We found the remains of a house cat on our property that looked like it had been attacked/eaten by a predator. Because our herd is so small and our cattle are young, I am not sure how they would react/respond to a predator attack.

4. We have had SO much rain that there is a deep and large mud pit in between the two pastures where they are. It is up over the oldest cow's knees, and I would be afraid a young calf could get stuck/injured in it. We also have the pond (that the cattle are drinking from), and I worry about the calf around that. It is not more than a couple of feet deep, but there is deep mud all around it.

We are concerned that as part of a small (young) herd, that we have a potential for a predator problem, a calving problem, or both.

Knowing the above scenarios, what do you think would be the best thing to do?
Also, can you give us some information from your experiences as to how to tell when calving is going to occur within the next 48 hours? We are SO worried she is going to have the baby in the middle of the night out in the pasture with no help if needed.

I realized this is a lot of info and questions, but am really needing some help/guidance from someone experienced. We've got quite a lot of money and time invested in these three as they are the basis for our budding breeding operation, and want to do what is best in this situation.

Thank you SO much!
 
Relax. That is first a foremost.

Coyotes have been all around me, in the pastures where cows are, and they have never been an issue with calves for me. They come out when I am brush hogging and catch rats/mice. Mine are spread out over a hundred acres most the time.

If this gal is bred to a low or normal birthweight bull, my guess is the best thing to do is leave her alone.

Some of mine look as tho they are about to pop any minute and they can go another week. Others barely look close and come up with a calf at their side.

14 heifers have dropped calves so far this year and none have needed anything.

If you happen to see her lay down for a bit, get up, and then lay down again shortly thereafter, it is a sign she is getting ready to calve. Most also go off by themselves in an isolated location. Not all do this but most do.
 
Thanks! I did some searches and found pics of udders and pelvic ligaments and mucous plugs and the like. Seems there are a lot of similarities in the final stages of horse/cattle pregnancies, but one thing is true of both, and that is that they do it all the time without help!

Also that you can check and look all you want to, and when you go up to the house for a bathroom break or a drink is when they will have it. :roll:

Our concern is that we want to do what is best, and staying out of her way is most likely the right choice. I had been told coyotes won't normally mess with cattle, and so that is what I am hoping for.

Thank you for being the calming voice of reason. I start to get worried when I don't have a clear plan in place.
 
Well now you have heard the voice of reason and the OTHERvoice that lurks around here. Good luck with your cows you already have enuf good advice, so I won't repeat it.
 
Backhoe gave you some decent advice.
We all worry a bit about them, heifers especially. Would it be possible to keep her in the horse barn/run until after she calves? They are best left alone, but, you want to be in a position to handle them if they need assistance.
There are tons of info on here on signs of calving.
One thing, they don't "wax up" like a mare! :banana: but, they do take a lot longer than a mare, and many are seen born. Where horses seldom are seen.
"IF" you see her going into labor, try to watch from a distance - like with binoculars. She will stop everytime she sees you "lurking" around, which will prolong her labor.
Like foals, the calf needs to nurse - preferably within 1-4 hours to get the dams colostrum. There is colostrum suppliments at your local farm store - powdered easily mixed up. Not bad idea to have on hand, but shouldn't be needed.
 
Thank you all.

tncattle, as mentioned, we've been breeding horses for 20+ years, so this ain't my first rodeo as far as stock goes. (And YES, we have had dead stock too.) I've got the Storey book somewhere in the mess of our home office. I'll track it down tonight.

I guess if I get too worried, I may try putting her in one of the runs with the other cows in the adjacent pasture. I was concerned that if I did that she might get anxious. Would that be the case if she could see them but a fence separated them?

On the predator issue, I just hate the idea of her isolated from the others and having something get her while she is down, but I don't know how likely that would be to happen to a mature cow.

Thanks for the info on the waxing Jeanne. I was kind of looking for that since it is one of the last indicators of an imminent baby in horses. Good to know that it does not apply.

Thanks again.
 
oakrunfarm":f99k6nrg said:
Thank you all.

tncattle, as mentioned, we've been breeding horses for 20+ years, so this ain't my first rodeo as far as stock goes. (And YES, we have had dead stock too.) I've got the Storey book somewhere in the mess of our home office. I'll track it down tonight.

I guess if I get too worried, I may try putting her in one of the runs with the other cows in the adjacent pasture. I was concerned that if I did that she might get anxious. Would that be the case if she could see them but a fence separated them?
Leave her with the others she will go off on her own even if it's only to the far side of the paddock. The other cows are her and the calf's best protection against predators.
On the predator issue, I just hate the idea of her isolated from the others and having something get her while she is down, but I don't know how likely that would be to happen to a mature cow.

Thanks for the info on the waxing Jeanne. I was kind of looking for that since it is one of the last indicators of an imminent baby in horses. Good to know that it does not apply.
Jeanne is right they don't wax like a mare but they do get real tight and if you will watch closly the teats will stick almost straight out when the birth is imminent.

Thanks again.
 
Generally (and I use that term loosely), the teats will get very tight & shiny (no wrinkles) prior to calving. But, like mares, they are all different, and none of them "read the book".
Good luck - keep up posted.
BTW - is it normal for Belted Galloways not to calve til they are 3 years old? I know some breeds are later maturing & that is normal. We calve at 2 years of age.
 
If you haven't been over to the Health and Nutrition section of these threads, you should take a look. MilkMaid (I think) created a thread with a sticky about three down that shows cows calving with pics. Hoove exposure is generally the first part of the calf you see and can be a sign of the presentation. When I see the front hooves pointing in the right direction, I sigh with relief.
 
I agree, relax. But part of that relaxation should lie in preparation. Just make sure you have the tools and a plan of action in place should you run into trouble. Also, about colostrum, there is a gel available now that is very handy. Comes in like a plastic syringe looking thing you stick in their mouth and push the plunger.
 
I would have to agree with leaving her with the others, and let her do her thing when it's time. Not sure why she is three and only on her first calf, but then I don't raise Belties either.

Being prepared with colustrum, and the equipment is also very important. Take a deep breathe, give her space, check her every few hours, and enjoy them. If you are lucky, you may see the calf being born. We very seldom get to anymore, but I am not complaining. I likw coming home from work and counting the new ones.
 
kenny thomas":xe31mt67 said:
Grubbie, who makes the paste? I have not seen it yet.

Its got my interest too. Brand name, trade name, or manufacturer's name would help searches. If it has a decent shelf life I'd buy some in quantity.
 
A gel form in a syringe would certainly make things much easier. Anxious to hear more about it.
 
The only paste I know of is for foals. Our vet has used it for calves in the past in a pinch. Its supposedly made form cow colostrum
 
This is not a colostrum replacer/suppliment - at least not the way I read it.
"Stimulates appetite to get the calf up & nursing. Initiates digestion & provides a specially balanced blend of lactic acid producing bacterial strains that compete against pathogens often found in the intestine." ??? says nothing about Globulin protein
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":w159x8xq said:
This is not a colostrum replacer/suppliment - at least not the way I read it.
"Stimulates appetite to get the calf up & nursing. Initiates digestion & provides a specially balanced blend of lactic acid producing bacterial strains that compete against pathogens often found in the intestine." ??? says nothing about Globulin protein
http://moderninternetcorp.com/sf/sterling/final1.pdf
 
Well, I'm still confused. Here's the description at their web site:
Description & Ingredients:
Colostrum supplement and appetite stimulator to help assure early intake of mother's colostrum. Contains a source of live, naturally occurring microorganisms.

Ingredients:
Dried Whole Milk, Sunflower Oil, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol, Alpha-tocopheryl Acetate, Menadione, Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product, Methyl Paraben .1% and Propyl Paraben .1% (preservatives).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Each 30 ml syringe contains:

Crude Protein (Min)
22%

Crude Fat (Min)
20%

Crude Fiber (Max)
0.45%

Vitamin A (Min)
42,000 IU

Vitamin D (Min)
8,400 IU

Vitamin E (Min)
10 IU

Lactic Acid Producing Bacteria* (Min)
1 Billion CFU/30 ml


*Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum.

Directions:
Administer entire tube as soon after birth as possible. Additional feedings as needed. Administer at body temperature.


Nowhere does it say it contains immugolbin which is what is necessary for the newborn.
The chart at the web site Dun posted shows colostrum taken a hour 0 is twice as affective as at hour 6 (or something to that affect) - and that is very true - but it does not say "taking this product provides this results. It is saying (in my interpritation) that this product will get the calf up quickly to NURSE THE COW AND GET IT'S COLOSTRUM QUICKLY.

I'm not saying this might not be good - just that I wouldn't want to RELY on this as only source of colostrum, because in my "eye" it is not colostrum suppliment at all - even tho it claims to be. Am I missing something? Looks like a good Probias product.
 
***UPDATE***

Well, this certainly was "interesting." Baptism by fire for us with our first calving.

We decided to keep all three heifers together in the large grassy pasture away from the pond, shed and sloping area. (In the feed store on Sat., we overheard a farmer say "the calf was fine when I went to bed, and then I found it drowned in the pond in the morning.") That probably had an influence on our decision!

We began checking the cow every 1 - 3 hours from Sunday night through Monday afternoon, and then every 1 - 2 hours Monday eve. At 1 a.m. Tues. , she began showing signs - tail switching, pacing, kicking at belly, some discharge.

At around 2 a.m., water broke, and then... Nothing. Over an hour of hard straining, and tip of hoof and nose. We called the vet, who decided she needed her beauty sleep and we had to do it ourselves. The cow was up and down, but we were able to get a chain over the one leg and husband could feel the other hoof close to the opening. We pulled and she pushed and still no progress. Another hour had gone by at this time.

Called vet again. She did not call us back, but instead called the vet clinic's "midwife" - a man who has helped us with horses before and really knows his stuff. He arrived around 6 a.m. Calf's elbow was hooked down under the opening of the vulva, and he was unable to get a chain around the other leg. His helper, a much smaller man, finally got the second leg hooked with a chain, and the calf arrived at around 6:30. HUGE bull calf that could never have been delivered without intervention for a first calf heifer. (They estimated weight at 100+. Normal birth weights for Belted Galloway bull calves is 70-75.)

I was actually surprised that he was alive, because his head had been wedged in the birth canal for hours, and we had watched his tongue go from barely protruding to sticking all the way out and swollen. While cow was still down, she was flushed and given oxytocin. It was apparent the calf had some aspiration of fluids, so we hooked him up over the fence with head down, and rubbed him down, and then took him to mama. She licked him all over and mooed repeatedly to him.

For the first 12 hours, he laid flat and did not move. Luckily, overnight temps were in the 40's, but he still got chilled and was shivering. He stopped shivering when the sun came up, and got a bit livelier, but still could not stand. He was given colostrum via an esophogeal tube feeder 2x yesterday, LA200 and Dex for the swelling, and has been steadily improving, but still could not stand.

During the night last night, he kept trying to stand, and this morning was on his sternum instead of flat out. At 8:30 a.m., he took his milk replacement from a bottle instead of the tube. He continues trying to stand and is making headway. He can get up on the back feet, but not the front yet. We're making plans to milk the cow later today if he does not stand and nurse.

Thank you everyone for the help and suggestions. We are cautiously optimistic and saying prayers of thanks he has made it this far despite our being less than well-prepared. It has been driven home the need to have basics (and not-so-basics) on hand and to have someone who can help available. There is no way that just the two of us (husband and I) could have pulled the calf without help (or a jack, etc.)

Keep your fingers crossed for "Porky." :)
 

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