Got the first loss out of the way

[Chris H]

I don't know why, but if we're going to lose a calf it seems it's almost always the first of the season. Had a 2 year old that I've been watching a few days. I put her in a pasture with the weaned heifers by the house so we could spot her quickly. I cleaned a pen in the barn last night because bad weather is heading this way, left her outside. Husband went out to feed this morning and there she was, calving. The calf was halfway out and the sack was still over his head. As far out as he was I think the umbilical cord was shut off and with the sack over his head, he suffocated. He was a big hipped calf, but not hiplocked. I think she just took a breather from pushing at that point and the calf suffocated within a few minutes. No signs of distress during calving, no fecal matter in the amniotic fluid, calf's tongue extended but not swollen, no swelling of the calf's head. If we checked on her 15 minutes later we probably would have found her standing over a dead calf with no idea why the calf was dead.
I've seen calves survive in that position just fine, but only if the sack is off their face. Usually if we have to pull a calf we'll take a break at that point to get the calf breathing and readjust the chains on a big calf. There's consolation in being reasonably sure as to why the calf was dead.

 

[dennisford]

I would put my first calf in panels in the back yard with some lightilg on her. You sound knowable about calving. U just need to get pass that first calf problem. I put first calf heffers in a pen next to the house so I can watch them close. Have not lost one in years. Good luck its all about timing when labor starts. U could c section on thc first calf .

 

[Chris H]

I would put my first calf in panels in the back yard with some lightilg on her. You sound knowable about calving. U just need to get pass that first calf problem. I put first calf heffers in a pen next to the house so I can watch them close. Have not lost one in years. Good luck its all about timing when labor starts. U could c section on thc first calf .

Naahhh, wouldn't C-section unless a cow couldn't calve. This heifer was right where she could be seen easily. This was just a freak occurrence. I've only seen a calf out this far with membranes intact over its head twice before. One was dead, as this one; the other I happened to catch at the right time and pull the membranes off. It did make me think about the rare calf we'll find shortly after birth that was doa with no apparent reason. Suffocation from intact membranes may occur more often than a person thinks.