hand pulling calves

[dun]

I discovered that wearing a pair of cheap jersey gloves when pulling a calf by hand keeps your hands form slipping on the slimey legs.

 

[cfpinz]

I've got a couple 3/8" ropes that I rebraided onto themselves for pulling calves. Whole lot easier on their legs and my hands than those chains.

 

[dun]

I've got a couple 3/8" ropes that I rebraided onto themselves for pulling calves. Whole lot easier on their legs and my hands than those chains.

The gloves are for hand pulling, not using chains/ropes/twine/etc.

 

[Jogeephus]

What are jersey gloves? Those the cloth gloves usually brown?

 

[never2old2learn-ron]

Ya Jo, that's the ones. I never cared much for them, but I think they would be ok for what Dun is suggesting. Ron

 

[hillsdown]

I find that if you hand pull in -30 weather you don't need gloves as your hands have frozen to the calves legs.. ;-)

Hubby has bags and bags of those in his pick up I might just have to take a couple for next calving season . I only had to hand pull two this year and they were both the second calf of twins.


Whose cow were you helping Dun ? I know it wasn't yours ,must have been a Holstein.

 

[dun]

I find that if you hand pull in -30 weather you don't need gloves as your hands have frozen to the calves legs.. ;-)

Hubby has bags and bags of those in his pick up I might just have to take a couple for next calving season . I only had to hand pull two this year and they were both the second calf of twins.


Whose cow were you helping Dun ? I know it wasn't yours ,must have been a Holstein.

Yup, a Holstein at the dairy

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Right on, Dun. We use a cheap hotel towel (they're rougher)...
This was a large bullcalf (bought the cow already bred)...so hopefully won't have to do this again for a while!!!

 

[Chad Boese]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

 

[grannysoo]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

I hope your luck always stays this good........

 

[dun]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

I hope your luck always stays this good........

I would have put the percentage higher, closer to 98% then 90%

 

[hillsdown]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

Wow, thanks for that info, I will have to forward that little tidbit onto my vet and many others as he/they have been doing it wrong all these years..

 

[Wisteria Farms]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

Wow, thanks for that info, I will have to forward that little tidbit onto my vet and many others as he/they have been doing it wrong all these years..

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
I agree...give the cow EVERY CHANCE to calve before just "jumping in"...however, in first heifers the percentage MUST be higher (JMO)...

 

[novaman]

You should usually never have to pull a calf. 90 percent of the time a cow can do it them selves its not always good to help pull a calf you can hurt the calf and even the cow, but if you have to pull a calf dont ever use chains ropes, or anything tied around the calf. either use ur hands or if its too slippery get your self a pair of gloves that help from slipping. It is the safest way to pull a calf

Wow, thanks for that info, I will have to forward that little tidbit onto my vet and many others as he/they have been doing it wrong all these years..

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
I agree...give the cow EVERY CHANCE to calve before just "jumping in"...however, in first heifers the percentage MUST be higher (JMO)...

I'm with the rest of you. I don't care how easy calving your bull is there will always be some that have issues. I figure if you can pull the calf using your hands, or maybe even gloves, the cow (or heifer) should have been able to have it on her own unless she was too exhausted from a prolonged birth. That said there are times where straps or a puller are the only way to get the job done. Done it countless times and rarely have any problems. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. As granny said, you must have a lot of luck on your side.

 

[regolith]

I figure if you can pull the calf using your hands, or maybe even gloves, the cow (or heifer) should have been able to have it on her own unless she was too exhausted from a prolonged birth.

Sometimes you can straighten a bent leg or breech calf and then gently pull, without any additional traction. I've always figured if a cow is taking a while to crown the calf (slightly too large) but doesn't need major intervention, then that assistance can cut half an hour from the birthing process and get the pair of them up and going so much sooner - possibly reducing slow calves, stillborns, calving paralysis.
It's knowing when to help and when to leave things be that's the trick.
The risk from a chain/rope assisted birth is low, but hand pulling it's almost negligible.

 

[jilleroo]

Webbing (the same kind as used in seatbelts) works a treat for pulling calves. I get the saddler to sew a really strong loop on the end of each strap and then, to pull the calf, put your hand through the sewn loop and pull the webbing back through to make the loop to slip over the calf's feet. Have been doing this for years - it works well, is easier on the calf's legs and is cheap. I'd hate to have to pull a live calf with ropes or chains now.

 

[Shghmh]

Always make sure u double whatever u put on their legs to prevent dislocations or soreness to the calves legs. Put one loop above the joint and one below and make them half hitches (not sure if thats the correct term). If u are pulling alot of calves, u may have problems with the hips of the cows not being wide enough. We had some heifers A.I'd and the guy said 2 of them were narrow in the hips and may have problems. We bred them to easy calving bulls so lets hope that helps. He also said limiting their grain in the last 3 weeks helps with the growth size of the unborn calf to not put as much weight on. You do want a nice big calf but not at the expense of the heifer/cow. If our heifers end up having trouble, they will be going to the sale barn. Can't afford to keep them around and have the calf die because it gets stuck for too long or a C-section! Just some ideas!

 

[farmwriter]

Heard today about a fellow who got a staph infection pulling a calf, so ya'll be careful out there. If you got a hand that gets sore, take it seriously!

 

[Keren]

Always make sure u double whatever u put on their legs to prevent dislocations or soreness to the calves legs. Put one loop above the joint and one below and make them half hitches (not sure if thats the correct term). If u are pulling alot of calves, u may have problems with the hips of the cows not being wide enough. We had some heifers A.I'd and the guy said 2 of them were narrow in the hips and may have problems. We bred them to easy calving bulls so lets hope that helps. He also said limiting their grain in the last 3 weeks helps with the growth size of the unborn calf to not put as much weight on. You do want a nice big calf but not at the expense of the heifer/cow. If our heifers end up having trouble, they will be going to the sale barn. Can't afford to keep them around and have the calf die because it gets stuck for too long or a C-section! Just some ideas!

Just an idea, why dont you cull those heifers that are narrow in the hips? Cull them at weaning before you put in the time and money feeding them to grow out, AI'ing etc. Use the saved money to buy some decent cows with good pelvic capacity.