Handling a newborn

[rockridgecattle]

This always sounds good and in theory it maybe. In the real world too often people carry it to extremes. Better to calf in a pasture that has relatively easy access to an area where they can be restrained. Calving in the same place year after year can lead to a disaster.

I am sorry...really I am. I have to disagree. That was hard to say, disagree with a mentor such as dun.
We have not taken our calving area to an extreme, done some work to make it easier yes, but we sort of went the cheap way. Doesn't look good but it works.

As for the same area each year....can do. It's all about management.
For us that area is only used for calving and only calving. Off limits to cows the other 9 months of the year. We do not winter them in this area. They get moved into a part of the calving area a month a head of the scheduled start date. The area is kept clean with fresh bedding regularly. We did make some change ups over the years. Cows with calves do not go back into the herd. They get their own area which is fresh and clean.
Space and management are key when looking at paddocks for calving. Too little space and disease outbreaks can whip the best cattle person's butt.
Took some pics of our facilites yesterday. Will try and post them later in the day

 

[Ruark]

So I am curious why if the mother IS protective and mothering the calf it needs colostrum?

Gee, I don't know, Jim. That was just a made-up, fictitious, hypothetical example.

Doesn't seem like a very polite reply to someone trying to understand your question.

Jim

Hey, I didn't mean for any of this to "go negative." The question was about how to safely handle a newborn; giving colostrum was just an example of why one might do so. Your reply seemed to ridicule the question, especially compared to the polite, informative answers given by others. No hard feelings here.

Ruark

 

[dun]

This always sounds good and in theory it maybe. In the real world too often people carry it to extremes. Better to calf in a pasture that has relatively easy access to an area where they can be restrained. Calving in the same place year after year can lead to a disaster.

I am sorry...really I am. I have to disagree. That was hard to say, disagree with a mentor such as dun.
We have not taken our calving area to an extreme, done some work to make it easier yes, but we sort of went the cheap way. Doesn't look good but it works.

As for the same area each year....can do. It's all about management.
For us that area is only used for calving and only calving. Off limits to cows the other 9 months of the year. We do not winter them in this area. They get moved into a part of the calving area a month a head of the scheduled start date. The area is kept clean with fresh bedding regularly. We did make some change ups over the years. Cows with calves do not go back into the herd. They get their own area which is fresh and clean.
Space and management are key when looking at paddocks for calving. Too little space and disease outbreaks can whip the best cattle person's butt.
Took some pics of our facilites yesterday. Will try and post them later in the day

You;ll notice I said "can" not will.

 

[rockridgecattle]

point taken and noted Dun! have a great day!

 

[agmantoo]

I have one of those plastic sleds that ice fishing persons use. Its slides nicely on grass. If I need to move a calf I put it in the sled and pull the sled with the 4 wheeler. The cow usually follows. All healthy calves are treated in the pasture. All crazy momma cows have gone to the sale years ago.
My neighbor has a different method. He pulls the livestock trailer to where the cow calved. He opens the doors to the trailer and jumps out, grabs the calf and jumps back into the trailer and closes the doors. Small things amuse small minds and I find it interesting watching him. An aside. More interesting was watching him at feeding time pull the habitually dead battery tractor with the bale spear backward from the shed with his JD tractor. The bale spear tractor was in reverse gear and it started. Trying to get away from a tractor hooked to you with a chain is truly a feat. Best not to give it a sharp 90 degree jerk however as the bale spear tractor may get some slack in the chain and go after your pride and joy pickup parked nearby and pierce it through the door with the spear. If you then jerk the tractor away from the truck it may become angry and now come after the tow tractor again and stick the spear through a rear $1700 tire. You know you have had a bad day when this happens. Maybe he does need to get into the livestock trailer to ear tag and castrate, provided he sets the emergency brake!

 

[TexasBred]

Can't look any more silly than watching the neighbor ride his calf behind a four wheeler n a sled. He's probably LHAO at you too. :lol2:

 

[agmantoo]

We all need a good laugh from time to time, even if it is on ourselves.

 

[TexasBred]

We all need a good laugh from time to time, even if it is on ourselves.

lol, sure makes the day more enjoyable. :lol:

 

[chippie]

Certainly for a dumb "goober" like me, it was enlightening to know that if a cow is protective when you attempt to handle its newborn, that means it's getting colostrum. Jot-jot-jot. Now I know. Whew.

The only way you will know if the calf is getting colostrum is if you see it nurse. Some first calf heifers can be very protective, yet reluctant to let the calf nurse, because they want to see the calf in front all of the time. "Don't go back there! I can't see you!"

And some can be tender and don't understand what is happening.

 

[Lon]

Can't look any more silly than watching the neighbor ride his calf behind a four wheeler n a sled. He's probably LHAO at you too. :lol2:

this is what my father in law does. i got a dang good laugh watching him drive circles trying to convince a cow her calf was in the sled. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[backhoeboogie]

It aint just about momma. If one calf gets to bawling, the whole darn herd comes a running.

 

[3waycross]

It aint just about momma. If one calf gets to bawling, the whole darn herd comes a running.

Happened to me yesterday. The little crybaby started bawling when I knelt down in front of him. I had my back turned and had my oldest son watching the cow. He say you better hurry I don't think I can whip 8 or 10 of them.

 

[TexasBred]

It aint just about momma. If one calf gets to bawling, the whole darn herd comes a running.

Happened to me yesterday. The little crybaby started bawling when I knelt down in front of him. I had my back turned and had my oldest son watching the cow. He say you better hurry I don't think I can whip 8 or 10 of them.

:lol2: And that's when you suddenly have 10 thumbs and two left feet. :lol2:

 

[3waycross]

and a significant string of profanity......

 

[backhoeboogie]

It aint just about momma. If one calf gets to bawling, the whole darn herd comes a running.

Happened to me yesterday. The little crybaby started bawling when I knelt down in front of him. I had my back turned and had my oldest son watching the cow. He say you better hurry I don't think I can whip 8 or 10 of them.

:lol2: And that's when you suddenly have 10 thumbs and two left feet. :lol2:

Two left feet will put you on Darwin's list.

#38 and #615 are both serious gals. When they come a charging everything else just joins in. They don't tolerate any non-sense of any kind. I can walk up to either one of them and they're fine. If a baby calf bawls, they are ready to fight - something.

 

[Ruark]

You painted some pretty funny scenarios there. But back to the original question: what if, for whatever reason - weighing, tagging, giving colostrum, whatever... you need to handle a newborn, and its 1000 pound mama is standing there gazing at you with those big blank unreadable cow eyes. What methods are there for getting it. Yes, you can drive or attract both of them into a pen or stall, but what then?

 

[3waycross]

You painted some pretty funny scenarios there. But back to the original question: what if, for whatever reason - weighing, tagging, giving colostrum, whatever... you need to handle a newborn, and its 1000 pound mama is standing there gazing at you with those big blank unreadable cow eyes. What methods are there for getting it. Yes, you can drive or attract both of them into a pen or stall, but what then?

Didn't you glean any info from all of our posts?

 

[Ruark]

You painted some pretty funny scenarios there. But back to the original question: what if, for whatever reason - weighing, tagging, giving colostrum, whatever... you need to handle a newborn, and its 1000 pound mama is standing there gazing at you with those big blank unreadable cow eyes. What methods are there for getting it. Yes, you can drive or attract both of them into a pen or stall, but what then?

Didn't you glean any info from all of our posts?

Yeah, a couple. Put the mama in a squeeze chute and then grab the calf. Drop a hay ring over it. The rest was just idle jaw-waggin'. :shock:

 

[highgrit]

You need 2 people, 1 to do whatever to the calf and the other as a look out - blocker. Sometimes the moma cow just won't let you work some calves safely.

 

[3waycross]

You need 2 people, 1 to do whatever to the calf and the other as a look out - blocker. Sometimes the moma cow just won't let you work some calves safely.

That was the point of my post.....just more jaw waggin..ya know. Good point highgrit. :tiphat: