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Handling a newborn
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<blockquote data-quote="Victoria" data-source="post: 825389" data-attributes="member: 1258"><p>I don't know your cattle. No one can tell you how or if you can handle one of your newborn calves without knowing you and your animals. Cow are all individuals and it is a good idea to get to know them before calving. Learn how to read body language. When in doubt play it safe. All of our cows, with the exception of 2, can have their newborn calves handled within moments of birth. The other two need an hour or two for the hormones to subside.</p><p> I had a cow having a calf at -40 this year. I saw the feet and jumped out to start wrapping it in towels as it was coming. She had a cap on to protect her ears before the shoulders were out. When she was fully out I unwrapped her let the cow have a lick then wrapped her back up and took her to the house until she was dry - reuniting them in the barn a couple of hours later. The cow took her back without question. These are the type of cows I want in our herd. Sometimes you have to help and it is so much nicer doing it with quiet cows. Personally I got tired of trying to have two people, ropes, a truck etc. etc just to help a sick calf. I weigh and tag all of our calves in front of the cow. If for some reason I don't feel safe doing that they don't get weighed and the cow goes to the auction market in the fall.</p><p> Now when we had tough cows that would try to kill us we would back a truck up to the calf then rope the back legs, rope the front legs and then pull it into the back of the truck. This worked unless the cow tried to jump in after it then you end up out the other side pretty quick. :lol2:</p><p> We also had a shepherd's crook. They are long metal rods with a crooked end to hook around a leg of a calf. Some cows are fine with you if you are further away so you can use the crook to pull the calf a few feet through a gate or under a truck. If you are quick you can pull them under the truck on the passenger side with the cow on the drivers side and have it in the cab or calf box before she can get around.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Victoria, post: 825389, member: 1258"] I don't know your cattle. No one can tell you how or if you can handle one of your newborn calves without knowing you and your animals. Cow are all individuals and it is a good idea to get to know them before calving. Learn how to read body language. When in doubt play it safe. All of our cows, with the exception of 2, can have their newborn calves handled within moments of birth. The other two need an hour or two for the hormones to subside. I had a cow having a calf at -40 this year. I saw the feet and jumped out to start wrapping it in towels as it was coming. She had a cap on to protect her ears before the shoulders were out. When she was fully out I unwrapped her let the cow have a lick then wrapped her back up and took her to the house until she was dry - reuniting them in the barn a couple of hours later. The cow took her back without question. These are the type of cows I want in our herd. Sometimes you have to help and it is so much nicer doing it with quiet cows. Personally I got tired of trying to have two people, ropes, a truck etc. etc just to help a sick calf. I weigh and tag all of our calves in front of the cow. If for some reason I don't feel safe doing that they don't get weighed and the cow goes to the auction market in the fall. Now when we had tough cows that would try to kill us we would back a truck up to the calf then rope the back legs, rope the front legs and then pull it into the back of the truck. This worked unless the cow tried to jump in after it then you end up out the other side pretty quick. :lol2: We also had a shepherd's crook. They are long metal rods with a crooked end to hook around a leg of a calf. Some cows are fine with you if you are further away so you can use the crook to pull the calf a few feet through a gate or under a truck. If you are quick you can pull them under the truck on the passenger side with the cow on the drivers side and have it in the cab or calf box before she can get around. [/QUOTE]
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