Heifer calving, I see calves feet, when do I pull??

[TNcowman]

1st time heifer trying to calve. Been up and down for a few hours, now I can see the calves feet start to appear. I approached a few times and she gets up. After seeing the feet, how long before I need to pull the calf? Any suggestions on keeping her down so I can pull?

 

[movin' on]

There should be progress every hour. If progress stops then it is time to do something. As far as holding her down....that can be pretty tough if you don't have a chute but there are ways....none of which I know much about.

 

[Alice]

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2006/ ... 022206.htm

 

[Putangitangi]

Most will have the calf on the ground within half an hour of the feet being seen. I had one take 14 hours from start to finish, made sure the head was there in the right position (quiet heifer let me feel but not pull) but had no way of getting to the chute across flood waters, so had to wait. There was miniscule progress each time I checked.

Are the feet the right way up?

 

[mdmdogs3]

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2006/calving_management022206.htm

thanks - always nice to get something to go by (now I know that some won't like the directions but at least it is something to start with and then make the changes that I see are needed.)

 

[msscamp]

After seeing the feet, how long before I need to pull the calf?

If no progress is made within an hour you need to glove up and see what's going on.

Any suggestions on keeping her down so I can pull?

Apparently you don't have a chute, so do a search for a 'running W' - at least, I think that is the name of it.

 

[Putangitangi]

How many have cattle without facilities to restrain them either on their own properties or nearby? Here it's becoming a bit of a problem as farms are cut up into lifestyle blocks and people want to keep a few head without any idea of what problems might arise nor how to deal with them when they do! The cow which can't calve often ends up needing a large hole when a chute would have done the trick.

Did that calf arrive? Is all well?

 

[novatech]

1st time heifer trying to calve. Been up and down for a few hours, now I can see the calves feet start to appear. I approached a few times and she gets up. After seeing the feet, how long before I need to pull the calf? Any suggestions on keeping her down so I can pull?

It is way past the time to give this advice, but it my help next time.
You could infact be the problem. You may be makeing this heifer nervous. Watch from a distance, you do not have to see every little detail. You check on her, but when you do, get in and get out and away.

 

[vbd]

Did the calf arrive OK? :?:

Oh, the suspense... ;-)

Van

 

[Hutch]

This link shows a way to cast your cow, works great on hard pulls....or petting your cows ;-)
http://caltest.vet.upenn.edu/fieldservi ... pesquz.htm

 

[Beef11]

I wouldn't go up poking around unless you have reason to suspect something is wrong, Especially with a heifer. Intervention is to be looked at as a necessary evil. It causes heifers to be more frazzled and less concerned about figuring out the whole mothering thing. If you need to pull the calf without a chute rope her, pull the calf and put them together in a small area so that they can become acquainted. If you don't have a chute and you can't rope well.... good luck.

 

[Putangitangi]

This link shows a way to cast your cow, works great on hard pulls....or petting your cows ;-)
http://caltest.vet.upenn.edu/fieldservi ... pesquz.htm

Marvellous, thank you! My partner tells of how his retired-vet father used a rope-tying method to cast a cow to then turn her over to untwist her uterus during calving! Since I can no longer ask him how he did it, I shall give this one a go. Now to find a likely victim. Shampoo and set, madam? :lol:

 

[sidney411]

All my heifers are pretty tame. Every time I've had to pull one I've been been able to do so in the pasture. Once they go down to calve they usually don't get back up until the calf is out, in my experience. I have gates set up in my pens to pull calves but I have more room in the pasture, and on occasion I haven't been able to get the heifer to get up and walk to the pens - only about 50 yds from the heifer pasture.

 

[TMR]

We just had a calf die during birth to a heifer. We waited too long to make the decision to pull. 3 hours from first site of hooves to delivery. We will certainly not wait this long again.

 

[TNcowman]

Calf did not make it.
I had her in a small field and set up some coral panels to "fence" her in. She is pretty gentle and I was able to get a rope around her in the contained area. I put a chain on the calves feet and could not pull it out. My cheap calf puller was not good enough. After several tries, I finally called Vet who showed up and with much trouble, we finally got calf out but it was too late. The calf was very large.

This is what I learned.
After seeing the calves feet, wait one hour and then I will assist and try to pull. (I waited 4 hours and by the time the Vet arrived and pulled calf, it was 5 hours) If I have problems, I will call Vet and have him there ALOT faster. The heifer by the way is doing fine. Bad enough to lose a nice calf but double wammy if I lose the mother too. I have three more heifers due next month and I will watch them closer. If any have problems, a different bull will service them later this year.

Also, Vet only charged me $120 for a house call, which I thought was reasonable. After all was over, he spent time with me and gave me some good advice and education. I am alot wiser now, just sorry I did not have the knowledge before.

Thanks to all for the good advice.

 

[Stepper]

Mine charged $27 a couple of weeks ago when he came out. But that did not include his fees for castrating a mule and scogginsing 2 horse and 3 mules. Most of the time he has only charged $20 for a farm call.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We hope the biggest thing you learned is that
#1 YOU NEED FACILITIES.
#2 don't wait more than 30minutes to 1 hour after sign of feet - unless true progress is happening.
#3 everytime you check on her, you STOP progress.
Sorry for you loss - never easy.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

#3 everytime you check on her, you STOP progress.

Yep, I keep a set of binoculars exactly for that purpose. That way I don't need to bother the cow and I can just make sure things are going okay from a distance.