Heifer calving problem help

[ez14.]

She's still drinking water and now eating some hay but hasn't gotten up. Should we keep trying or shoot her? She's been down for 72 hrs.

I seem to have a much more negative attitude towards downers then most on here. But after working with dozens and seeing very poor success rates. I have completely run out of drive to waste on downers I'd just shoot her and save yourself a lot of trouble!

 

[JMJ Farms]

To echo what others have said most of the time it's futile. BUT, I have picked them up 3 or 4 times daily with hip huggers for weeks in end and it worked out. I have one cow that is one of my best today that was a downer 3 years ago. So sometimes it works out. I always say that I'm not gonna fool with the next one, but as long as she's eating and drinking and trying to live I can't help but do my part and try to help her. Load her up with Dex, borrow some hip huggers, and get her on her feet. What's the worst that can happen?

 

[tncattle]

She's dead.

 

[Son of Butch]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

 

[ez14.]

She's dead.

I'm sorry to hear that. But it saves you a lot of futile work

 

[WinterSpringsFarm]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

No sir.

 

[holm25]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Makes me glad we pull ours up in a lot about 75 yards from the house for calving. But with your rain a corral would be a mess. We are still below freezing up here.

 

[Midtenn]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

I've actually been thinking earlier. Spring calvers are about half finished right now. They get a bull from December 10 til march 1 just to clean up in case theres a straggler. That way I can move that cow to the fall herd or sell her as bred. So the bulls are with them right now. I usually pull the bulls out and bring them back mid-may to start breeding. But I'm thinking about just leaving them in this time. Some of the cows will move up to join the fall calvers by a couple of years. Some of course will always stay spring calvers regardless if bulls are put in early. Only downfall I see is those calves born between Christmas and February 1 which we try to avoid.
Any pros and cons on this idea?

 

[Midtenn]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Makes me glad we pull ours up in a lot about 75 yards from the house for calving. But with your rain a corral would be a mess. We are still below freezing up here.

You do that with all cows or just heifers?

 

[TCRanch]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

We moved calving back a couple years ago because I was tired of frostbitten ears, tails, the mess, etc. Technically not supposed to start calving this year until 2/27 but there's always a few that go early and the 10 day forecast is depressing - more rain, snow, colder than average temps. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[TCRanch]

She's dead.

I'm sorry to hear that. Never easy but some years everything goes according to plan & other years it's just one cluster after another.

 

[holm25]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Makes me glad we pull ours up in a lot about 75 yards from the house for calving. But with your rain a corral would be a mess. We are still below freezing up here.

You do that with all cows or just heifers?

All of them. We have about 30 acres of tamarac swamps they would calve in and there is no way a calf would get out of there alive. Ass loads of coyotes in there...

 

[Son of Butch]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

We moved calving back a couple years ago because I was tired of frostbitten ears, tails, the mess, etc. Technically not supposed to start calving this year until 2/27 but there's always a few that go early and the 10 day forecast is depressing - more rain, snow, colder than average temps. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Minnesota has it's snowiest February on record (with 7 days more to go) combined with a couple
of spells of near record lows. Makes me glad that a few years ago we moved to start calving after
St Patrick's Day (March 17)

 

[Silver]

Given the weather we've been having... are any thinking about calving a few weeks later next year?

We moved calving back a couple years ago because I was tired of frostbitten ears, tails, the mess, etc. Technically not supposed to start calving this year until 2/27 but there's always a few that go early and the 10 day forecast is depressing - more rain, snow, colder than average temps. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Minnesota has it's snowiest February on record (with 7 days more to go) combined with a couple
of spells of near record lows. Makes me glad that a few years ago we moved to start calving after
St Patrick's Day (March 17)

We calved 10 days later (Mar 10) last year because I though I would miss the brutal cold. We go it anyway, and through into April. So I backed it back to Mar 1 again for this year. Figure I'll just deal with it.

 

[Midtenn]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Makes me glad we pull ours up in a lot about 75 yards from the house for calving. But with your rain a corral would be a mess. We are still below freezing up here.

You do that with all cows or just heifers?

All of them. We have about 30 acres of tamarac swamps they would calve in and there is no way a calf would get out of there alive. be nice loads of coyotes in there...

I don't know what a Tamarac swamp is...sounds nasty though. We figure here cows are better left alone. They can go to the hills or cedar thickets where it's drier and are better hidden from predators. Heifers we keep close to the house where we can see them a few times a day. Only problem with that is if we see them then the buzzards can also see them. But a heifer doesn't have sense enough to hide out anyway no matter where she is.

 

[TCRanch]

You do that with all cows or just heifers?

All of them. We have about 30 acres of tamarac swamps they would calve in and there is no way a calf would get out of there alive. be nice loads of coyotes in there...

I don't know what a Tamarac swamp is...sounds nasty though. We figure here cows are better left alone. They can go to the hills or cedar thickets where it's drier and are better hidden from predators. Heifers we keep close to the house where we can see them a few times a day. Only problem with that is if we see them then the buzzards can also see them. But a heifer doesn't have sense enough to hide out anyway no matter where she is.

I calve out my heifers in the barn and any cow I anticipate may have a problem or looks ready to calve in horrendous weather. The cows generally find a well protected, hidden spot in the cedars or a draw - plus it's cleaner. The only downside is I have to find them, quite often after a lengthy search.