help with new calf

[3G-A-farm]

Hello. I need to seek some help here. I read the posts daily but do not post very often. Anyway, yesterday we had a calf born c-section due to complications with mother, mother is in the field and doing fine this AM. We forced a bag of colostrum into calf and it spent the night in our utility room. It is very alert, blats a bit and can stand on its own, albeit quite wobbly.

So, I know it is a long shot for survival, but i would like to hear from anyone who wants to chime in about what the did that worked with a bottle calf, and any suggestions you may have. We plan on moving it back to the nursery tomorrow. The mother left the barn and went to join the other cows. So early into calving and we have had 1 abortion at about 7 1/2 months, and now an early arrival. The vet said the calf was about 2 weeks early. It weighed in at 46 lbs.

Thank you in advance for the ideas, suggestions, and help.

Regards,
Bill

 

[milkmaid]

Why can't you put the calf back with its mother and let her raise it?

 

[3G-A-farm]

Hello again. I will try and post a small time line of what has transpired. After 6 hrs of labor, we called the vet and put her in the chute/headgate. He explained it as follows: She is about 2 weeks early, the calf is still alive but it has entered the birth canal. Options were presented as 1- wait it out for the night and see if she delivers, but calf will most likely be dead, cow may be ok. 2-do a c-section, cow should be ok, 50-50 deal with calf. 3- put the cow down, losing a cow and her calf. We chose item 2. After all was done, she smelled the calf once and spent an hour trying to get out of the barn. After she was out of local anesthesia we released her to pasture. I checked on her 3 times during the night, all was fine. Tried to get her to accept calf this AM, same deal, just trying to get out of the barn....released her.

Now, the calf is doing very well. It was force a feeding of colostrum via esophageal tube at 7PM last night. Today my wife and I had it in the yard with our german shepard, and the calf kept trying to nurse the dog!!! So we made up some replacer, about 1 qt and she sucked it right down in a bottle. She is now up and wandering around quite well. She will follow the dog every where.

So, we will continue to try and put her on her mother over the long weekend, but I want to be prepared for the worst...

Milkmaid, will the mother have milk? Her bag is marginal at best, by Friday night I will run her back into the gate and try and milk her out. I also have a first calf heifer that is due in 14 days. Hoping against all hope we can graft her onto her, at least to help out.

Regards,

Bill

 

[rockridgecattle]

first, i would not put the c sectioned calf on the hiefer when she calves unless she looses her calf...hope all goes well. A hiefer is still growing. She will be raising a calf on the outside and in a few months on the inside as well as she still has to grow. If you want this hiefer to last, breed back on time, keep her body condition she should only have one calf to raise...JMO
As for the c section calf and momma, Check and see what her bag is like in the morning. Get her in the chute or head gate, and get that calf to suck. That is the best way to get her to accept the calf. As well build a small pen out of pannels if you have or pen her in a corral with her calf...clean area. Get them bonding. If they are out of proximity of each other they will not bond. It's hard work but will payoff in the end.
Now if the cow has no milk, bottle feed with a good milk based replacer. Not the soy kind. Keep track of this cow, If this is her first calf, monitor what happens next year. If this is a repeat occurance, time to make a choice as to if this cow fits into your herd.

 

[milkmaid]

I don't think I'd give the cow a choice in the matter. Put her in the barn, pen her, rope, snub, put her in the chute, whatever it takes, and get the calf on. Might take a few days but her milk production will increase. It doesn't sound like the calf acts/seems too premature... why did the vet feel it was 2 weeks early?

And I agree with what RR said too.

 

[jilleroo]

It might just be easier to leave the c-sectioned heifer alone to mend and rear the calf on CMR.
But, I don't understand - if the heifer had been labouring for a few hours (one would assume she was dilated) and the calf was in the birth canal and not terribly big - why didn't the vet just get ropes on the calf's legs and pull it? A lot cheaper than a c-section.

 

[dun]

It might just be easier to leave the c-sectioned heifer alone to mend and rear the calf on CMR.
But, I don't understand - if the heifer had been labouring for a few hours (one would assume she was dilated) and the calf was in the birth canal and not terribly big - why didn't the vet just get ropes on the calf's legs and pull it? A lot cheaper than a c-section.

Usually if they are in the birthcanal and are too big the only option is a C-section. Pulling the calf can cause more harm to the cow and kill the calf. Try pulling a hotdog through a keyhole

 

[angie1]

Usually if they are in the birthcanal and are too big the only option is a C-section. Pulling the calf can cause more harm to the cow and kill the calf. Try pulling a hotdog through a keyhole

The calf was 46 lbs........
Too big?
Malpresented maybe.
Of course it is stated that it was a problem with the mom.....

 

[msscamp]

Anyway, yesterday we had a calf born c-section due to complications with mother, mother is in the field and doing fine this AM. We forced a bag of colostrum into calf and it spent the night in our utility room.

Why isn't mama with/in close proximity to her baby? Why did you feed bagged colostrum instead of milking Mom and bottleing/tubing baby?

So, I know it is a long shot for survival, but i would like to hear from anyone who wants to chime in about what the did that worked with a bottle calf, and any suggestions you may have.

Raising a newborn as a bottle baby is not a 'long shot for survival', but I would do my very best at convincing Mom to accept this calf. Put Mom in the chute and help baby nurse. I would keep doing this at least 2-3 times per day until A) Mom accepts him, or B) he is old enough to wean. Milk replacer is just that - a replacer for mother's milk, and it's a sorry second!


Regards,
Bill

 

[msscamp]

I also have a first calf heifer that is due in 14 days. Hoping against all hope we can graft her onto her, at least to help out.

Regards,

Bill

I would not even consider grafting a calf on this heifer unless the heifer happens to lose her own calf. A first calf heifer is still growing and developing, and she is not in a position of being able to raise 2 calves successfully.

 

[Chris H]

I'm not sure it'd be worth trying to get the calf back on it's mother. Shipping the mother outweighs keeping her, so the question is when do you want to ship her? She'll be in better shape to ship her sooner if you don't put the calf on her.
If the heifer that is expecting is a dairy heifer, then you could reasonably expect her to produce enough milk for 2 calves, but you better provide her the groceries to do it.
If you have the time to bottle feed the calf, do it, but you stand to lose more than you make on bottle calves. If the expecting heifer is a beef heifer, at least hold on to the calf until you see the next calf is doing OK.

 

[3G-A-farm]

Good evening everyone and and thanks for the insight. Will try and answer questions here.

1- we have tried a bit to get the two of them together. I had to work a dayshift today, so not much time, but will be at it all day tomorrow. The cow doesn't seem to have much of a bag. This is her second calf. She raised a very nice bull calf last year.

2-The other cows are way more attentive to the calf than her mother. Mother has an attitude now, but considering what she went through, can't say I don't blame her!

3- Vet was concerned because water was broke and he felt calf was "stuck" in birth canal. She calved last year in about 4 hours. We opted for c-section since calf was still alive and he felt it would save both mother and calf. He is well-liked and trusted as a vet in this area.

4- I will not entertain putting calf on another cow. She is doing well on her own.

5- What would most of your opinions be on keeping the cow and rebreeding later and keeping her in the herd? Now she does have a bit of a flighty demeanor to her. She was no trouble last year and raised a good calf. We keep going back and forth on keeping or shipping her.

6-Be advised my wife is VERY attached to this calf now. It is now in our laundry room because we are having a thunderstorm now!! We have lots of coyotes and wild dogs, so I spend nights there wiht my rifle at the ready. I believe this animal will be part of our "herd" now. The calf in question is a "Retail Product" daughter.

Thanks again for the help. I will let you know how tomorrow goes with mother and daughter...

Regards,

Bill

 

[angie1]

Go ahead and give the cow another try if she raised a nice calf for you last year.
Bagged colostrum is just as good, and often times better, than colostrum from the cow. (this is in response to msscamps question).

Good luck with your calf. I know how your wife feels, is easy to get attached to these guys despite the warnings you get on here.

 

[Fred Belknap]

I raised one last year on the bottle. It is a big job and quite expensive. The one I raised was a steer and I didn't get enought out of him to pay for the milk replacer that I had to buy. It might be a differen't matter if it was a heifer and you were going to keep it for a stocker. I got rid of the mommy cow. Good luck.
Fred

 

[dun]

4 hours and 6 hours to calve is way way too long. The cow needs to find a new home in a freezer somewhere

 

[WORANCH]

I would ship the cow and calf . You will be better off in the long run.

 

[3G-A-farm]

Hello and Good evening. I apologize for not posting results earlier. It was a busy weekend, between farm and my regular job.

Anyway, the calf is doing real well. Just amazing how tough of an animal they are.

The cow is doing ok, but she was having nothing to do with her baby. After several hours of trying I gave up. I have no desire to be run over by an irritated cow. So she is on the clock. Once she gets back to her normal self and is doing ok...she leaves the premises.

The calf will end up staying. We have the cows as a hobby so to speak. I just ask that they basically pay their own way. I do cull animals for no calves, bad feet, and definitely bad disposition. I enjoy coming home from a typical crappy day at my regular job and spending the evening with them. Then by the time I come in for supper my attitude has changed drastically...

I will keep you up to date on the calf's progress. I sincerely thank all of you for the help and insight. As I said previously, I read these boards everyday..just don't post much as I am just a "hobby" farmer.

In closing, my dad is 78 years old, been around a farm most of his life. It was the first time he had seen a c-section on a cow. One week later and he still talks in amazement of what he witnessed.

Best to everyone...Bill