Hutch
Well-known member
What is hiplock?
Hiplock
- Thread starter Hutch
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Hiplocked is a situation when the calves hips are just a little too wide to easily slip through the pelvis. If you rotate the calf about 1.4 turn, sometimes as much as 1/2 they'll usually just slip right out.
A few years ago we had an old cow that had a hip locked calf. She was standing up and started swingin her butt from side to side and the calf swung like a pendulum. Second or third swing and the calf came flying out.
I'm frequently amazed at what a cow will do instinctively.
dun
A few years ago we had an old cow that had a hip locked calf. She was standing up and started swingin her butt from side to side and the calf swung like a pendulum. Second or third swing and the calf came flying out.
I'm frequently amazed at what a cow will do instinctively.
dun
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Hutch
Well-known member
Thanks Dun!
I'll throw another question at you. A little story to tell first:
I have a three yr heifer(Herford-limousine cross) cave some time on New Years Eve between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. New Years Day. I was out of town and the person I had checking her found that morning at eight a.m.. Calf not alive ( BIG CALF 120lbs) she delivered on her own. Cow could not get on her feet. They got her up with the tractor, she stood a while and laid back down. Since then she gets up and lays down fine. I've had her in the barn separated from the rest of the cows, she walks, but slow.
Have you ever seen a cow go through some thing like this and walk normal again or could this be permanent?
Thanks!
I'll throw another question at you. A little story to tell first:
I have a three yr heifer(Herford-limousine cross) cave some time on New Years Eve between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. New Years Day. I was out of town and the person I had checking her found that morning at eight a.m.. Calf not alive ( BIG CALF 120lbs) she delivered on her own. Cow could not get on her feet. They got her up with the tractor, she stood a while and laid back down. Since then she gets up and lays down fine. I've had her in the barn separated from the rest of the cows, she walks, but slow.
Have you ever seen a cow go through some thing like this and walk normal again or could this be permanent?
Thanks!
It's dun, and beefy is right. I saw a cow down for a month and get up and come into the barn to milk. She didn't hit her usual milk stride that year, but she bred back, a little late, but only a couple of weeks. Her production the next year was right up where it was expected. There's no way you could tell now that cow had been down.
dun
dun
Something else to think about, was this a cow or a heifer, and was the monster calf a bull or cow problem?
If cow I'ld really be suspect of her, although I've seen a cow throw a monster calf from one bull and not from any others.
dun
If cow I'ld really be suspect of her, although I've seen a cow throw a monster calf from one bull and not from any others.
dun
Yep - I've seen several cases like that at the dairy where I work. It's usually small heifers with too-big calves, or older cows with milk fever. Last cow that had a problem like that was OK until she slipped and fell down again. Couldn't get her in the barn to be milked for a week and she ended up with severe mastitis. Prolly headed to the salebarn once she gets the antibiotics out of her system.
With the limited number of cases I've seen, they'll generally get better unless they have a relapse and fall down again. If it's an older cow with milk fever they're usually fine after being treated. I don't know if beef cows get milk fever very often or not.
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Hutch
Well-known member
Hey thanks for the replies!!!
This is a heifer and she is a big girl , the dead calf was a heifer also. I had another heifer that is a half sister calve from the same bull just three weeks earlier. That calf was around 65lbs, so it may be that she will just throw big calves. I'm going to switch to AI this spring, you can bet she will get a easy birthing bull!
Thanks again!
Hutch
This is a heifer and she is a big girl , the dead calf was a heifer also. I had another heifer that is a half sister calve from the same bull just three weeks earlier. That calf was around 65lbs, so it may be that she will just throw big calves. I'm going to switch to AI this spring, you can bet she will get a easy birthing bull!
Thanks again!
Hutch
