Hot momma

[torogmc81]

We had a 2nd time momma calf today. Right in the middle of the heat of the day. She was due on Saturday. She calved real easy, nice bull calf, about 70 pounds. Mommas breathing hard, part of the time with her tongue out. I wanted to put them under the barn with the fans, but it's hotter in there than it is under the tree she picked. It's about 94 degrees today with a H.I. of 105. The wind is what those experts like to call "light", a.k.a. ZERO. The heat will continue, but the temperatures will slowly decline 1-2 degrees per day for the next 6 days. I'll start giving momma a few pounds of grain per day. She has plenty of grass, fresh cool water, and a few cakes of alfalfa hay everyday also.

Anyone have any other tips or advice for a new calf in a heat wave, to help insure survival? (besides the already obvious of not letting her get bred to calf in August)

 

[Shanghai]

I bought some straight angus cows (no ear) in 2012 they started calving in mid July when the temperature was 100-110 everyday and they didn't have any shade except a few mesquite bushes(not trees)
I really worried about the calves dehydrating, but I didn't have a bit of trouble.

Your humidity may be more of a factor than what I experienced though and I sure wouldn't do anything to cause them to get excited and over heat

 

[branguscowgirl]

Sounds like you are doing what you can. They should get some relief when the sun goes down.
I also have summer calvers, but it sure does not seem to affect the Brangus much. I am sure that they get hot, and they shade up. But no panting or lethargy.
I might add, "Alfalfa and grain" are considered "hot feed". One of the feed guys would know better than I, but I do not know if you would want to push those in hot weather. I always feed "hotter" feed in the winter. But maybe I'm wrong.......

 

[cow pollinater]

That's not hot by my standards but it's he!! on cows that aren't used to it. Personally I would let her do it on just grass. Grain and good hay is energy and energy is more heat.

 

[branguscowgirl]

That's not hot by my standards but it's he!! on cows that aren't used to it. Personally I would let her do it on just grass. Grain and good hay is energy and energy is more heat.

:nod: CP you just said what I was trying to say about the feed. I was typing the same time you were so I did not see your post.

 

[jerry27150]

have 4 new calves in this last week of heat & they are fine, just make sure good water is there for them, would not change any feed for them now

 

[torogmc81]

Thank you all 3 for the heads up on the feed.

I'm sure CP and BCG get some intense humidity in CA don't you??

 

[cow pollinater]

Thank you all 3 for the heads up on the feed.

I'm sure CP and BCG get some intense humidity in CA don't you??

August can be humid but not like you guys get. I actually see more problems in September when we get a larger swing in temperature. August is usually hot and humid but consistantly hot and humid.

 

[bird dog]

I don't like summer calves but I have had my share, usually with no problems including 4 this week. One thing I noticed that might be all BS is that the cows that calve late in the summer seem to take it better than the one that calve just as its getting hot. My theory is that they are used to it a little bit and since the calf is coming out of a 100 degree body, the 100 temp is not much of a change.
As long as they have some shade they will be fine.
As cow pollinator said, the big swings are what can get you. I moved by fall calving start date up to mid august for that reason. Some calve when its 100 but most get it done before the nights fall into the 50's where you start having some issues.

 

[MO_cows]

Make sure the calf finds some shade. We had a July calf this year, the first couple of days we kept finding him laying in the full sun during the heat of the day, panting hard. This happened two, three times. Wiped him down with a wet rag to cool him off, walked him to some shade. I guess he finally learned what shade was.

 

[torogmc81]

Make sure the calf finds some shade. We had a July calf this year, the first couple of days we kept finding him laying in the full sun during the heat of the day, panting hard. This happened two, three times. Wiped him down with a wet rag to cool him off, walked him to some shade. I guess he finally learned what shade was.

Calf is doing good, finding shade on his own. It's momma who's panting and bothered. She's definitely not doing as well as she should in the heat, as I've observed the last two summers. She's got a least one hoof out the door ....

 

[branguscowgirl]

Hope she does ok. Is there any chance that she could have a respiratory infection or a heart problem? (Just a thought)

 

[torogmc81]

Hope she does ok. Is there any chance that she could have a respiratory infection or a heart problem? (Just a thought)

Eating and drinking well, placenta passed six hours after calf born (unlike last year's calf), PLENTY of milk, attentive, ears up.

She's got a real nice slick coat but she has always seemed most affected by the heat compared to the others.

I sure hope she doesn't have a heart problem, I've seen no symptoms of repiratory infection