If it's not one thing it's another!! Can you believe it!

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BARNSCOOP

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As if I don't have enough going on with my young bull who failed his first BSE and steals milk. I notice yesterday that a heifer I bought last year who was supposed to have turned a year old in February has started making a bag!!! Now, I bought a young 6 month old bull (my current bull) in August and put him in my grain out lot that is next to my house and is far away from ALL other cattle. So it's not him. I don't have neighbors with cattle, so it's not them. I am guessing her sire is the father. GREAT! How is this going to go? Never saw this coming. I knew she was an easy keeper but gosh. What kinda calf will I be looking at ....if she can even have it?
 
Ouch! Hang on tight, this ones going to hurt. We lost the heifer and the calf once. I'd call a vet today. I'd rather induce the calf and lose it than lose them both. Every heifer gets an abortion shot 10 days after weaning here.
 
We had a young heifer that was 'making a bag' and we thought she was going to have one but the bag went back down and no calf at all.....
 
that's the cattle business, one thing after the other. how big is this heifer? how are the birth weights on dad? it can be done, i had a 16 month old that calved out of a big balancer bull. i noticed the bag when i was getting ready to put them in with the bull to breed. i thought she looked like she was bellyed down. i put her close to the corral by my house and had the vet on speed dial. i did not let her go to long before i got help. the vet pulled the calf and both were fine.
 
It isn't necessarily the end of the world. If your bull throws smaller BW that heifer should be just fine. If she is just starting to bag up, it could be a month or so before she is ready to calve too. We had a 16 month old calve 3 years ago, she is now raising her 3rd calf. We had to assist her, but was just a bit of a pull. She was bred to one of our main herdsires, and we worried a ton. Just keep a close eye on her as she gets closer and be ready to assist her or take her to the vet. 750-800 is fairly small, but we have calved out 900 lb heifers with no major problems before.
 
We just had that lovely experience. A heifer born last Feb and was given an abort shot in Dec - we gave it too late. After staying up all night watching her we finally went in to check things out and realized that the calf wasn't fitting out. She had a c-section on Sunday morning. Baby and mom are both alive. We are bottling him because I don't see much bag and she needs to heal, he is really uncoordinated and doesn't have a lot of muscling - I think he is a preemie. But we had a cow lose a calf on Sunday so we are going to make a new match.

This was our fifth "teenage" pregnancy in 12 years. From now on all heifers will be getting the estrumate shot shortly after weaning.
 
First, I want to make sure I clear this up. I bought this heifer bred, not knowing she was bred. My bull didn't bred her...heck ..even if he had been in with her he hasn't even been able to pass his BSE yet (for not enough normal sperm). Her sire has to be the father. Her sire throws small calves but even if she and the calf live through this will the calf be normal? Is my greatest worry that her pelvis is to small to have a calf?
 
Dana Kopp":1dsvbeky said:
We just had that lovely experience. A heifer born last Feb and was given an abort shot in Dec - we gave it too late. After staying up all night watching her we finally went in to check things out and realized that the calf wasn't fitting out. She had a c-section on Sunday morning. Baby and mom are both alive. We are bottling him because I don't see much bag and she needs to heal, he is really uncoordinated and doesn't have a lot of muscling - I think he is a preemie. But we had a cow lose a calf on Sunday so we are going to make a new match.

This was our fifth "teenage" pregnancy in 12 years. From now on all heifers will be getting the estrumate shot shortly after weaning.


Estrumate by itself is not good enough, you need to give a shot of dex as well..That is why she didn't abort in Dec. when you tried to induce.

1-3 months estrumate
3-6 estrumate and dexamethasone
6 and up dex

However you must remember it is not 100% there will also be the exception that remains bred.

Barsnscoop consult your vet and make a plan. Usually small cows have small calves.
 
BARNSCOOP":28yg15f5 said:
First, I want to make sure I clear this up. I bought this heifer bred, not knowing she was bred. My bull didn't bred her...heck ..even if he had been in with her he hasn't even been able to pass his BSE yet (for not enough normal sperm). Her sire has to be the father. Her sire throws small calves but even if she and the calf live through this will the calf be normal? Is my greatest worry that her pelvis is to small to have a calf?


Her pelvis could be too small, the only way to know is when she calves. It will either fit, or it won't. The calf will most likely be normal, although you never know with those kinds of matings. Depends on whether the sire had any defect genes and if he passed them on to her, and then if they both pass them on to the calf. Lots of ifs, ands or buts there. No point in worrying over spilt milk now, just be ready for her when she calves and hopefully things will work out for you.
 
BARNSCOOP":28kal2ti said:
First, I want to make sure I clear this up. I bought this heifer bred, not knowing she was bred. My bull didn't bred her...heck ..even if he had been in with her he hasn't even been able to pass his BSE yet (for not enough normal sperm). Her sire has to be the father. Her sire throws small calves but even if she and the calf live through this will the calf be normal? Is my greatest worry that her pelvis is to small to have a calf?

Probably. We had 2 heifers calve around a year old one year, both of them had been bred by their father. We had to assist in both births, but both calves were normal. We supplemented one with a bottle, creep fed both calves, and made sure the momma's got a little higher plane of nutrition to support them and their milk production. End result was that the calves did great, the mothers finished developing, and everyone concerned was happy! Just keep an eye on her and be ready to do whatever is necessary.
 
hillsdown":dcxpyz0y said:
Dana Kopp":dcxpyz0y said:
We just had that lovely experience. A heifer born last Feb and was given an abort shot in Dec - we gave it too late. After staying up all night watching her we finally went in to check things out and realized that the calf wasn't fitting out. She had a c-section on Sunday morning. Baby and mom are both alive. We are bottling him because I don't see much bag and she needs to heal, he is really uncoordinated and doesn't have a lot of muscling - I think he is a preemie. But we had a cow lose a calf on Sunday so we are going to make a new match.

This was our fifth "teenage" pregnancy in 12 years. From now on all heifers will be getting the estrumate shot shortly after weaning.


Estrumate by itself is not good enough, you need to give a shot of dex as well..That is why she didn't abort in Dec. when you tried to induce.

1-3 months estrumate
3-6 estrumate and dexamethasone
6 and up dex

However you must remember it is not 100% there will also be the exception that remains bred.

Barsnscoop consult your vet and make a plan. Usually small cows have small calves.

I use Lutalyse to abort. Does anyone else?
Double R
 
Double R Ranch":3cwsimc7 said:
I use Lutalyse to abort. Does anyone else?
Double R

Basicly the same as estrumate, another of the PGF2 family
 
Double R Ranch":bidiki7f said:
dun":bidiki7f said:
Double R Ranch":bidiki7f said:
I use Lutalyse to abort. Does anyone else?
Double R

Basicly the same as estrumate, another of the PGF2 family

Got it. And do you use the same dosage as Lutelyse?

Don;t know, never used anythign but lute
Here's some other info:

Prostaglandins: PGF2a
Lutalyse - Natural compound 25 mg dose I.M.
Estrumate - Analogue 500 mg dose I.M.
Prosolvin - Analogue 15 mg dose I.M.
Bovilene - Analogue 1 mg dose s.q.
 
12 cc's of dex
2 cc's of estrumate

Lutelyse I cannot remember as we stopped using it because we had more success with estrumate but I think it was 7 cc's ..(help me out Dun)..

Also a reminder after flushing a cow if you do not see a heat after using a prostaglandin protocol, do it again..
 
I desided to call the vet today so he can come out and look at her on Thursday. Maybe he will tell me that she is old than the seller thought and I might have a chance to save them both.
 
I had a calf today from a heifer around 510 days old. Had no problems at all. I did not realize she was bred until i saw her utter developing and noticed fluid Saturday. I watched for about 30 minutes today when the hoves came out, came in and called a friend to come help and went back out and she was cleaning up the nice little calf. I considered it a festivus miracle or a tax/stimulus rebate. In a few days i went from expecting a dead heifer to an unexpected healthy extra calf. She was 3 months older that the other 9 heifers i have been feeding well the last few months which i hope to breed next month.
 
Get a needle & make her abort this calf & leave her go & rebreed her at the same time as the rest of your cows - though remember that the calf can be viable after about 7.5 mths we've had heifers have live calves after we've needled them to abort so it will be up to you to decide what your going to do with a premmie calf (if it lives). It still sucks though no matter which way you look at it
 

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