Double R Ranch
Well-known member
Today was the first time we have ever had to pull a calf. The whole experiance was very interesting. Comments are very welcome. Not sure if what I did was right.
The mother, lost her calf durring labor last year due to us listening to a supposid cattleman. We should have pulled it was what the vet came up with after doing the necropsy. However, we had a previous mom sluff her calf a week earlier and we had bought a holstein baby from a dairy to put on her. She went crazy and jumped a bunch of fences and pannels and ended up growing wheels.
When this mother lost her calf we got her to take the 3wk old holstein and she raised it to wean weight no problem. Figured that was the end of it.
For the last week I have been watching her, frightened of screwing up again. Night and day. Minor contractions here and there nothing big. The usual.
Last nite about 2:30am she started having contractions more regularly. I watched her for hours wondering when is the time to get in there and check what is happening. The contractions got closer together and still she wasn't really trying to push it out.
At 6:00am I put her in the squeeze and went in for a feel. The most awsome experiance. The baby was in the normal dive position with its head between it's legs. It's feet were about 3 inches from the "Exit". All is well I though.
7:00 She still hadn't done anything. No feet showing, nothing. Last year she was doing this kind of thing from about 10:30 am to 6:00 am the following morning. Same thing though, nothing showing so didn't think I was supposed to go in and check. At 6:30am she delivered a dead calf.
I was always told to pull when you actually see feet but they don't come out.
All our moms always took care of themselves.. Guess your luck has to run out sometime. Our problems have always been getting them preg. not calving until last year.
So (back to now) I called the vet, and told him what had been happening and he told me to get in there quick and get the calf out. It may have been to late. So I went in, chains in hand, and the calf was gone. She was still fully dialated but it wasn't near the "exit". It had gone back into the belly.
I hooked the chains on and just started pulling. I ended up calling reinforcements and between the 2 of us we delivered a blue calf about 40#'s. The drop from mom into the squeeze and a little air from us and the calf started breathing. The mom however didn't even push on contractions.
We turned her loose and tryed to let her have her baby and she tried to smash it. Then she tried to smash all the pannels we have.
A few hours and a few "cocktails" (for her) later she was very mellow and finally passed the placenta. I swooped in grabbed the placenta and threw it on her calf. I also popped the fluid balls to get it all over the baby.
I went and hid and she started carring for her baby as if nothing had happened.
It appears as if she has decided that this is her calf and all is well.
However this is her last calf here. She will be growing wheels as soon as her baby is weaned.
So my question is: has anyone else had a cow do these things? The vet says that sometimes you get a cow with a screw loose who doesn't want to push when in labor.
And did I do what I was supposed to do?
I do know that I am going to invest in an actual calf puller!!! I am not strong enough to pull it out on my own. Let alone a large calf.
Double R
The mother, lost her calf durring labor last year due to us listening to a supposid cattleman. We should have pulled it was what the vet came up with after doing the necropsy. However, we had a previous mom sluff her calf a week earlier and we had bought a holstein baby from a dairy to put on her. She went crazy and jumped a bunch of fences and pannels and ended up growing wheels.
When this mother lost her calf we got her to take the 3wk old holstein and she raised it to wean weight no problem. Figured that was the end of it.
For the last week I have been watching her, frightened of screwing up again. Night and day. Minor contractions here and there nothing big. The usual.
Last nite about 2:30am she started having contractions more regularly. I watched her for hours wondering when is the time to get in there and check what is happening. The contractions got closer together and still she wasn't really trying to push it out.
At 6:00am I put her in the squeeze and went in for a feel. The most awsome experiance. The baby was in the normal dive position with its head between it's legs. It's feet were about 3 inches from the "Exit". All is well I though.
7:00 She still hadn't done anything. No feet showing, nothing. Last year she was doing this kind of thing from about 10:30 am to 6:00 am the following morning. Same thing though, nothing showing so didn't think I was supposed to go in and check. At 6:30am she delivered a dead calf.
I was always told to pull when you actually see feet but they don't come out.
All our moms always took care of themselves.. Guess your luck has to run out sometime. Our problems have always been getting them preg. not calving until last year.
So (back to now) I called the vet, and told him what had been happening and he told me to get in there quick and get the calf out. It may have been to late. So I went in, chains in hand, and the calf was gone. She was still fully dialated but it wasn't near the "exit". It had gone back into the belly.
I hooked the chains on and just started pulling. I ended up calling reinforcements and between the 2 of us we delivered a blue calf about 40#'s. The drop from mom into the squeeze and a little air from us and the calf started breathing. The mom however didn't even push on contractions.
We turned her loose and tryed to let her have her baby and she tried to smash it. Then she tried to smash all the pannels we have.
A few hours and a few "cocktails" (for her) later she was very mellow and finally passed the placenta. I swooped in grabbed the placenta and threw it on her calf. I also popped the fluid balls to get it all over the baby.
I went and hid and she started carring for her baby as if nothing had happened.
It appears as if she has decided that this is her calf and all is well.
However this is her last calf here. She will be growing wheels as soon as her baby is weaned.
So my question is: has anyone else had a cow do these things? The vet says that sometimes you get a cow with a screw loose who doesn't want to push when in labor.
And did I do what I was supposed to do?
I do know that I am going to invest in an actual calf puller!!! I am not strong enough to pull it out on my own. Let alone a large calf.
Double R
