Is this jersey cow close to calving?

[MurraysMutts]

It is currently 4:03 AM. I am sitting in 43 degree weather (hate anything below 60). She is in stage one of labor. Lies down and grunts for a while, then goes to have hay. Has thick discharge and is very swollen and springing. She has bagged up in the past 4 days. Eagerly awaiting a water bag. Going on 7 hours of this pattern. Have been in contact with my vet and brother is standing by to assist if necessary.

O boy! The minute u step away, she will git er dun! Lol
Hope to hear great news soon with lots of pictures!

I feel your pain. Cold front came thru this morning. It's 33 with a howling north wind here. Count your blessings! 43 and calm is perfect calving weather...

 

[Redgully]

What was the outcome?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Hope everything came out ok @NewMoo !

 

[NewMoo]

What was the outcome?

It was a false alarm. I called my vet that night and she said give her time and call her if things didn't progress. So, I waited all night.

She grunted she looked like she was trying to push out a water bag but I could never see anything. My vet ended up coming out to palpate her and said she could feel the calf behind pelvic wall, and that she had officially lost her mucous plug.

She believes she will calve in a few days. She said she wouldn't rule out twins because of her size. She also said that twins might be easier since they would be smaller than one big calf. So, I jumped the gun and I have egg on my face. I'm heading to check her again right now, even though she was up and happy as could be when I checked her earlier this morning.

 

[NewMoo]

Until she calves you shouldn't be milking her any. After calving you can milk if she should need it.

I was referring to the jersey that calved 10 days ago. I'm not milking they have for that hasn't called yet.

 

[NewMoo]

I was referring to the jersey that calved 10 days ago. I'm not milking they have for that hasn't called yet.

Correction: not milking the heavy bred heifer

 

[kenny thomas]

I was referring to the jersey that calved 10 days ago. I'm not milking they have for that hasn't called yet.

My mistake. Good luck with her. I like Jerseys

 

[MurraysMutts]

It was a false alarm. I called my vet that night and she said give her time and call her if things didn't progress. So, I waited all night.

She grunted she looked like she was trying to push out a water bag but I could never see anything. My vet ended up coming out to palpate her and said she could feel the calf behind pelvic wall, and that she had officially lost her mucous plug.

She believes she will calve in a few days. She said she wouldn't rule out twins because of her size. She also said that twins might be easier since they would be smaller than one big calf. So, I jumped the gun and I have egg on my face. I'm heading to check her again right now, even though she was up and happy as could be when I checked her earlier this morning.

There you are!

Don't feel bad. I've jumped the gun a time or twelve meself!
Sounds like she is gonna be along real soon tho.
Patiently waiting...... or maybe not so patiently. Lol

O! And I'm I'm disagreement with the twins part. If they get all tangled up, it can make for a mess to get em straightened out if ya gotta help her. It takes some scrutinizing to make sure ya don't have one leg from 2 different calves!

 

[NewMoo]

There you are!

Don't feel bad. I've jumped the gun a time or twelve meself!
Sounds like she is gonna be along real soon tho.
Patiently waiting...... or maybe not so patiently. Lol

O! And I'm I'm disagreement with the twins part. If they get all tangled up, it can make for a mess to get em straightened out if ya gotta help her. It takes some scrutinizing to make sure ya don't have one leg from 2 different calves!

See? That's why this board is invaluable to me! I had not considered that in my naïveté.

Anyway, baby bull is here! About 60 lbs which was a bit of pull for my brother to get his hips through.

Momma snubbed him the first 12 hours. When I rolled up this morning they were lying side-by-side. I brought him a bottle as I had done (twice) yesterday. I noticed she was talking to him and when she got up I nudged him in the direction of her teats. He latched right on and now maybe things are going to be okay.

Also, FarmerJan, you were right, she has plenty milk.

 

[farmerjan]

Congrats on the new baby. Glad that you got him out okay, with some pulling... Sometimes it helps to just pull a little from a different angle once the shoulders are out, to rotate the hips a smidgen to get them to slip through.

I have never been quite where you are as far as not knowing what to do as I spent time with friends with cattle and read everything I could because I was always interested about the nitty gritty..... but still, you wonder about whether they are going to have enough milk and things like that.... I am glad that she seems to have enough milk and looking at the picture, the calf is figuring it out just fine. He will stimulate her to continue to increase her production to a point... and good feed will help even though she is a little small....

So glad that you have 2 healthy calves on the ground.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Wonderful news!!!

More pictures pleases!!!

 

[NewMoo]

Wonderful news!!!

More pictures pleases!!!

 

[NewMoo]

I am heartbroken. My jersey cow went down with bloat. We got her back up and the bloat resolved itself. My vet said to get calcium paste in her. I did but it was too little too late. She died leaving a six-week old calf.

I had no luck manhandling the big guy to take a bottle. I am feeding him milk replacer in a shallow feeder pan. He's drinking it. I've also introduced calf starter which he is beginning to eat along with hay and some grazing.

I have him in a pen with a gentle, runt heifer. She won't bully him for food and it won't hurt her to have a little extra grain.

My question is this—

How long do I give him the milk replacer and keep him in the pen? Until he is eating hay and the calf starter well?

Many thanks! I learned a hard lesson on this one.

 

[Buck Randall]

I am heartbroken. My jersey cow went down with bloat. We got her back up and the bloat resolved itself. My vet said to get calcium paste in her. I did but it was too little too late. She died leaving a six-week old calf.

I had no luck manhandling the big guy to take a bottle. I am feeding him milk replacer in a shallow feeder pan. He's drinking it. I've also introduced calf starter which he is beginning to eat along with hay and some grazing.

I have him in a pen with a gentle, runt heifer. She won't bully him for food and it won't hurt her to have a little extra grain.

My question is this—

How long do I give him the milk replacer and keep him in the pen? Until he is eating hay and the calf starter well?

Many thanks! I learned a hard lesson on this one.

He needs to consume a minimum of 2 pounds of starter for three consecutive days before he can go without milk.

 

[NewMoo]

Buck,

This is very helpful! Thank you very much. As I type, he is eating starter. A few more days to a week and I think he'll be there. He's shunning the milk for the starter.

I appreciate your help.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Buck,

This is very helpful! Thank you very much. As I type, he is eating starter. A few more days to a week and I think he'll be there. He's shunning the milk for the starter.

I appreciate your help.

Give it time...

A month or so would be much better. I try and transition them slowly. When I wean bottle calves I'll cut em back to one bottle a day while they are getting used to feed and good hay. Or grass pasture if available.

Too sudden of a change can really upset the rumen and cause all kinds of problems, including not eating at all!

 

[Cada22]

Sorry to hear about losing the cow

 

[TominTX]

I am heartbroken. My jersey cow went down with bloat. We got her back up and the bloat resolved itself. My vet said to get calcium paste in her. I did but it was too little too late. She died leaving a six-week old calf.

I had no luck manhandling the big guy to take a bottle. I am feeding him milk replacer in a shallow feeder pan. He's drinking it. I've also introduced calf starter which he is beginning to eat along with hay and some grazing.

I have him in a pen with a gentle, runt heifer. She won't bully him for food and it won't hurt her to have a little extra grain.

My question is this—

How long do I give him the milk replacer and keep him in the pen? Until he is eating hay and the calf starter well?

Many thanks! I learned a hard lesson on this one.

 

[NewMoo]

Give it time...

A month or so would be much better. I try and transition them slowly. When I wean bottle calves I'll cut em back to one bottle a day while they are getting used to feed and good hay. Or grass pasture if available.

Too sudden of a change can really upset the rumen and cause all kinds of problems, including not eating at all!

He is completely off milk. He's getting 2% of his body weight per day. Eating well and thriving— even though he doesn't like being separated from his herd.

Give it time...

A month or so would be much better. I try and transition them slowly. When I wean bottle calves I'll cut em back to one bottle a day while they are getting used to feed and good hay. Or grass pasture if available.

Too sudden of a change can really upset the rumen and cause all kinds of problems, including not eating at all!

Thank you very much. He is eating calf starter very well. He is completely off milk. He has grass to graze and good hay. He's really growing. This is week three of being in the weaning pen. He'd rather have some company, but he's settled into a solo routine for now.

 

[bird dog]

Sorry for your loss but don't feel alone. I lost mine this year when she got bogged down in mud. I got her out and thought she would be okay, but she bloated during the night and was dead the next morning. She hadher one month old calf on her plus two orphans. A major loss for me. The three orphans survived on starter and good hay but became pot bellies and did not do real well.
Now three months later two of the three have slimmed down and don't look to bad but still don't weigh but about 250. The third is still pot bellied but healthy. I will leave them on decent pasture and some grain with the rest of the stockers and just see how they do.