Lost a set of twins i think

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Adam Freeman

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Went out this evening to water to cows and old #7 w as s standing in the straw pile. Went to check her out and she had a dead bull calf at her feet can't really tell what happend but took pictures. Walked around checking the other mommas and found a second dead vull calf about 20 yards away. He was halfway cleaned off. Both were cold but not frozen or in rigor yet it was in the low 20's here all day. Checked all the other cows and #7 was the only one with any signs of after birth coming out. Am i right to assume shehad twins and something happend that caused both to die? Mentor thinks either the firs was breached and caused bith to suffocate or there was some other complications delaying the birth and causing them to expire.
 
I guess you will only know for sure when all the others have their calves as planned. Sorry to hear that. I'm not a fan of twins, I had 2 sets this year, one was a bottle calf before it died, the other two were heifers but their combined weight is less than some other calves. The cow did a good job on her 1st calf the year previously but the twins seem to be taking her milk supply to the limit. I know that some cows will feed twins well so they must be lactating below their capacity when just feeding one whereas others are working to capacity when feeding one but no reserve.

Ken
 
That sucks and sorry for your loss - it's a double whammy with twins. Welcome to the Not a Fan of Twins club. Adding insult to injury, now you have to decide what to do with the cow. I did keep a cow that lost twins one year and she's raised great calves since. But I also didn't need to cull that year and hay/cubes were considerably less expensive, we had great pastures. Maybe you could get a calf to graft onto her?
 
That sucks and sorry for your loss - it's a double whammy with twins. Welcome to the Not a Fan of Twins club. Adding insult to injury, now you have to decide what to do with the cow. I did keep a cow that lost twins one year and she's raised great calves since. But I also didn't need to cull that year and hay/cubes were considerably less expensive, we had great pastures. Maybe you could get a calf to graft onto her?
Checked with my mentor no extra calves from her herd will keep the cow. She is a good momma
 
Several years ago I bought a cross-bred Gert/char heifer from Petersons in Decatur Arkansas, and AI'd her to a chianina. The resulting heifer was MASSIVE. Her first calf was the result of a little Hereford bull jumping the fence and the calf weaned at over 800 pounds. But every time she calved after that was twins and she lost half of them at birth. She weighed 2000 pounds and would have 120+ pound calves. Peterson Santa Gertrudis were breeding for size, and of course chianina are big. That was the biggest cow I had... and five sets of twins after that first birth.
 
Several years ago I bought a cross-bred Gert/char heifer from Petersons in Decatur Arkansas, and AI'd her to a chianina. The resulting heifer was MASSIVE. Her first calf was the result of a little Hereford bull jumping the fence and the calf weaned at over 800 pounds. But every time she calved after that was twins and she lost half of them at birth. She weighed 2000 pounds and would have 120+ pound calves. Peterson Santa Gertrudis were breeding for size, and of course chianina are big. That was the biggest cow I had... and five sets of twins after that first birth.
Wow that's probably the first time I've heard of someone using Chianina genetics. I've always liked that breed, great big pretty draft cows, never seen one in person though. 120# bw is crazy!
 
Went out this evening to water to cows and old #7 w as s standing in the straw pile. Went to check her out and she had a dead bull calf at her feet can't really tell what happend but took pictures. Walked around checking the other mommas and found a second dead vull calf about 20 yards away. He was halfway cleaned off. Both were cold but not frozen or in rigor yet it was in the low 20's here all day. Checked all the other cows and #7 was the only one with any signs of after birth coming out. Am i right to assume shehad twins and something happend that caused both to die? Mentor thinks either the firs was breached and caused bith to suffocate or there was some other complications delaying the birth and causing them to expire.
I know I am going to be attacked for saying this, but did you by any chance check the bite of the dead calves for underdevelopment of upper or lower jaw bones (underbite or overbite)? Calves born with underbite (overbite is far less prevalent, but does occur) often have other internal birth defects like heart and lung defects, causing mortality. I know that no one wants to know that domestic grazing animals are being born with birth defects, but the birth defects are costing livestock owners billions of dollars a year nation wide. I am just trying to help the livestock owners, so I don't know why I was made fun of on CattleToday for simply suggesting something to look for that might explain an unusual livestock death. If you cut the animal open, check the heart for an enlarged right ventricle and check the lungs for inflammation and white (dead tissue) areas.
 
I know I am going to be attacked for saying this, but did you by any chance check the bite of the dead calves for underdevelopment of upper or lower jaw bones (underbite or overbite)? Calves born with underbite (overbite is far less prevalent, but does occur) often have other internal birth defects like heart and lung defects, causing mortality. I know that no one wants to know that domestic grazing animals are being born with birth defects, but the birth defects are costing livestock owners billions of dollars a year nation wide. I am just trying to help the livestock owners, so I don't know why I was made fun of on CattleToday for simply suggesting something to look for that might explain an unusual livestock death. If you cut the animal open, check the heart for an enlarged right ventricle and check the lungs for inflammation and white (dead tissue) areas.
I appreciate your thoughts. But we may still rib ya a little!
I really appreciate your expounding on this particular case, as far as a necropsy, but most of us smaller operators simply don't have the time or know how to perform such a task. Some of us don't even care. The fact they were twins always complicates things.

Do you have lots of experience with twin births and said defects? Are defects common in twins?
 
Went out this evening to water to cows and old #7 w as s standing in the straw pile. Went to check her out and she had a dead bull calf at her feet can't really tell what happend but took pictures. Walked around checking the other mommas and found a second dead vull calf about 20 yards away. He was halfway cleaned off. Both were cold but not frozen or in rigor yet it was in the low 20's here all day. Checked all the other cows and #7 was the only one with any signs of after birth coming out. Am i right to assume shehad twins and something happend that caused both to die? Mentor thinks either the firs was breached and caused bith to suffocate or there was some other complications delaying the birth and causing them to expire.
Or calving out of sync with nature (as in February)
 

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