Just had my first calf of the season and lost it to a broken leg. It was a heifer’s first calf. I sometimes complain when cows hide out for two weeks with their calf, but this one gave birth in high traffic around the hay. I’m guessing the leg got stepped on. The bone was through the skin. The vet gave options, but not a good prognosis under the circumstances, so we put it down.
Lost first calf of season
- Thread starter herofan
- Start date
That sucks. I don't recall one through the skin, but we've had broken legs through the years. We always keep casting material on hand and have had pretty good luck as long as it's below the knee or hock.
Bright Raven
Well-known member
That stinks. Sorry.
Silver":181174hu said:
The vet did say that as long as it’s not through the skin, he has great luck with casts. I’ve never had one with a broken leg before. I guess if I felt I knew what I was doing and had casting material, that might help.
So sorry....something always seems to happen to the first heifers calf. I looked out the window and I could see a ruckus going on in our heifer group. When one wouldn't move from the fence and others came over to her to fight, we thought maybe she had a calf there. Dashed out to get a look and there was nothing there. Not sure why this one heifer wouldn't leave this spot and would fight anyone who came near it. Heifers, will never totally understand them. I guess its time to move the first calf heifers to the house pasture. I dread that first calf. The first one the year before last broke his leg. We gave that calf to our daughter and she's been feeding him to eat. Broke his femur but healed enough so he can move ok but would have been docked really hard at the sale so we gave him to our daughter....
Ky hills
Well-known member
Sorry to hear that. That is a part of it that I don't like. Had one get down in mud a couple years ago.
Sorry to hear that. What a horrible way to lose an otherwise perfectly healthy calf.
Randi
Well-known member
Same thing here last spring. One of the first calves born, laying by the bale feeder. We were actually working on some fence nearby and heard this awful cracking sound. Broke his hind leg, high up in the hip. 2 days old and we had to put him down. And there were only about 5 cows in that pen.
I know the feeling. I’m about to pull my hair out. I’ve only had 12 so far since jan 1. Have lost 5 of them. 1 the cow didn’t lick the bag off the face, 1 didn’t seem to want to push, pulled a dead calf the next morning. Easy pull and was positioned properly(my only thinking is I had mom locked up in the barn and she was nervous and didn’t want to push. It was -9 that night) had a heifer spit one off in a ditch and abandon it. One got stepped on, and one just died. Not sure what happened. Only thing I know is I’m about to lose my mind. Wet and nasty here now, so I’m sure scours will be the next thing. Cows are fun.
Wow! Sending good wishes for the rest of spring calving - you're definitely due for some good luck!Tbrake":2fey9n8u said:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Herofan, always helps when you get some nice healthy, bouncy ones!
gcreek.. I had one cow that had aborted 2 sets of twin in a row.. each time she readily adopted an orphan or twin, so she stuck around, but wasn't giving her a 3rd chance.. and good thing, I didn't need her "services" the next year either
gcreek.. I had one cow that had aborted 2 sets of twin in a row.. each time she readily adopted an orphan or twin, so she stuck around, but wasn't giving her a 3rd chance.. and good thing, I didn't need her "services" the next year either
MRRherefords
Well-known member
Nice looking calf.
Interesting? She's cute as he$$! Love her markings and congrats.herofan":3d7b863u said:I’m on a roll now. I found this interesting little gal, along with two others, this morning.
machslammer
Well-known member
Good deal! Glad your luck is getting better. Dad has had 5 heifers attempt to calve this year and a cow already out of 65 head. 1 heifer and her calf dead, 2 heifers had calves that are ok, 1 cow with calf head turned backwards and it died, and the other 2 heifers stopped attempting to push after so far along and wouldn't let us get close to them or get them up and both calves died.. Rough start for lots of people sounds like
Txpiney
Well-known member
The death bug has bitten me. I lost one of my twins.
Couldn't tell what happened to her. Found her in some very thick youpon bushes.
:bang:
Hopefully got my bad luck out of the way. This is the first calf I've lost since 2014 (knock on wood)
Couldn't tell what happened to her. Found her in some very thick youpon bushes.
:bang:
Hopefully got my bad luck out of the way. This is the first calf I've lost since 2014 (knock on wood)
