Lost my first calf today.

[cornstalk]

Hey gang,

Sorry to report that I lost my first calf of the year. Born this morning shortly after feeding time. The air temp was around 8 F, and naturaly the first calf heifer didnt have the calf in the straw pile, but rather in the snow bank. The entire bunch (20) is due to start around March 1st. This one came about 2 weeks earlier than I expected. Pretty bummed out, not a very good start. I'll likely milk her for a week or two, in hopes a set of twins may come along.

Looks like I'll be starting to check every few hours from here on out.

 

[Beefy]

year before last i lost the first calves of the year. twin heifers. out of one of my best cows. boy did that suck.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Cornstalk, sorry to hear it. Been there done that, it bites.

Katherine

 

[Crowderfarms]

If it's any consolation, we lost one today too. Coldest night of the year here, last night,about 10 degrees. Was a first calf Heifer, looks like she may have either stepped on the calf, or rolled over on it.She was down in the mud, got her up, but the calf was darn near frozen when we found her.If you aint got em' you cant lose em'. Gotta take the good with the bad, and keep rollin'.

 

[msscamp]

Hey gang,

Sorry to report that I lost my first calf of the year. Born this morning shortly after feeding time. The air temp was around 8 F, and of coarse the heifer didnt have the calvf in the straw pile. The entire bunch (20) is due to start around March 1st. So this one came about 2 weeks earlier than I expected. Pretty bummed out, not a very good start. I'll likely milk her for a week or two, in hopes a set of twins may come along. Can I get by milking her once a day,.....or would it be best twice a day?

Looks like I'll be starting to check every few hours from here on out.

I'm sorry about your calf, cornstalk. We too lost our first calf this year - a preemie that lived for about a week but then died.

To maintain maximum milk production, twice a day would probably be best as far as milking her.

 

[Rod]

Sorry to hear the news, it's part of the business though no matter how much we check them. We drug off an old mama cow this morning, guess she laid on a slope last night after feeding and bloated up, not the way I wanted to start off a sunday morning.

 

[J-CCCC]

Cornstalk,

Sorry for the misfortune. Your post comes 18 days after mine telling about first calf loss.

I know it isn't going to change the bottom line but things have been looking up since then. We have had 4 calves drop since and none involved a problem.

Wishing you luck,
Jay

 

[longhorn314]

Sorry to hear about the loss,it always sucks when one dies.I had one of my cows to calve on Friday night and I can't find that calf anywhere.It' snowed that night so I'm hoping she is just still keeping it hid from me but so far I can't find it as we have a lot of hills and woods

 

[George]

I lost my first calf this year also,big bull calf and backwards.Ever since that calf,everything has been going fairly well.It seems after i get past the first cow calving every year,my luck changes.Last year my first cow to calve was a heifer,and she needed a casearan.Sorry about your loss cornstalk,it's not a good feeling when a calf dies on you.

 

[cornstalk]

Thanks everyone. Makes me feel a little better knowing that I'm not the only one. I know it's part of the game (losing one on occasion) Just doesnt make it any easier. Growing up,......I always felt bad when dad / grandpa lost a calf during calving season. Now that it's my own, I feel twice as bad. Last year I calved out the bunch without losing a single one 20/20 (it was my first year running my own herd) Probably another reason this came so hard.

Just completed my 2:15am check......all is well.

 

[Victoria]

Sorry to hear about your calf. It is depressing. Last year was our most depressing I think. We calved out about 70 cows, 100% survival rate. Then the floods came in June and took 3 of them. You just don't expect to lose them that late in the game.

 

[Beefmaker]

I've been around this game for 40plus years-----still ruins the day every time I lose one. Hang in there.

 

[mitchwi]

Sorry for the loss... I know the feeling, and it has to be one of the worst....

 

[got_cows?]

Sorry to hear that.
You wait all year to see what the calves are going to look like and then you end up with nothing. Very frustrating.
Hang in there.