Lucky Today

[randiliana]

At lunch time we had a heifer just getting started calving. We left for lunch figured that she'd be OK until we got back in about an hour. She'd either have it, or it'd be time to give her a hand. No big deal. Well, we got back right around the hour later and went directly up to check on her. She had the calf out past the ribs but you could tell she was having trouble. So we went over and got ahold of the legs and gave a pull and he popped out, wasn't anything serious, except we had a dead calf (or at least DH was pretty sure he was). He was limp and pretty much unresponsive, eyes were glazed over even. BUT, I thought I saw him trying to breath (DH didn't agree) but I kept working on him, and a few seconds later you could see him trying to breathe and his little heart pounding. I kept working on him, keeping him from quitting while DH went to get the sleigh. Meanwhile mama got up, was pretty wobbly though, and stumbled off. DH got her in when he went for the sleigh. I figured we'd have a fight with her to get her to take the calf.

That calf laid there flat out, gasping for breath for at least 10 min, I tried sitting him up and he was just a wet noodle. Then finally he was able to hold himself, wasn't pretty but at least I knew he wasn't just going to quit on us. Got him in the barn, brought his mama in and she went right at him, mooing and licking (AWESOME!). I still figured we were going to end up tubing him though, thought that the oxygen deprivation would make him slow to get going. BUT, went back in the barn an hour later and he was up and sucking! Not bad for a calf we had pretty much given up for dead!

 

[Putangitangi]

That's great! Gives me hope in doing the same when it looks hopeless.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Yea! :clap: Well done you two! So glad it all worked out! Your experience really paid off for this little guy!
BTW Randi, love your CT Family pic on the horse!

 

[bigbull338]

you get lucky every now an then thank goodness.we had a cow trying to calve at nite with a leg turn down.an we found her the next morning an pulled the calf.an he to lived.we got lucky on that 1.

 

[Nesikep]

it's *always* worth a try, and checking for a pulse too.. glad momma cooperated and he's doing ok

 

[MO_cows]

That's great! When you say, working on him, what do you do? Tickle up the nose with straw? Actually give him a breath?

We lost one once, long difficult birth, had a heartbeat when he came out but couldn't get him to breathe. So any tricks/techniques, I'm all ears.

 

[randiliana]

I was lucky with this one, we just kept moving him and using a straw up the nose. Didn't have to give him artificial respiration. Done that before, it's gross, and I've never saved one (I'll probably do it again too, lol)