New born

[tater74]

Purchased some bred cows in late November. On the 18th, a little heifer was born to a cow due in February.

Normally, I wouldn't worry about it, but the cow still looks pregnant.

Do you think there is still one in there?

 

[coachg]

She's a whale ! Is the calf normal size ? Nothing to worry I'd think . If she's still with calf she'll do the rest .

 

[farmerjan]

Check the other cows and make sure that no one else could have had it and maybe has no interest... sometimes a cow in late gestation will "take away" a calf from someone that already calved..... happens in dairy cows probably more frequently....
I also had a cow that calved and then she looked like she was 10 months pregnant still.... calf was normal, she fed it and all that... she just always looked like she was due to calve yesterday...
and hey, you might be one of the very few that has a cow that settled to 2 breedings and will have 2 calves 1-2 months apart....
Keep us posted....

 

[tater74]

I have checked the others, only one is due in December and she is just starting to loosen up. I thought for sure that it was hers, but she has shown no signs of birth.

 

[farmerjan]

I figured you would check the others, but never hurts to ask.... sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked.... lord knows I forget sometimes to do something and then say to myself.... "well, DUH, you dummy you didn't think of that"....
Assuming there are no others with any udder either? Does this cow have milk for the calf? If so, then guess just wait and see.... If the calf is less than 24 hours or so, you might want to try to get a bottle made up, of packaged colostrum, or even just the colostrum supplement, into the calf.... and yes, I know all about the within 12 hours and all that crap that is touted.... BUT.... there are things in colostrum that the calf's gut tract will absorb for 2-3 days.... ever checked to see how much colostrum a cow makes??? How long ???? Try 2-5 days on average. Have done some simple observational studies over the years .... no kind of blind study groups or anything... just what I have seen with my own dairy cattle and on dairies in over 40 years of milking and milk testing...
And it not only helps with antibodies, but it also has "absorbable " nutrients that the calf will continue to utilize as the colostrum becomes "regular milk".....
Yes the "real colostrum" is like $25-35 a bag to make one bottle.... and the supplemental stuff is about half that... What is a live growing calf worth????
And if she does by chance have another calf, you will need to have some colostrum to give it since she will not make more and this calf will have gotten it all... I keep a couple packages of it on hand for the what if's.... haven't had to use any for several years.... but it is sealed powder... keeps for a LOOOONG time if not exposed to hot sun.....freeze dried will not lose much if any potency either....

 

[tater74]

She seems to have a little bag, I am not there 24/7 so I haven't seen it nurse. But it was running around yesterday, so 5 days old.

If the dam has another calf, I do have some frozen goat colostrum I can give.

 

[tater74]

Brown one is the heifer in question. The little baldy heifer is 10 days younger and quite a bit bigger.

Not a great angle on either picture.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Cow does still look pregnant.

 

[Chuckie]

I think your cow is much like the ones I raise. I buy only cows and bulls that have high capacity guts. They eat for a little while and lay down and chew their cud all day. They gain weight easy and are easy keepers. They have great calves. My cows still look pregnant after they calve. Some people are not used to seeing that. They had rather buy a slab sided animal that is shaped more like a hog. Your cow will stay nice and fat and slick this summer and don't try to make her lose weight. Just know that is her genetics and the Sydenstricker Farms in Mexico Missouri raise that type of Angus. And when I want to add something to my herd, that is where I go.
I am going to steal a cow from the Sydenstricker Genetics book, one of their females. If you could stand behind these cows, they
would look like your cow from behind. A huge spring of ribs and a lot of gut to carry that calf along with the feed to keep her body in condition. These cows hold up to the winter and like I said, are easy keepers. I think you are going to really like her.
The cow below is SAF Forever Lady 0020

 

[tater74]

My big issue is that she had a dink heifer.

 

[GoWyo]

My big issue is that she had a dink heifer.

Maybe the calf's daddy was a dink bull.

 

[Travlr]

My big issue is that she had a dink heifer.

Half Jersey?

 

[tater74]

Unknown. Bought bred. Vet said February calf, was off by a bit.

 

[Travlr]

Unknown. Bought bred. Vet said February calf, was off by a bit.

A small calf like that it would be easy for a vet to think it was going to be a later due date.

 

[farmerjan]

The calf looks like it might have some dairy... any new pictures? How is it doing, how is the cow doing..???? Been a couple of weeks... and maybe the cow does not have much milk anyway...
Had a black angus, nice cow, beautiful udder... and she didn't make a qt of milk... lost the first calf and didn't know why but they were at a pasture that had some coyote problems... next calf she was at a pasture with a few others and the elder lady we were renting from called after 3 days and said the calf looked like it didn't feel good... went up, got them penned and brought them back to the barn... gave the calf a bottle and it perked up... calf seemed to be trying to nurse all the time... and cow had about 3 squirts in each quarter...bottle raised calf and shipped the cow...

 

[Chuckie]

@tater74, when you buy cows and don't know anything about them, it is a like going fishing. I see what your cow is, but not the sire. The bull may be a Corriente bull. But that calf is not a bad heifer. She is a small heifer which is what many people want. I would like to see a picture of both calves side by side as both are wadded up and not flat to the side of the camera. I like her calf, and she looks like she has a good back leg on her. Her Mother has a good thick back leg as well. Forearms are decent for her size. Her mother is in much better condition than the other cows in the picture with her which will show you that easy keeping cattle with room to hold feed just do better. That has been what I have worked for all these years to build up was that kind of genetics for the cows to stay in great condition with less feed. Everyone thinks you feed the hell out of them, but with Rumensin and good mineral, good hay, they do exceptionally well. Too, don't put too many cows to the acre and not fertilize and lime your pastures.

 

[Louthelivestockguy]

The calf looks like it might have some dairy... any new pictures? How is it doing, how is the cow doing..???? Been a couple of weeks... and maybe the cow does not have much milk anyway...
Had a black angus, nice cow, beautiful udder... and she didn't make a qt of milk... lost the first calf and didn't know why but they were at a pasture that had some coyote problems... next calf she was at a pasture with a few others and the elder lady we were renting from called after 3 days and said the calf looked like it didn't feel good... went up, got them penned and brought them back to the barn... gave the calf a bottle and it perked up... calf seemed to be trying to nurse all the time... and cow had about 3 squirts in each quarter...bottle raised calf and shipped the cow...

Dad always said. Best to cull your cow that lost its calf, than to keep her around eating groceries for 9 months to do it all over again! He would give heifers a second chance, but not all them!

 

[farmerjan]

Dad always said. Best to cull your cow that lost its calf, than to keep her around eating groceries for 9 months to do it all over again! He would give heifers a second chance, but not all them!

I mostly agree.... that particular angus cow was a bought cow along with a half dozen others many years ago... so we didn't know anything specific about her... and with the high coyote problem around that particular pasture, we decided to give her another chance. Luckily the second time we were alerted and caught the problem, and she brought a bit more than what we paid for her so was only "out " the maintainence.... could have been worse... the other cows did pretty good as I remember... and we also do give some heifers a second chance if there are some mitigating circumstances...

 

[tater74]

Chuckie, heifer on the left born 1/19, middle one born 12/17, baldy born 12/25.

The middle one's dam is directly behind the baldy.

 

[Dave]

I have 60 cows bought at the sales Oct, Nov, and Dec. By the vet they should be calving in February and March. On January 30 I already have 11 calves. Sale yard vets aren't all that accurate when guessing birth dates.