Newborn calf care in hot, dry weather . . .

[Kathie in Thorp]

Temps today were forecast to be 100 -- it's 109 in the shade of the porch this afternoon. We are calving any day now, and the hot/dry is going to be here for awhile longer; figure just about -0- humidity. I know -- our calving schedule is messed up, so don't beat me about the head and shoulders about that. Our cattle can brush up in willows in the pastures. Or we can pen them at the plenty-big-enough-to-hold-them-all, well-ventilated barn; they can go in, or stay out. Salt blocks and water tanks accessible everywhere. Any other suggestions?

 

[dun]

Watch cows while actaully calving and new borns for heat stress and dehydration, that's about all you can do. Be prepared to deal with it if it happens.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Watch cows while actaully calving and new borns for heat stress and dehydration, that's about all you can do. Be prepared to deal with it if it happens.

And if it does -- Move the pair to shade, give bottles here and there w/water or electrolytes, or what, Dun?

 

[dun]

I would have a large quantity of water handy that I could spray them down if they're over heated, thaqt and give the calf electrolytes. May have to drench the cow with them too. Better to try to avoid it by having shade, a breeze would be nice too.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I would have a large quantity of water handy that I could spray them down if they're over heated, thaqt and give the calf electrolytes. May have to drench the cow with them too. Better to try to avoid it by having shade, a breeze would be nice too.

Willows are in the pasture for shade; big barn for shade, too. Usually, "breeze" is not an issue here, but it's not a cool breeze. We can bring them up close to the barn, and pens adjacent to cover in the barn -- and the chute is nearby, if we need it. I think I'm just gonna move the whole bunch to a smaller pasture/easier to watch, where they can get shade either side of the barn and access on either biggest side. Can still split pairs off into shelter with some room to stretch. At least through the next week's hot spell. My concern is for the newborns, who know -0- about a bucket of water.

 

[A.J.]

Seems like it takes calves a while to figure out about the shade . I had a week old one the other day laying out in the middle of the sun while the cows were in the shade. It was panting with its tongue hanging out. I got it up and moved it to the shade and it cooled down pretty quick. That black fur really pulls the heat in.

 

[dun]

Seems like it takes calves a while to figure out about the shade . I had a week old one the other day laying out in the middle of the sun while the cows were in the shade. It was panting with its tongue hanging out. I got it up and moved it to the shade and it cooled down pretty quick. That black fur really pulls the heat in.

I don;t know how long it takes but newborn calves can't regulate their heat, either in the cold or the heat. At least they have that brwon fat to help them shiver in the cold to warm them up.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Most of our calves will be white this year -- white haired, black skinned British Whites. Cows lay out in 100 degree heat, when shade is there!!! Just moved all of them to a smaller pasture to watch, with willows, and barn access. Will watch them like hawks!

 

[Nesikep]

I found the most critical thing is that the cow has lots of milk... I've had 3 born in june/july when it was in the high 90's or better, and they were all just fine, even with less than ideal shade... if you're calving first timers watch those calves closely as she won't have as much milk. One of my cows stood over the calf and shaded it, and I saw it often enough it may not have been an accident.

I find the summer born calves actually grow better early on than the spring calves just because they have to nurse more than they're hungry for because they're thirsty..

The best thing you can do is routinely check the pastures for them, especially from 12pm-6pm when it's that baking heat and no one (including yourself) feels like moving..

I had a cow 20 years ago calf in august and didn't have enough milk, I sure had to baby that thing, always moving it to the shade and forcing it to drink water... she went on the truck that fall.

 

[Son of Butch]

Temps today were forecast to be 100 -- it's 109 in the shade of the porch this afternoon. We are calving any day now, and the hot/dry is going to be here for awhile longer; figure just about -0- humidity. Our cattle can brush up in willows in the pastures. Or we can pen them at the plenty-big-enough-to-hold-them-all, well-ventilated barn; they can go in, or stay out. Salt blocks and water tanks accessible everywhere. Any other suggestions?

IF possible calving in a well ventilated barn and adding a fan or fans would be my first choice.
Heat makes animals lethargic, so keep an eye out for calves that do not want to get up and nurse.
Warm milk only makes them warmer. That adds more problems with inadequate colostrum intake.
Weakened immune system from low colostrum intake combined with heat stress and they will be scouring
within a few days, so be ready to follow up with electrolytes day 2 and day 3 as needed to head it off.

 

[fenceman]

We calve a group about this time every year. The heat doesn't cause many problems. Unless the cow has a problem, then it can be a big deal.
I'd just keep them in a pasture with plenty of shade, water and salt, and small enough were you can find her when she goes missing.
She'll leave the herd to calf. If their all laying in the only shade, she'll go do it in the sun.
Lastly I've seen some real train wrecks from cows crawling in the tank(texan for pond) to have her calf.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

We calve a group about this time every year. The heat doesn't cause many problems. Unless the cow has a problem, then it can be a big deal.
I'd just keep them in a pasture with plenty of shade, water and salt, and small enough were you can find her when she goes missing.
She'll leave the herd to calf. If their all laying in the only shade, she'll go do it in the sun.
Lastly I've seen some real train wrecks from cows crawling in the tank(texan for pond) to have her calf.

Pond? What's a pond? :lol:

 

[fenceman]

We calve a group about this time every year. The heat doesn't cause many problems. Unless the cow has a problem, then it can be a big deal.
I'd just keep them in a pasture with plenty of shade, water and salt, and small enough were you can find her when she goes missing.
She'll leave the herd to calf. If their all laying in the only shade, she'll go do it in the sun.
Lastly I've seen some real train wrecks from cows crawling in the tank(texan for pond) to have her calf.

Pond? What's a pond? :lol:

It's a tank. Kinda like a creek, but a creek is long , narrow and moves along. A tank tends to be round, sometimes square or a triangle, and it sits still.... ;-)

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

We do have an old pond dam out here, but only has water in it when we're not running irrigation, which means NEVER right now, and never gets more than a foot deep w/ water; old pond dam is usually where target practice happens here, as the sides are about 15 ft. -- we did chase a cow in labor out of there a couple years ago when it wasn't so hot. Also have a collection pond we pump from, but that is fenced off. Not using any 7 or 8 ft. diam. water tanks at present, for the very reason you mentioned, Fenceman.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I would call a pond a natural low or wet area that you dig out and it fills with water via a spring, or fills with rain/run off and remains with water in it all year. Have ponds here from 5 ft to 30 ft deep

A dugout is basically a pond, but just a dug hole that fills with rain or melt water, but can go dry in the hot months. Shallower generally

And a swamp is like a pond, but over a large area. Naturally wet low land. But tends to have junk trees and bushes growing through it.

Marsh is the salt water version of a swamp.