Preparing for early calving?

[LaFarm]

My jersey cow has calved previously with no problem, but she seems to be showing calving signs early. Maybe it's all in my head...this season makes me doubt myself! What are your thoughts?



Also, if she is calving early...and I'm about 80% sure of the dates.... what should I be concerned with, prepare for, or look forto prepare for/avoid complications. She's due mid-late May. I am thinking I will call our vet to check her out too, just for precaution. I was just hoping for as much input and ideas from others who've been there done that. Thanks guys!

 

[TCRanch]

I'm not familiar with Jersey's but that is one enormous bag! I'm thinking she's in the 20%.

 

[jerry27150]

she is right close, would say she got bred earlier

 

[Putangitangi]

Or twins.

 

[LaFarm]

Ha...thanks guys. I hope y'all are right. If I were a betting man, I'd say that she's calving today or tomorrow. She bagged up (even more!) and loosened her pin ligaments. Hoping we have the dates wrong and not a premature calf!

 

[farmerjan]

I'd say dates were wrong, figure 3 weeks earlier breeding, making her due late April. Since she is a cow not a heifer, I wouldn't worry unless she was bred by something known to have extremely large calves. Jerseys are notorious for showing a heat after being bred. Had one that stood for anything to ride her all through one gestation, had a normal calf and bred back; and never showed an "extra heat" the rest of her gestations once bred. Only thing with the jerseys I worry about is milk fever, calcium imbalance when they first calve. Not usually a problem if you aren't feeding too much of a "hot", high grain ration right off the bat, but it is more of a problem in older cows that come into alot of milk fast. If she goes down, or has trouble walking like she is drunk, cold ears, call the vet. Easy fix with some IV calcium fluids. Jerseys seem to have more problem with it than other dairy breeds.

 

[LaFarm]

Well...3hrs later, she calved!

 

[farmerjan]

Pretty cow, glad all was good. Do you milk her for yourself?

 

[Putangitangi]

Excellent!

 

[Hogtiming]

They both look good. Are you going to more 1-2 more calves in her?

 

[cattle60]

Having trouble with the left front foot? looks a little off in that one pic.

 

[LaFarm]

Both are doing fine. No problems with the foot. Momma decided to birth in our donkey's sand-bathing pit. The poor baby had one hell of a time getting his footing. I had to drag him out of it for him to finally stand without falling. He thinks he's the fastest calf around now.

We do use the jersey for our nurse cow/ milk cow. We just put a baby Hereford on her to harvest for our personal beef later.

Thanks again all! I guess she still showed signs of estrus the next month even though she was bred - our bull fell for it too. We did the biopryn test 3 months later (thinking it was only 45 days post bred) and it was unusually high - so we did suspect twins.