pulling calves

[bp8641]

Anyone got any secrets on how to do that,or does anyone know of an aparatus on todays market for pulling calves,I'm retired and 65 yrs. old and its about all I can do to pull some of them,"I love raising cattle,making the sales and all,but could use some advice on calf pulling,I'm not as good as I once was,
heck I'm not even as good once as I ever was.

 

[cypressfarms]

Welcome to the boards bp8641,

There is a device called a calf puller (how did they think of that?) that is kind of like a "come-a-along", that hooks to the calves feet and can be cranked, pulling the calf out. They are kind of pricey, around $100, but worth it if it saves one calf. Our local feed store has them.

 

[dun]

Welcome to the boards bp8641,

There is a device called a calf puller (how did they think of that?) that is kind of like a "come-a-along", that hooks to the calves feet and can be cranked, pulling the calf out. They are kind of pricey, around $100, but worth it if it saves one calf. Our local feed store has them.

The better types have a way off pulling each leg independant of the other, That way you can owrk onee a little ways then the other, etc.

dun

 

[rkm]

I know what you mean bp8641. Seems like I forgot more than I ever knew. I can get down to pull a calf but I have let the cow lick me a while before I can get up.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I know what you mean bp8641. Seems like I forgot more than I ever knew. I can get down to pull a calf but I have let the cow lick me a while before I can get up.

I'm stilling chuckling !!!
I can relate - must be we're all getting up there - in age.
Just be REALLY careful with a calf puller. They have TREMENDOUS pulling power. Go slow.
We use a ROPE as a come-along. Tie it to a pole, run it thru the handle/handles and back around the pole. We SIT on the rope (or pull - hubby is still strong enough to pull) and take up slack. This is with cow standing. If she's down, we pull sideways on the rope.
Shouldn't say anything cause we still have 3 to go - but -haven't even looked for that rope - or even gloved up once. And that was with us having 3 sets of twins so far. I say "so far" cause I got an old cow really thin - suspect twins - due 28th.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Hope I'm not being redundant or re-stating the obvious...lol.

Worthwhile solution:

Use low birthweight calving bulls. For commercial breeds, try to keep calves under 80# birthweight. For Longhorns, BW are usually under 65# as a rule. Especially use low birthweight genetics for 1st calf heifers.

IMO if a calf has to be pulled (of any breed) something is either wrong with the heifer or cow, with the bull, or the overall genetics in general.

Off my soapbox...lol.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

It doesn't make any difference how carefully you plan your breeding program - things happen - and you should be prepared. This gentleman is trying to be prepared.
People can say "if you breed them to longhorns you never have a calving problem" - well that may be true MOST of the time - but, you still should be PREPARED and I would still rather have a decent MARKETABLE calf at saletime. There is a happy medium between picking cow killers & picking runts.

 

[alacattleman]

You can have all the tools avalible too pull a calf but the a lot more too it. the main thing is position that your pulling angle like say for instants hip lock right here is a point were you can cripple a cow are make a safe delivery by turning the calf a 1/4 turn. all i have is a set of homemade pullers no tool in the world can match knowledge. in my doc harris impression look- learn-read-listen ;-)

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

It doesn't make any difference how carefully you plan your breeding program - things happen - and you should be prepared. This gentleman is trying to be prepared.
People can say "if you breed them to longhorns you never have a calving problem" - well that may be true MOST of the time - but, you still should be PREPARED and I would still rather have a decent MARKETABLE calf at saletime. There is a happy medium between picking cow killers & picking runts.

True...stuff can happen, and "easy birth successes" 100% of the time is fantasy...with any breed. However, it helps to improve our odds if we can.

On the other hand, just because one has a lower birth rate calf and/or out of a heifer or cow that has an "adequate" pelvic opening size, does not mean in any way you will end up with a "non-marketable runt." Not everyone is selling beef "by the pound" as there are many seed stock producers and private treaty people out there (with different breeds) that sell cattle "by the each" for prices several times the sale barn or feedlot prices.

Please don't interpret my comments as being defensive or nuts. I'll take an easy calving female any day that "pops a calf right out by herself" and and the calf hits the ground running (literally) in an hour or so.

It probably goes without saying that the seedstock and specialty breed people will never agree with the commercial production oriented people. In all good faith, we all tend to agree to disagree with our programs...there is nothing wrong with that. ;-)

 

[Caustic Burno]

Best puller I have found is at conception low birthweight bull.

 

[mbdear]

Cull the survivors and after awhile the problem will go away

 

[bp8641]

Thanks folks for the come back,"I really mean that,your a great bunch of people,I will order a puller to have on stand-by,and you know the low birth weight bull is an idea,but I am afraid I'm not very educated or experienced at this,maybe you could give me a hint as to what breed [type] of bull,and how I might go about achieving this goal and maitain the Hereford look,no special reason except this is sort of the direction I want to continue right now.[55years ago my dad had hereford cattle] so maybe thats part of it,shucks I don't know.

 

[dun]

Find someone local that can mentor you. You'll learn a lot more about the conditions in your area from someone that is on the ground. Marketing, cattle selection, forage, and general managment will provide you with a basis to work from and a good mentor will help you with all of them.

dun

 

[alacattleman]

Cull the survivors and after awhile the problem will go away

that must be why i see bone all over my neighbor pasture he is culling suvivors never thought of that one

 

[Stepper]

My neighbor left to go on vacation for a week. Left last Sunday and is suppose to be back this Sunday. He ask me if i would feed and look after his herd of 11 first time heifer's. I reluntantly agreed to do it for him. I explained to him i would handle any problem's that might arise with his cow's the same way as i would if they were my own. He said he understood that and would not hold be responsiable for anything that may happen.

Well last Tuesday evening while i was feeding his cattle. I noticed one heifer had really bagged out big time and thought it may be fixing to calf soon. This was about 3 p.m. in the afternoon. I work from 4 p.m. to midnight. So when i got to work i called my wife and ask her to check the cow's before dark. Which she did and called me after word's to let me know everything was ok. And the cow in question was not showing any more sign's of calfing. So when i got home that night at 12:22 a.m. I checked the heifer's and sure enough that hefier had feet sticking out. Water had already broke. The heifer was standing tring to push but imedately laid down. So i watched her for about an hour and at this point she looked to me like she was not going to be able to have the calf on her own. So i called the vet, told him the whole story. He said that if the water was broke and a hour had done gone by he probably should come on out

Well while i was waiting on him. The heifer got up and was tring to walk but it's hind legs was stiff. I guess maybe she was starting to get hip locked. She went about 30 yards and laid down. The vet show's up about 45 minute's after i had called him. Pull's his truck right up to her with his head light's shinning on her. She did not make any attempt to try and get up this time. He pull's the calf. The calf is alive (bull calf) and he give's her 3 or 4 shot's and clean's her up. Then he has to kick the devil out of her to get her up. When she get's on her feet she goes to staggering and nearly falls down every time she try's to walk. She is still walking stiff legged in her back end. But eventually she lick's her calf clean and let's it nurse.

But she still seem's really week. And I have been realy busy and have not got a chance to look them over close during the day light hour's. So my wife went to look the heifer over today and told me that she was still bleeding some. I thought about calling the vet back out. But my neighbor is suppose to be home tonight. So he can decide what he wants to do. But if she were mine i would have the vet out to look at her. What do some of you think. Do heifer's sometime's bleed a little for a few day's after they calf ? She is walking ok now but is weak.

 

[jcarkie]

yes they pass some blood and mucus for awhile after they calve. that is pretty normal if it was large amount or was flowwing i might call the vet back. i had a sixteen month old heifer about to calve and i was going out of town. i was scared to death to leave her for someone else to watch. i scheduled her to be induced, and she had it before her appointment with the help of 2 vets me and my eighteen year old son. good call getting the vet out.

 

[MikeC]

Had an old guy who had a dairy up the road tell me his predicament one night with calf pulling.

Seems the cow had a breech that the guy had been pulling on by himself for a few hours and couldn't make anythink happen. It was caught at the hips. He was scared he had lost the calf.

He said he tied the calf's feet to a post on the chute and let the cow out.

She took off and he caught the calf before it hit the ground.

Would like to have seen that. :lol: :lol:

 

[Scotty]

Best puller I have found is at conception low birthweight bull.

Combine this with cows that are true "cow" material. Meaning they have some capacity to cary and deliver the animal. Stuff happens, but just becasue the animal is born a heifer does not mean she is supposed to turn into a cow.

 

[TheLazyM]

He said he tied the calf's feet to a post on the chute and let the cow out.

She took off and he caught the calf before it hit the ground.

Would like to have seen that. :lol: :lol:

me too! i think that would have been a trip to watch....

 

[mbdear]

Cull the survivors and after awhile the problem will go away

that must be why i see bone all over my neighbor pasture he is culling suvivors never thought of that one

Why not take them to the sale barn...would seem to put money in his pocket and get the problem calvers out of his herd?