stay calm or worry

[hustler7343]

also I think if calf was dead would have smelled it by npw

 

[Putangitangi]

Nope not trying to gain any cyber confidence, just a little knowledge from the ct community. She does not seem uncomfortable but whatvi called fluid might have been urin I dunno she was peeing an awful lot just to be that. She was acting like all of a sudden it would jus hit her hunker up and pee a little about every 5 min. That was las night

I would read that as contractions, with the fluid as well. Is there any reason you can't put her in a race/crush (whatever you call it) and do an internal? If you're careful and clean, you can't cause too much trouble. If she's not already in labor you'll only hit the cervix. If she's been struggling for a while, you'll be up to your elbow or armpit feeling for the calf and not a moment too soon, from the way I'm reading what you've posted.

You'll let us know who was right? Because it's essential somebody gets the chance to say "I told you so" - early Xmas present. ;-)

 

[Coco Donatella]

You'll let us know who was right? Because it's essential somebody gets the chance to say "I told you so" - early Xmas present. ;-)

I like the way you think! :lol2:

By all means let us know what happens but in the mean time keep your hands to yourself.

 

[hustler7343]

I sure will hopefully sooner than later also hope to Include pics. Only caught one live birtth with my dad as a kid. Was raised with cattle, myparents put food on the table with th AMD now am hopefully my kid will to, I also wish they are as good to yall as they have been to me

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Rectal papulaiton Won't hurt any thing.

 

[George]

All I have read is that you have an 8 year old cow that has gone out by herself. There are stings hanging down and some fluid. It has been a while and that is good reason to be concerned but I am not reading that the labor process has commenced. I am inexperienced but everything I have read and been told by guys who have done this for 40 and 50 years is that you don't go stressing her by putting your hands in until at least a couple hours after she has begun her labor process. If I have been misguided, I would like to get this straight.

Fluid leaking/coming out would indicate a burst bag and labor in progress, even if you can't see it. I've had a number of cows which have been carrying on as if all is normal when labor couldn't progress, but close inspection revealed amniotic fluids coming out and internal inspection found calves in awkward positions which needed assistance to get out alive. In my latest case, I left it way too long and was lucky to get a live calf, which had been lying upside-down, with his backbone along her belly, so not entering the birth canal or stimulating any useful pushing by his mother.

I agree with you,i would be checking her.

 

[inyati13]

Keep us posted. It will be fun to see who gets to say "I told you so", but more importantly, it will provide an experience to add to our mental files for future use. I assume she is still out by her self. Is that right? Is she getting up and down? That peeing every five minutes sounds like a contraction. I am surprised this is going on this long. When I get a cow that leaves the herd and stands in a secluded spot for 8 to 12 hours, she has a calf. When you post next time, tell us where she is and what is going on. I am not far from you. I have a calf puller with the ob chains and jack if you need that but I know your neighbors in that area are some big cattleman. In fact, there is a guy that works at Fastenal here in Maysville in your area. Get some help if you need it. I hope all comes out well for you and the cow and her calf.

 

[slick4591]

I could care less about the "I told you so" comment. The point is getting out a live calf. Had one last week that went pretty much like this and when I finally reached my hand in I could feel the legs crossed but no head. I thought it was breech, but couldn't get it pulled. Rushed it to the vet at 2:30 am and everyone thought it was dead. They later did a C-section and did manage to get a live calf.

Turned out that the crossed front legs caused the head to be raised enough for the chin to catch and turn backwards towards the spine and there was no way it was coming out via the birth canal. You ain't causing any damage by getting your hand in there to see what's going on. No, I don't say stick your whole arm in it.

 

[regolith]

but more importantly, it will provide an experience to add to our mental files for future use.

I'll share some of my experience for your mental files.
A cow attempting to deliver a breech or head back calf will often *not* show normal signs of labour. The typical presentation is as described above - discomfort, sometimes a bit of blood or fluids leaking, placenta coming away before calf, maybe holding tail out maybe not.
I'm with the crew that would have checked this cow long ago.

Having said which, I had one this last spring I left about eighteen hours after seeing a trace of blood on her tail, waiting for her to come into labour. We pulled live twins out of her, both healthy four month old calves today, first one breech second one backwards. Sometimes you can get lucky.

 

[alisonb]

Looks like you just wanted some people to tell you you didn't have to do anything.

Some of us are saying you'd better check her or you'll probably have a dead calf and a mess.

How lucky do you feel?

:lol:

 

[Putangitangi]

I could care less about the "I told you so" comment. ...

Since the poster seems unwilling to actually do anything, that may be the only outcome.

 

[hustler7343]

Well then, I thought this forum didnt have the s$#t stirring flies waiting to make assumptions other sites but.wrong again!

 

[SSGenetics]

So the cow wasn't in labor, right?

 

[Putangitangi]

Nobody's trying to give you a hard time out of anything other than concern for animal welfare and that you may be risking a bad outcome by being unwilling to do what is necessary. Reading your descriptions in light of my own many-times experience says you have a problem and should at least investigate what's going on. If there's not a problem, great! I prefer to be wrong in such situations. If there is something amiss and reading any of this got you to get onto it quicker than you otherwise would, that's good. If posting here and reading other people's experience doesn't make any difference to you, why post?

 

[inyati13]

hustler7343, every board is going to have a cross section of the population on it. Take from it what you can and let the big end drag. I sincerely am interested in how you are doing. I sense from your last post that you are discouraged. Don't be. What you provide on this specific situation may help one of us. Please give me an update if for no other reason than we share this wonderful state of green grass and too much rain Man did it rain today!!!

 

[Chris H]

Well then, I thought this forum didnt have the s$#t stirring flies waiting to make assumptions other sites but.wrong again!

aaahh, we're jabbing each other more than you.

I'm still with the camp that says, 'check her'.

 

[BAR_R]

If I had to run my preg cows in the shoot everytime I have seen goo I would be replacing shoots every 4 or 5 years. IHO as the mucus plug breaks down you see this. I see this in almost all my cows. I have seen this up to 3-4 weeks from calving. NOW I will say cow disposition plays a strong part in how to handle this. How is she acting? Straining? walking with the tail up, straining?...or is she eating and grunting when she lays down like any animal close to having as baby? Do you know when she is due?? or did I miss that..AI pasture exposed in a timewindow?

Lets not call the guy out just yet. If he does not take the advise of one camp or another lets not lell him what a POS he might be. Experence is the best teacher. My advise.....keep a close eye on her...use some common sense and call a vet when in doubt.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I think you would do well to read the real good.

 

[chippie]

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, I'm chiming in late on this one.
The op did the right thing right up front. Saw the cow behaving differently, saw discharge, thought she was imminant - so isolated her out of the mud. Good call!

There has been a lot of opinions. Here's mine.
It is NEVER harmful to check a cow's progress - as long as you check RECTALLY. You NEVER go thru the vulva - NEVER -- until you are absolutely sure the calf needs assistance. Then you scrub her & go for it.
If a calf is not in the right position to be delivered, the cow will NEVER show signs of pushing/contractions. Calf will just die.

No, you don't want to run every cow in the chute just because you see some discharge. Yes, cows will have a normal discharge maybe up to weeks prior to labor. But, this op sounded pretty knowledgable about the signs. I would have said CHECK HER -- rectally.
Hopefull the op will let us know what happens. You have to weed thru the posts - some people are nicer than others but, we all want to help, and the way we all learn is to hear the outcome.