Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
I am usually not a Debbie Downer, but sure hard not to be with the way this last half of the year is going!
Had one of my best cows go into labor today, one week early (calf was sired by Broadway). It is really cold here, in the low 30's (it was 80 Thursday!). I went to check the group for my noon check, saw my favorite cow in labor. Sat and watched her for awhile, then decided to check presentation and then go to the house to get warmer clothes on. Calf was position perfectly, and even pulled a foot away when I grabbed it. I thought "great, small early live calf.... LOVE IT!". Ran up to the house to get my Inforce 3 and First Defence for the calf, grab a warmer jacket, head back out to the pasture. I find the cow standing over her DEAD calf! The calf must have been born with her standing, because her head was under her shoulder, twisted back. I immediately straightened her out, tried several rounds of pumping her chest and breathing in her nostril, to no avail. When I moved her, there was a small piece of placenta right where her head was. My guess is that she landed on her head, with the placenta covering her face, RIGHT when I was not there..... grrrrrr. 58 pounds, and I checked the cow for a second calf. No second calf.
That is my third calf I lost this fall, along with the really nice embryo weanling heifer and a good cow back in August......
So, 7 live calves, 3 dead. Not doing so good. It can stop at any time now..... :bang:
That was my 4th Broadway - the first was 48, second was 72, third was 30 (two weeks early) and the last one, 58 pounds (one week early). Not sure why people are having calving difficulties with him, we sure are not!
Had one of my best cows go into labor today, one week early (calf was sired by Broadway). It is really cold here, in the low 30's (it was 80 Thursday!). I went to check the group for my noon check, saw my favorite cow in labor. Sat and watched her for awhile, then decided to check presentation and then go to the house to get warmer clothes on. Calf was position perfectly, and even pulled a foot away when I grabbed it. I thought "great, small early live calf.... LOVE IT!". Ran up to the house to get my Inforce 3 and First Defence for the calf, grab a warmer jacket, head back out to the pasture. I find the cow standing over her DEAD calf! The calf must have been born with her standing, because her head was under her shoulder, twisted back. I immediately straightened her out, tried several rounds of pumping her chest and breathing in her nostril, to no avail. When I moved her, there was a small piece of placenta right where her head was. My guess is that she landed on her head, with the placenta covering her face, RIGHT when I was not there..... grrrrrr. 58 pounds, and I checked the cow for a second calf. No second calf.
That is my third calf I lost this fall, along with the really nice embryo weanling heifer and a good cow back in August......
So, 7 live calves, 3 dead. Not doing so good. It can stop at any time now..... :bang:
That was my 4th Broadway - the first was 48, second was 72, third was 30 (two weeks early) and the last one, 58 pounds (one week early). Not sure why people are having calving difficulties with him, we sure are not!