Vaccinating newborn calves - am I an idiot?

[badaxemoo]

My cows calve on pasture.

I give the calves calfguard - one of those viral scours vaccines. If it is muddy, I also give one for e-coli.

I have not had problems with scours - other than the occasional milk scours which do not really seem to be a big issue.

My question is:

Am I likely to get run over by a cow?

How many of you walk into your paddocks and do this by yourselves?

My cows have good temperaments, but I have heard that after birthing the hormones can be running high.

So far none have acted aggressively.

But am I being an idiot?

Any tips?

 

[kenny thomas]

I calve on pasture also and every one of the calves are handled by me before they are a day old. Many before they are dry. Over the years my cows have gotten used to it. Some on this board with eared cattle may tell you different and I don't disagree. All according to the cattle.

 

[I luv herfrds]

We have tagged, banded, and vaccinated calves in the pasture. If a cow starts getting a little aggressive we spray her on the nose with some iodine and for the most part they back off.
Now I'm not saying all of our cows are like that, real aggressive ones hit the road.

My best advice is don't become compliant and never let the cow get behind you. Always make sure you are in a position to be able to run and have a way out.

 

[KNERSIE]

I don't vaccinate newborns, but I do tag and castrate the commercial bullcalves often while they're still wet. I can handle the newborn of every cow on my place barring two older cows. I have found with these two that if you can get in very shortly after birth you're probably OK, but don't give them some time to bond first. My point being you'll soon learn which cows you need to be careful of when handling her calf.

With my two cows this overprotectiveness seldom last much longer than 6 weeks.

 

[Ryder]

My cows calve on pasture.

I give the calves calfguard - one of those viral scours vaccines. If it is muddy, I also give one for e-coli.

I have not had problems with scours - other than the occasional milk scours which do not really seem to be a big issue.

My question is:

Am I likely to get run over by a cow?
How long have you been working with cattle?
If you work with enough cattle long enough you are very likely to get knocked around some.

How many of you walk into your paddocks and do this by yourselves?
Many times. This or similar.

My cows have good temperaments, but I have heard that after birthing the hormones can be running high.

So far none have acted aggressively.

But am I being an idiot?
That may well be your natural state. :lol:

Any tips?

Stay alert. Very alert. Behavior of cattle is very predictable if you know your cattle. However, there is an exception to the rule. That being when for some unknown reason they act unpredictably.

Try to keep the calf between you and the cow.

 

[Angus Cowman]

My wife tags all our calves when they are wet because it is easier and I don't see the danger in it at all because I am usually sitting in the truck waiting for her :lol:

Seriously I have only had a few cows of which I couldn't tag their calves by myself and I can always tell which ones I need to watch just by their attitude when I pull up
if you have a cow that will run over her calf to come towards you watch out because she will hurt you bad she needs another home !!!!!!!!!!

 

[3waycross]

If you think you can predict cow behaviour on any given day you're kidding yourself. I have a 1000 lb cow that was a first calver last year and we tagged her calf about 6 hrs after she calved, no problems at all.

She calved Sunday morning and my partner tried to walk up and check the sex on the calf before he called me, she chased him right out of town. When we went to tag and bag him a couple of hours later this NICE little cow that was following me around the day before tried to kill me. I finally had to smack her across the nose with my sorting stick and then keep it stuck in her nose while my Daughter in law and my partner worked the calf.

ASSUME NOTHING. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY WILL DO. YESTERDAY'S PET CAN BECOME TODAY'S KILLER IN A HEARTBEAT

ps If you HAVE to work one by yourself and they are froggy, a very effective last resort. Just stick your finger right in their eye. It sucks and I don't like to do it but if it's her eye or my a$$. She's gonna be winkin for a while

 

[4W Ranch]

I have to agree with the general consensus here; get to know your cows, but it is true that even the most gentle of cows can have a bad day. Just remain aware and alert. I handle all of my cows alone and for the most part have no issues but I have had to pop one in the nose on occasion.

 

[badaxemoo]

But am I being an idiot?
That may well be your natural state. :lol:

That is indisputable. Just ask my wife.

But we all should strive to rise above what nature gave us from time to time. :dunce:

This will be my fifth grazing season. Been kicked a couple of times and knocked down once working yearlings into the chute, but other than that, no damages yet.

I do keep the calf between myself and the cow. So far the cows have seemed a little nervous when I've given the dose, but haven't been aggressive, but I'll keep on my toes.

Just wondering what other folks did.

If I don't get that stuff into themright away and the weather is good and warm, those little galloway fuzzballs are a pain to catch.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[3waycross]

But am I being an idiot?
That may well be your natural state. :lol:

That is indisputable. Just ask my wife.

But we all should strive to rise above what nature gave us from time to time. :dunce:

This will be my fifth grazing season. Been kicked a couple of times and knocked down once working yearlings into the chute, but other than that, no damages yet.

I do keep the calf between myself and the cow. So far the cows have seemed a little nervous when I've given the dose, but haven't been aggressive, but I'll keep on my toes.

Just wondering what other folks did.

If I don't get that stuff into themright away and the weather is good and warm, those little galloway fuzzballs are a pain to catch.

Thanks for the advice.

For the record I admire your sense of humor and ability to take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. It's a talent a lot of folks here could use some of, myself included.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

. Just stick your finger right in their eye. It sucks and I don't like to do it but if it's her eye or my a$$. She's gonna be winkin for a while

:lol2: :lol: :lol2: :lol: I'm sorry, but this just tickled the heck outta me!! I can finally see after wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. :lol2: :lol: :lol2:

Seriously though, I had a similar incident today (not the poking the cow in the eye deal). Came home from work, another new calf, went out to tag, momma was pretty good about this stuff last year and the year before, but not this time. I made the executive decision to wait until I was not alone on the farm to tend to this one. Not worth me getting hurt. She's a little 'high headed' to start with but not a problem if you know how to 'read' her. There were actually 2 new ones when I got home, the other was a piece of cake to tend to. Most of the time I do this stuff by myself, unless I have one like #47, then I wait for my husband to get home to lend a hand.

Just be careful.

Katherine

 

[hillsdown]

I aggree with everyone, be careful and you will know right away if mom wants you the heck away from her new baby.. ;-)

I try to get to mine shortly after they are born as I as well give calf guard and collimune as well as they get orally selenium,B12 and A/D
together in a syringe as well as iodining their naval. The next day they get tagged ,tattooed and banded if need be. All my moms have been really good except for Lady Lisa this year but she calmed down after baby was about 4 hours old..

 

[grannysoo]

I normally get mine in the field within the first 24 hours too. Always keep the calf between me and the cow and always keep a very watchful eye on the cow.

They are accustomed to me being in the field and take it rather well. It helps to talk to the too.....

 

[Jogeephus]

Some of my cows have some ear and some of them have very strong motherly instincts so I don't chance it.

 

[SRBeef]

I seem to remember reading something somewhere saying that it does no good to vacinate a newborn calf, providing it's on Mom's milk and starts out healthy.

Most of the time I am not around at calving but did catch a couple on their first day. Put an ear tag in a couple but then did not like the look in one cow's eye and decided maybe that one could wait. If you get them in the first couple hours it seems easier than later. I did take notes on markings so I could remember which of the untagged calves went with which cow.

Put iodine on the umbilical cord of a couple, not on most and really did not seem to matter. Maybe a key is to let them calve on a relatively clean pasture area.

A couple weeks later went back to the old sweet feed in the corral treat routine and most of the calves seemed to just follow Mom into the corral. Let them out through the chute stopping the untagged calves just long enough to put on an eartag. Did not seem to be much problem telling which calf went with which cow.

My vet then gave the calves their first shots during the summer herd visit in July when they were 3-4 months old.

 

[hillsdown]

I seem to remember reading something somewhere saying that it does no good to vacinate a newborn calf, providing it's on Mom's milk and starts out healthy.
quote]

Calf guard and Colimune are not vaccinations per say...They are for Rota-Coronavirus and e-coli not things like BVD or Black leg. So yes it is an important thing for your calves to have it asap ,unless you vaccinate your cattle with calf guard/scour guard 6 weeks before they calve but that does not prevent e-coli.

It is totally different than and 8 way etc..

Just got back in from giving my new bull calf its "stuff" mom was great as usual and it makes working out on the pasture with just a flash light a God send..

 

[cypressfarms]

Back when I posted a thread talking about how most of my brangus girls will let me work the calf (Tag & band), I was almost run out of town for suggesting that it be done. I still do it, although I'm not healthy enough to do it now, but my standpoint has remained the same. You know your cows better than anyone; you know how far they can be pushed before they comw at you. If you don't know enough to read a cow's movements then by all means wait to tag and band until they are worked with the whole herd.

I don't vaccinate at birth, and knock on wood, haven't lost any calves from it. I like the natural approach, and it's cheaper as well.

 

[Susie David]

We don't vaccinate for a few months...do give Se&E and vitamins .5cc ea and dip the cord. I can work the calves with no trouble as I'm with them every day but they hold their ground with Susie. Had a heifer calve and the gals circled the wagons I was allowed to help but Susie had one of the heifers nudge her out of the calving area, not aggressive but just enough to make her move.
Know the cow, some I pen the mama before working the calf...just to be safe.
DMc

 

[Cowdirt]

Back when I posted a thread talking about how most of my brangus girls will let me work the calf (Tag & band), I was almost run out of town for suggesting that it be done. I still do it, although I'm not healthy enough to do it now, but my standpoint has remained the same. You know your cows better than anyone; you know how far they can be pushed before they comw at you. If you don't know enough to read a cow's movements then by all means wait to tag and band until they are worked with the whole herd.

I don't vaccinate at birth, and knock on wood, haven't lost any calves from it. I like the natural approach, and it's cheaper as well.

Same here cypress. Considering all that many people on this board do to their new calves, I guess I've been extremely fortunate.

 

[Rod]

I learned the hard way that you not only have to worry about the mama cow when go and snatch a new calf up...you might want think about how many other mamma's are around when you do so.