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Breeding / Calving Issues
What do I need for heifer who will calve in end Feb
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<blockquote data-quote="msscamp" data-source="post: 810515" data-attributes="member: 539"><p>Since this is your first time the first thing I would have on hand would be your vets phone number, his/her permission to call with questions you might have, and how late they would be willing to deal with those questions - yes, I'm dead serious here. That does 2 things - it reassures you, and it also tells you what kind of a vet you have. Meanwhile, get on the internet and google 'calving out heifers' - again, I'm dead serious. That way you know what to expect, what to look for, have information about how to monitor her progress and tell if something is wrong, and don't drive your vet completely bonkers with every little question. </p><p></p><p>You are right to want to get her away from the horses, and a 24 X 18 foot pen is plenty big enough for her to calve in. You don't want to pen her in there for any longer than necessary, though, because it will limit her exercise and could lead to problems with atrophied muscles if she is penned for a long length of time. If she were mine, I would watch her and when her bag became strutted and she had dilated enough to be very loose and floppy, I would move her to the pen and shed. Whether the shed is necessary or not depends on where you live and what your weather is like. If you are subject to ice storms, snow, wind, and single digit or below zero temperatures, the shed will hedge your bet and the calf's survival if - and it's a big if - the mother is smart enough to use it. Make sure to keep it clean so ammonia fumes don't build up. Another factor to consider before moving her to larger field is going to be whether or not you have predators nearby, and what kind of predators you have. A lone heifer is not capable of fending off predators with a calf that is only a couple of weeks old because the calf tends to bolt and run. The calf has to be old enough that he/she knows to stay with her mother for her mother to be effective at dealing with predators, and that doesn't usually happen until 2-3 weeks of age or older. Even then, it can get dicey real fast. Just my thoughts, and I hope it helps.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="msscamp, post: 810515, member: 539"] Since this is your first time the first thing I would have on hand would be your vets phone number, his/her permission to call with questions you might have, and how late they would be willing to deal with those questions - yes, I'm dead serious here. That does 2 things - it reassures you, and it also tells you what kind of a vet you have. Meanwhile, get on the internet and google 'calving out heifers' - again, I'm dead serious. That way you know what to expect, what to look for, have information about how to monitor her progress and tell if something is wrong, and don't drive your vet completely bonkers with every little question. You are right to want to get her away from the horses, and a 24 X 18 foot pen is plenty big enough for her to calve in. You don't want to pen her in there for any longer than necessary, though, because it will limit her exercise and could lead to problems with atrophied muscles if she is penned for a long length of time. If she were mine, I would watch her and when her bag became strutted and she had dilated enough to be very loose and floppy, I would move her to the pen and shed. Whether the shed is necessary or not depends on where you live and what your weather is like. If you are subject to ice storms, snow, wind, and single digit or below zero temperatures, the shed will hedge your bet and the calf's survival if - and it's a big if - the mother is smart enough to use it. Make sure to keep it clean so ammonia fumes don't build up. Another factor to consider before moving her to larger field is going to be whether or not you have predators nearby, and what kind of predators you have. A lone heifer is not capable of fending off predators with a calf that is only a couple of weeks old because the calf tends to bolt and run. The calf has to be old enough that he/she knows to stay with her mother for her mother to be effective at dealing with predators, and that doesn't usually happen until 2-3 weeks of age or older. Even then, it can get dicey real fast. Just my thoughts, and I hope it helps. [/QUOTE]
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What do I need for heifer who will calve in end Feb
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