whats everybody think ?

[andrews29]

Have a first calf 2 year old that is due april 19th (ai) she has been building a milk bag for 2 weeks this morning had small amount of cream color drainage. Any thoughts as how close she is ? I'm very new to this last year was my first season and we had 1 still born so far have 1 bull calf this year with 3 more due this month

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have some that look like they are about to pop for three weeks. Others just go off to the brush and calve. Milk comes up overnight it seems.

They can drive you nuts. If you see one rolling on the ground, she's in trouble. If you see feet coming out pointed upward, she's in trouble. Other than that, you can pretty much leave them alone. Check to see that she cleans up her calf and lets it get colostrum.

Heifers tend to lay down, get up and walk with the herd, and lay down again when they are going in to labor. Over and over. Others don't do anything like this.

Welcome to the cattle industry. Calves are the second best thing about this business - second to getting that pay check when the calves get sold.

 

[dun]

Could be anywhere from a half hour to a month. Wh4en she actually goes into labor is time enough to get spun up about it. It will drive you nuts but that's just the way it is.

 

[tsmaxx47]

i just had one calve that was like you're describ'in and she had it about week and a half after the clear discharge was noticed. watch the tail carriage! good luck....

 

[Grandpa]

Exactly right. Just had one I thought was going to calve any minute for 3 weeks. First the clear discharge, then her bag got huge. After almost 3 weeks, dropped a long mucous plug then neighbor says it might be 2 days to calve. 3 days later she dropped another long mucous plug, then 2 days after that calved. Found her a few minutes after birthing and the calf was still wet from being cleaned. Calf got up and started sucking right away, so a happy ending. Just drove me nuts.

 

[Victoria]

She'll calve right around the time that you decide she isn't going too. :lol2: The problem with cows is they haven't read the book. They don't know that they are supposed to follow a set timed out pattern of when they are going to come. The most accurate way of telling I just discovered this year and late in the season so it isn't very scientific. No matter how "loose" they get under the tail if you feel it there is still a muscle tone feeling. What I found was that 4 out of 5 cows lost that muscle tone feeling and just felt purely squishy within 12 hours of calving. You couldn't tell the difference by eyeballing they had to be felt. I am going to test this theory again next year as the whole thing could be bunk and have just been due to sleep deprivation...

 

[coxy]

The muscles at the back end of the tail will loosen up and relax feeling really squishy saying her body is preparing for labor and usually will calve within 12 hrs

 

[andrews29]

Thanks for all the replys. Vet checked her yesterday said all looks good thinks calf is about 70 pounds. She still has a fair amount of thick white discharge but nothing else so just keeping an eye on her