When will Honey calve?!

[simplejoyshomestead]

Our first due date ended up wrong, so when our calf will drop is anyone’s guess! By her bag progression over the last week, can anyone give me a clue as to when to begin serious calf watch? She is a first time jersey heifer, and we were originally told she would calve in November (obviously quite wrong!). Our last milk cow was already in milk when we got her, so all the guess work this time around is driving me crazy!
The first picture is from January 27, the second is from February 7, and the last two are from tonight. She’s changing every day, and as of tonight her teats are filling too. I’m just not sure how much more change to expect before it’s time. Her ligaments are not soft yet

 

[daneg]

Heifers can show quite a while before calving, you need to move the camera higher her moccasin can tell as much or more than her bag as far as being close to calving

 

[Travlr]

Has she got any discharge?

Go to your profile (top right) and click on it, then scroll down to Account details", and enter a location. Any questions you ask will have different answers depending on if you are in Australia, Maine, Arizona, Florida, or Canada.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Tailhead ligaments not softened in my experience it will be a while. Is her 'tweedle' swollen and loose with clear mucus?

 

[farmerjan]

10 days to 2 weeks... just a guess... Heifers can bag way ahead of time... and look like they have alot of edema and swelling for several weeks ahead of time... need to see more pics of her overall... including vulva area, and a side view showing also.

 

[simplejoyshomestead]

Our first due date ended up wrong, so when our calf will drop is anyone's guess! By her bag progression over the last week, can anyone give me a clue as to when to begin serious calf watch? She is a first time jersey heifer, and we were originally told she would calve in November (obviously quite wrong!). Our last milk cow was already in milk when we got her, so all the guess work this time around is driving me crazy!
The first picture is from January 27, the second is from February 7, and the last two are from tonight. She's changing every day, and as of tonight her teats are filling too. I'm just not sure how much more change to expect before it's time. Her ligaments are not soft yet

I can’t figure out how to add additional pictures to the original post! I went out to check honey this evening, and there has definitely been some more bagging up! These pictures may be more helpful. She is definitely having some springing under her tail, but her ligaments still feel firm. What does everyone think, with these better pictures??

 

[Travlr]

I can't figure out how to add additional pictures to the original post! I went out to check honey this evening, and there has definitely been some more bagging up! These pictures may be more helpful. She is definitely having some springing under her tail, but her ligaments still feel firm. What does everyone think, with these better pictures??

Might be another week or so... I'm betting "or so". I'll say March 9th.

 

[farmerjan]

You don't add to the original post... You simply post more on the thread like you did here.

She looks to be a little bit off still.... not alot of edema and the vulva is not real loose.

I am not trying to be critical, but pic 4254 in the last post above, she looks to be very thin. She should have much better condition on her than she has. Have you wormed her? I realize it is winter, but her overall thinness especially in her hips, hooks and pins is not what she should be showing. Jerseys will be in a negative energy balance after they calve... meaning that they will lose weight as they make milk... it is called milking the fat off her back... so she will continue to lose weight for 2-4 months as she comes into her full milk. She should be carrying more weight and be much rounder than she is... especially being a first time heifer.. Granted she should not be as round as a beef cow, but she should have more body and less bone showing...

 

[simplejoyshomestead]

You don't add to the original post... You simply post more on the thread like you did here.

She looks to be a little bit off still.... not alot of edema and the vulva is not real loose.

I am not trying to be critical, but pic 4254 in the last post above, she looks to be very thin. She should have much better condition on her than she has. Have you wormed her? I realize it is winter, but her overall thinness especially in her hips, hooks and pins is not what she should be showing. Jerseys will be in a negative energy balance after they calve... meaning that they will lose weight as they make milk... it is called milking the fat off her back... so she will continue to lose weight for 2-4 months as she comes into her full milk. She should be carrying more weight and be much rounder than she is... especially being a first time heifer.. Granted she should not be as round as a beef cow, but she should have more body and less bone showing...

Oh, she is very thin! I bought her pregnant and not in good body condition, and the last few months I’m having so much trouble fattening her up. She has unlimited access to high quality hay, she’s fed alfalfa once a day and I’ve started feeding her grain too. What more could I do? I’m in contact with a feed mill about getting a specialized feed, and adding in beet pulp and kelp, but I’m very open to any suggestions!

 

[farmerjan]

Oh, she is very thin! I bought her pregnant and not in good body condition, and the last few months I'm having so much trouble fattening her up. She has unlimited access to high quality hay, she's fed alfalfa once a day and I've started feeding her grain too. What more could I do? I'm in contact with a feed mill about getting a specialized feed, and adding in beet pulp and kelp, but I'm very open to any suggestions!

Okay, buying already bred, her thinner condition is definitely not your fault. Did you worm her as soon as you got her? Worming with ivermectin would not have hurt the fetus..some wormers seem to be a little harsh on pregnant animals..... but at this stage I would not worm her... too much extra stress on her system. Worm her a couple days to a week, after calving... injectible or a drench... and worm her again 30 days later... if you have nothing else, use pour-on... many say it does nothing for the worms but I have cattle that are a perfect example of proof, that it does help... with fecal samples to back it up run by the vet's office...
We worm everything that comes on the place, bought animals.... to start from "scratch" so to speak.
Grain will help... I would add some corn as it will fatten them...1/4 to 1/2 of what you are feeding her....added to whatever you are already feeding her..... and you can buy beet pulp in 50 lb bags and soak a couple handfuls with some water and add to whatever you are feeding her now... instead of a specialized feed. If you are giving her alfalfa, do not go any higher on protein, 16% is plenty..... as it will just make her have looser manure... too much protein is as bad as too little......

It will take her time to gain weight after calving if she is making much milk... so patience will be the word...

 

[simplejoyshomestead]

Okay, buying already bred, her thinner condition is definitely not your fault. Did you worm her as soon as you got her? Worming with ivermectin would not have hurt the fetus..some wormers seem to be a little harsh on pregnant animals..... but at this stage I would not worm her... too much extra stress on her system. Worm her a couple days to a week, after calving... injectible or a drench... and worm her again 30 days later... if you have nothing else, use pour-on... many say it does nothing for the worms but I have cattle that are a perfect example of proof, that it does help... with fecal samples to back it up run by the vet's office...
We worm everything that comes on the place, bought animals.... to start from "scratch" so to speak.
Grain will help... I would add some corn as it will fatten them...1/4 to 1/2 of what you are feeding her....added to whatever you are already feeding her..... and you can buy beet pulp in 50 lb bags and soak a couple handfuls with some water and add to whatever you are feeding her now... instead of a specialized feed. If you are giving her alfalfa, do not go any higher on protein, 16% is plenty..... as it will just make her have looser manure... too much protein is as bad as too little......

It will take her time to gain weight after calving if she is making much milk... so patience will be the word...

Thank you so much for the information!
I haven’t wormed her, because my husband told me the type of wormer we use on our beef cattle would make us have to discard milk for the first 6 months of her production! If I had option that wouldn’t effect the milk I certainly would try.

I’ll add in corn, and beet pulp. I’m planning to feed her 3 gallons at every milking, plus alfalfa. And pretty soon we will have lots of green grass again. Will that be enough? I’ve never had a cow this skinny, and really want to fatten her up but without over feeding and causing her problems. The calf will not be on her at all, which should help

 

[MurraysMutts]

I've always wondered what dairies use for worming their cows.
There has to be Something you can use that still passes muster for human consumption of the milk!

When I got Bessie. She was in very poor condition. I wormed her. (Not drinking the milk. She's a calf raiser!) And fed her well. It took a little while to get her back in shape. (She didn't get that way overnight, and dang sure won't get back in condition overnight either.)

From the looks of her tail, she's getting enough protein. Corn, oats, barley. She should come along!


There was a lot of good information posted from lots of people in my thread, think she will make milk. A couple posts down from this one currently. Posts are date stamped so u can see what time frame it took to get her back in shape.

 

[simme]

"Cydectin® (moxidectin) Pour-On is approved for use on dairy cattle, including lactating dairy cattle, for the treatment of infections and infestation of internal and external parasites. Cydectin is a market-leading internal and external parasite solution with a zero milk withhold and zero slaughter withdrawal."

 

[farmerjan]

@simme beat me to it... Cydectin pour on, eprinomectin is another of the "ectin's" that is also safe for dairy and NO MILK WITH HOLDING.
Safe Guard paste, suspension and medicated feed is also safe for dairy with withholding of 48-96 HOURS... most are 10-15 days withholding for meat/slaughter... There might be others

I don't know when you got her, but I would have researched the wormers and found one that was safe for her as soon as you got her. Safe Guard blocks that you put out are supposed to be for beef only....
No offense to you... because this is a typical response.... "so and so" said this was not good for this or that... perhaps the type wormer that your husband uses on the beef cattle is not approved for dairy... but there are others... and she definitely needs worming unless you take a fecal sample to a vet and have it analyzed and they tell you there is no evidence of worms.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

It's great your heifer is coming due and I understand the anxiety of when will the calf come. I have a close up old pet cow living in my front yard now so I can watch over her, even getting up at night to look with a flashlight. Dairy cows are not like beef cows. Generally, lactating Jerseys do not do well on all 'grass fed' diets. They lose so much weight they look like walking death and do not breed back. Generally, Jerseys are fed 3 lbs of 16% protein dairy feed per gallon of milk produced each day. You have to gradually increase the amount of feed that is required according to their milk output. Dairy feeds are already formulated so you don't have to worry about adding this and that.

If you 'share milk' and I do not advise it because cows and calves dont reaaly want to share. Cows hold up their milk and cream for the calf and what you get is mostly skim. And you don't know what her milk production actually is in order to feed her the right amount of grain. In addition, dairy cows produce so much milk the baby calves are overfed and get scours (diarrhea). Aggressive nursers, usually bull calves, cut up the cow's teats. If you take away the calf after she licks it off and bottle raise it out of her sight they quickly forget and there is no calf sharing drama. If you hand milk please wear disposable gloves and do not wash with water. I use an iodine teat dip leave it on for 60 seconds then wipe it off with clean cloth, using a clean spot for each teat and dip again after milking. So the dip is on the teat while the oriface is still open after milking. Cows get mastitis, the worst is staph aureus that lives on the skin of people's hands and can ruin a cow because it never really goes away. There are other mastitis pathogens best avoided. I have an old timey Surge belly pail machine and I love it. Still, I never touch her teats with my bare hands.

I milke a first calf heifer. You don't know what first calf heifers are going to do. They might not allow themselves to be touched or milked or kick off the calf. It's best to have some good quality powdered colostrum on hand you can mix and feed in a bottle. Because the calf has got to get colostrum in the first hour or 2 of birth or they have no immunity. Get the good stuff. its more expensive but it's made with cow colostrum protein. Avoid products containing soy and these cheap 'all species' colostrums. It's better to have and not need than need and not have. It's a good thing I had colostrum because my nice mannered heifer after calving she went nuts.

Also, I would advise putting out purina Wind and Rain high mag (magnesium) loose mineral along with a salt lick. Cows can get grass tetany when the green grass comes in.

 

[whisperingpinesnh]

Oh, she is very thin! I bought her pregnant and not in good body condition, and the last few months I'm having so much trouble fattening her up. She has unlimited access to high quality hay, she's fed alfalfa once a day and I've started feeding her grain too. What more could I do? I'm in contact with a feed mill about getting a specialized feed, and adding in beet pulp and kelp, but I'm very open to any suggestions!

My kiddo fattened one of her heifers up with a Nutrena Protein Block. It's 27% or 37% (I can't remember which), but one of her cows just would not gain, until she added that block. I want to say they cost around $15. I know there are others out there. That's just the only one our local feed stores carry.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

They have to have enough protein in the forage to feed their rumen bacteria that digest the cellulose. Then cattle digest the bacteria. My husband would always put out 20% cow cubes in the winter. 2 to 5 lbs per cow depending on the forage quality at the time. This was in Texas. Protein lick tubs are pretty expensive these days.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

They have to have enough protein in the forage to feed their rumen bacteria that digest the cellulose. Then cattle digest the bacteria. My husband would always put out 20% cow cubes in the winter. 2 to 5 lbs per cow depending on the forage quality at the time. This was in Texas. Protein lick tubs are pretty expensive these days.

 

[farmerjan]

It's great your heifer is coming due and I understand the anxiety of when will the calf come. I have a close up old pet cow living in my front yard now so I can watch over her, even getting up at night to look with a flashlight. Dairy cows are not like beef cows. Generally, lactating Jerseys do not do well on all 'grass fed' diets. They lose so much weight they look like walking death and do not breed back. Generally, Jerseys are fed 3 lbs of 16% protein dairy feed per gallon of milk produced each day. You have to gradually increase the amount of feed that is required according to their milk output. Dairy feeds are already formulated so you don't have to worry about adding this and that.

If you 'share milk' and I do not advise it because cows and calves dont reaaly want to share. Cows hold up their milk and cream for the calf and what you get is mostly skim. And you don't know what her milk production actually is in order to feed her the right amount of grain. In addition, dairy cows produce so much milk the baby calves are overfed and get scours (diarrhea). Aggressive nursers, usually bull calves, cut up the cow's teats. If you take away the calf after she licks it off and bottle raise it out of her sight they quickly forget and there is no calf sharing drama. If you hand milk please wear disposable gloves and do not wash with water. I use an iodine teat dip leave it on for 60 seconds then wipe it off with clean cloth, using a clean spot for each teat and dip again after milking. So the dip is on the teat while the oriface is still open after milking. Cows get mastitis, the worst is staph aureus that lives on the skin of people's hands and can ruin a cow because it never really goes away. There are other mastitis pathogens best avoided. I have an old timey Surge belly pail machine and I love it. Still, I never touch her teats with my bare hands.

I milke a first calf heifer. You don't know what first calf heifers are going to do. They might not allow themselves to be touched or milked or kick off the calf. It's best to have some good quality powdered colostrum on hand you can mix and feed in a bottle. Because the calf has got to get colostrum in the first hour or 2 of birth or they have no immunity. Get the good stuff. its more expensive but it's made with cow colostrum protein. Avoid products containing soy and these cheap 'all species' colostrums. It's better to have and not need than need and not have. It's a good thing I had colostrum because my nice mannered heifer after calving she went nuts.

Also, I would advise putting out purina Wind and Rain high mag (magnesium) loose mineral along with a salt lick. Cows can get grass tetany when the green grass comes in.

She said the calf would be bottle fed, no milk sharing...
Cows do not hold their cream... the butterfat is naturally in the latter part of the milk that is milked out of the udder... sorta the "cream rises to the top" kind of thing... Yes some will hold their milk for their calf... but I have " shared" lots of cows.... and gotten plenty of milk. I usually will milk out 2 complete quarters and leave 2 for the calf.... or milk all and then put back with the calves for the next 12-24 hours type of deal...
Every cow is different for "calf raising, sharing, hand milking, machine milking, and every variation inbetween... some will mother anything, some want no part, and every other combination .....

I've always wondered what dairies use for worming their cows.
There has to be Something you can use that still passes muster for human consumption of the milk!

When I got Bessie. She was in very poor condition. I wormed her. (Not drinking the milk. She's a calf raiser!) And fed her well. It took a little while to get her back in shape. (She didn't get that way overnight, and dang sure won't get back in condition overnight either.)

From the looks of her tail, she's getting enough protein. Corn, oats, barley. She should come along!


There was a lot of good information posted from lots of people in my thread, think she will make milk. A couple posts down from this one currently. Posts are date stamped so u can see what time frame it took to get her back in shape.

@MurraysMutts ... most dairies will do a pour on when they dry off the cows if worming is needed...

 

[simplejoyshomestead]

@simme beat me to it... Cydectin pour on, eprinomectin is another of the "ectin's" that is also safe for dairy and NO MILK WITH HOLDING.
Safe Guard paste, suspension and medicated feed is also safe for dairy with withholding of 48-96 HOURS... most are 10-15 days withholding for meat/slaughter... There might be others

I don't know when you got her, but I would have researched the wormers and found one that was safe for her as soon as you got her. Safe Guard blocks that you put out are supposed to be for beef only....
No offense to you... because this is a typical response.... "so and so" said this was not good for this or that... perhaps the type wormer that your husband uses on the beef cattle is not approved for dairy... but there are others... and she definitely needs worming unless you take a fecal sample to a vet and have it analyzed and they tell you there is no evidence of worms.

You're right, I should have. But when I bought her we were told that she would be calving in just a couple months.

@simme beat me to it... Cydectin pour on, eprinomectin is another of the "ectin's" that is also safe for dairy and NO MILK WITH HOLDING.
Safe Guard paste, suspension and medicated feed is also safe for dairy with withholding of 48-96 HOURS... most are 10-15 days withholding for meat/slaughter... There might be others

I don't know when you got her, but I would have researched the wormers and found one that was safe for her as soon as you got her. Safe Guard blocks that you put out are supposed to be for beef only....
No offense to you... because this is a typical response.... "so and so" said this was not good for this or that... perhaps the type wormer that your husband uses on the beef cattle is not approved for dairy... but there are others... and she definitely needs worming unless you take a fecal sample to a vet and have it analyzed and they tell you there is no evidence of worms.

you’re right, I should have. But when we bought her, she was supposedly due in just a couple months, having been tested. I had no way of knowing that they were 3 months off on their date. Honestly worms didn’t enter my mind as a cause until recently. Dairy cows are new to me, and we haven’t had any of these signs with worms in our beef cattle. I will definitely be addressing it now, and I’m sure appreciate of all the experience and knowledge everyone on here is sharing, so I don’t make the same mistakes twice! Thank you