When you guys have a heifer in trouble

[redangus]

and you don't have her in a catch pen, what's your best solution?

I've got a good friend that came out and helped me the other day. He roped a heifer in trouble, we got her tied to a tree, and luckily she layed down. I pulled my truck up behind her, got chains on the calf and pulled out a 90# bull calf. (So much for my heifer bull ;-) )

Is there another way to do it when a chute is no where in sight?

I know I should have had her where I can get her up.

 

[CattleAnnie]

When you don't have your breds handy to facilities during calving time, I guess your options are pretty limited, Redangus.

To save stress, we just keep anything that's 3 weeks or so before due date near the barn pens.

Sure a lot handier than trying to dip a loop onto an animal that's got one leg and a big nose hanging out her back end, as usually the cow isn't all that co-operative to such undertakings. ;-)


Take care and better luck with the rest of your heifers.

 

[aplusmnt]

and you don't have her in a catch pen, what's your best solution?

I've got a good friend that came out and helped me the other day. He roped a heifer in trouble, we got her tied to a tree, and luckily she layed down. I pulled my truck up behind her, got chains on the calf and pulled out a 90# bull calf. (So much for my heifer bull ;-) )

Is there another way to do it when a chute is no where in sight?

I know I should have had her where I can get her up.

Probably just have to do what you did. We had a heifer last year in that situation. Had to roper her and tie to tree. She stood pulling on the rope while we put chains on and started pulling the calf. Then she hit the ground. Learned a valuable lesson there though. You better tie with a quick release knot, because when she hit ground she was choking. Barely got the rope loosened. But then she laid there and let us pull it and all was good.

 

[glover36]

we have an older good condition log barn that we put them in and turn the gate in on them and if there quiet enough we put theem in our dairy stall and clave them out tied to a dairy stall very easy beascuase wecan use the gutter as something to pull off of only once we have ever had to pull a calf with a tractor lol last year 130 pound simmental bull

 

[aplusmnt]

we have an older good condition log barn that we put them in and turn the gate in on them and if there quiet enough we put theem in our dairy stall and clave them out tied to a dairy stall very easy beascuase wecan use the gutter as something to pull off of only once we have ever had to pull a calf with a tractor lol last year 130 pound simmental bull

did the cow make it?

 

[MikeC]

Xyla-Ject to put them down.

Tolazine to get them up.

 

[CattleAnnie]

Mike,

Do you dart them with one of those blowgun type things or do you have a tranquilizer gun?

Just curious, as the downside of not drugging them might be loss or calf, cow or both; but does the drug effect the vigour of the calf very much?


Take care

 

[MikeC]

Mike,

Do you dart them with one of those blowgun type things or do you have a tranquilizer gun?

Just curious, as the downside of not drugging them might be loss or calf, cow or both; but does the drug effect the vigour of the calf very much?


Take care

Some neighbors and I bought a gun a few years ago.

We don't usually give them the full dose. Just enough to calm them. We have put some completely down too though.

I have not noticed any affect on the calf. The effects wear off pretty rapidly, or are gone by the time the calf decides to get up and suck.

Never given the Tolazine (reverser for the Xyla-Ject)to a calf but could if need be I guess.

 

[TheBullLady]

We've also done the same in similar circumstances. Some of our pastures don't have trees close enough to tie to.. once tied to the bumper. Better make sure you have the old farm truck, and not the go to church truck out there for that!

 

[sidney411]

I called the vet out for one of my neighbors with a wild heifer having a hard time. He roped her on foot and ended up geting the rope around behind her and then in front of her legs and pulled, she went down. Tied her head to one truck and her hind legs to another and streched her out. Pulled the calf then let her up. That was pretty neat.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I have facilitys but a couple week ago i had a cow that had one coming breech legs tucked up under it. she wasnt going to be caught. ive had to do this with a couple other in the past i rope them let the rope drag on the ground take my tractor and follow behind till the tire runs over the rope and stops her tie the rope to the tractor and jerk her down tie her legs and go to work not the best of situations but i was by myself and i got it done. helps to have a little cowboy in you in those situations ;-)

 

[aplusmnt]

I have facilitys but a couple week ago i had a cow that had one coming breech legs tucked up under it. she wasnt going to be caught. ive had to do this with a couple other in the past i rope them let the rope drag on the ground take my tractor and follow behind till the tire runs over the rope and stops her tie the rope to the tractor and jerk her down tie her legs and go to work not the best of situations but i was by myself and i got it done. helps to have a little cowboy in you in those situations ;-)

Very smart way to adapt and get er done!

 

[Victoria]

The upside to the fact that I tend to make our cows into pets is in circumstances like this. Some of the older cows that I haven't "trained" we'd have to rope or run in to the corral. The heifers though I like getting to the point that I can touch them. Then they need help in the field I walk up give them a scratch and pull the calf. I also like getting them so I can touch their bags just in case a calf needs help getting on them, then I can do that in the field too.

Sounds like you did what needed to be done and it was probably the best solution. Congrats on your calf.

 

[msscamp]

We go through every day or every other day and sort off the heifers that are very close and keep them in the corral. If we miss one and she is calving during daylight hours - or if a cow runs into trouble - we saddle the horse, go get them and bring them in. All calving animals are kept in a pasture close enough to the house that this is not a problem. Everything in the pasture is checked right before dark and first thing in the morning. After dark, they are on their own unless they are in the corral. I don't know if this helps or not, but that's how we do it.