inducing labor in cow

I am sorry. My intent was to deter you from doing something that I believe will kill the calf and harm your "baby". In the future I will not offer advice that runs counter to what you want to do.

haypoint thanks for the picture.. I am holding off, see what happens. Advice is welcome just a little less humm how shall I say it, harsh.. But I suposs trying to get your point across on the dnag computer ast times it is needed.. If need be I will begin to milk her, I have been rubbing her down for weeks.
With hold on diretics is so long I dont intend to use them either.
Matt man, I swear I was here when you got your first cow? was there a issue with one teat?

My vet is awesome cow guy himeself. Said he has seen cow milked for months before calving.
I will keep you al posted. Today in NY it is 17* yesterday was 50* good day for a baby..
Heading to the barn to fine out

If you milk her now, won't you be milking out the all important anti-boddies fortified Colostrum? Are you freezing it to give to the calf when it arrives?

I believe your vet has seen a cow milked for months before calving, but did he actually/specificly recommend you do it?

From my experience, freezing rain, ankle deep mud and howling winds induce labor.

If you thought I was about to abuse my cow and kill her calf, would your advice to me be nice or "harsh"?

I have induced a big old brown swiss in the past with no ill effects. Fine ream me out.. :O)
I have also milked a cow before she calves before- to help with the edema. Being a mother
that nursed OMG how can I leave her to suffer. I rub her down twice a day with mint, tea tree oil ect. Warm rags... Her udder is so much bigger today.. Maybe signs of early labor? Geeze I hope so.
Yesterday was 50 today 15* cold wind, so hey maybe thats all we need.
Just wondering how many cows you induced that lost the calf??
About 7 years ago Lived on this sight, then we moved, we bought a old old farm. Now I sell raw milk with a NYS permit both cow and goat. So have not been on here in that time, much at all. Homesteader sent me a bday wish so I looked the sight back up. way to get threw long NY winter. :O)

Inducing labor in a cow is a rare event creating many complications.

But you now have two such events "under your belt".

I do not know if that makes you experienced or reckless.

As you well know, this site attracts people of all backgrounds, a wide array of experiences and most folks with wisdom base it on their own experiences. Various experiences creates a variety of advice. Because of that fact, some advice is good and some not good. There even is a fair amount of excellent advice balanced with some well intended terrible advice. Just like the real world.

Back when we dairied, I had our beloved Ayrshire Madge induced...she may have been a month out from her due date. Madge had cancer, and was declining rapidly. She'd only thrown us bull calves, and I wanted to try and save that hopefully heifer calf. Madge calved, and we shipped her. (No complications, but she was a large, seasoned cow, and her body was in no mood to stop the process.) Her bull calf weighed only 35#, and Lisabug took him in, named him Bumblebutt, and raised him to about 70# and then shipped him.

I dont know anything about inducing a cow, since i am newbie in the cow world, but I am just curious....

Teacupliz:
If you have induced before, why are you asking for help on a message board?

I have to agree with others, I think it would cause more harm than good, considering all the problems that could occur. jm2c. Wishing all the best though for the cow and the calf, and there is a happy ending.


Sorry just read you lost the calf.

So even the vet felt I should of induced the day I was thinking about it. Probably would of saved the calf. Life onthe farm.. Not sure why I asked.

I've followed this thread without contributing and have been left completely bamboozled.

I have been involved in the induction of cows, and done properly, it is not a 5 minute job. It is only ever done when there would appear to be a high risk of losing the cow if the pregnancy were to continue and is never done at the due date.

Liz, what possible benefit would have come about by the induction of this cow - from what I can gather she was already full term so inducing would not have made the calf any smaller or the cow any thinner and the result would have been the same. Induction would not have saved the calf, it was far too late in the day for that.

I can't find anywhere in the posts where the breed of cow is mentioned or the breed of bull she went to. And why was she overweight, particularly at this time of your year. Given the limited information given by you, I would suggest that management needs to be looked at. And no, I'm not being harsh, I'm being realistic. In 40 years of farming I have only ever had to induce one cow as a precaution. A bought in Jersey heifer that had gone to a Simmental bull. What a horrible mixture. With consultation with my vet it was decided that induction was probably the safest way to go. The cow produced an early but live calf that grew to to twice the size of her mother and I now milk her. This was done a good 4-6 weeks before due date.

Cheers,
Ronnie

I bought this cow bred, big mistake, still suffering from this purchase. To long of a story to explain on here.
Lesson learned

I have had cow 8 years this is the first problem Iever incounted needed more milk bought someones 4H heifer, thought she would be a good cow a big over weight after show season. Bought myself trouble and heart ache thats it plain and simple. Still in need of a milk cow.

Still in need of a milk cow


why all you lost was the calf from the other post

No I also dont only have 2 quarter, vet out agian.. says the teats got sucked on as a calf,
the orfice closed off. I could keep her and milk 2 teats, BUT I dont want to set myself up for more heart ache.
Need milk hence need a new cow..

sorry

Pretty rough treatment there. Pretty sure the OP didn't sign on to get abused.

Sorry you lost your calf, you should have listened to the vet not some guy on HT with a strong opinion.

LOL you guys crack me up.. We all try our best. Farming since 1999, one of my hardest weeks ever.. BUt I survived.. and will continue

I will go for Reckless I am a farmer!

Hang on a sec! Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

We have a heifer on the farm where I work who freshened in this way. Both back teats were shot. BUT ... she's still making 50 lbs. of milk off the front ones. The farmer will milk her for a couple of months, as long as she's profitable, before culling her. Assuming your cow came through the birth without any ill effects, you could do the same. Why not get whatever good out of the situation that you can?

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