Dead Calf?

[Ken Scharabok]

Yesterday I noticed a Holstein, probably Angus, cross was acting like she was going to calve shortly. Checked on her late last evening and she was eating hay without her rearend protrucing out a bit - as earlier in the day. This AM I found her calf dead. BIG one, bull, probably 80-90 pounds.

Only thing I noticed is it didn't have a navel cord, jsut a 'wound' about the size of a quarter to half-dollar. May or may not have had a critter at it, but, while the calf was cold, it was still very flexible, so likely hadn't been dead all that long.

I'm thinking it was a breech birth. When the naval cord snaps it triggers a gasping reaction in the calf. If the head was still inside there wouldn't have been anything to breathe. Cord may have pulled out at the stomach.

Any other guesses?

[jerzeygurl]

i would say the cord pulled off when baby was inside as well

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Yesterday I noticed a Holstein, probably Angus, cross was acting like she was going to calve shortly. Checked on her late last evening and she was eating hay without her rearend protrucing out a bit - as earlier in the day. This AM I found her calf dead. BIG one, bull, probably 80-90 pounds.

Only thing I noticed is it didn't have a navel cord, jsut a 'wound' about the size of a quarter to half-dollar. May or may not have had a critter at it, but, while the calf was cold, it was still very flexible, so likely hadn't been dead all that long.

I'm thinking it was a breech birth. When the naval cord snaps it triggers a gasping reaction in the calf. If the head was still inside there wouldn't have been anything to breathe. Cord may have pulled out at the stomach.

Any other guesses?

That is probably what happened to the cord. However, if a calf hasn't ever breathed, such as a still born or backwards calf they won't stiffen up like a calf that had breathed. No oxygen = no rigor mortis. So, the calf could have been still born, or born backwards and died during birth.

80-90# usually isn't THAT big for a holstien. Heck, 90 - 95 is what our beef calves AVERAGE at birth.

[floramum]

So Sorry To Hear That. But Do Appreciate Your Sharing It. After Seeing A Cow In Labor Thanksgiving Of 05 And Not Realizing It Was In Danger Has Me Very Watchful [trying Not To Be Nervous] Over Our Cows. The Next Day She Was Found Dead. We Did An On The Spot Postmortem C-section.....too Large Of Calf In Breech Position. This Was In A Remote Pasture. One Of My Older Dgs Assisted And He Wasnt Too Happy An Assistant. So We Didnt Look Any Further Than It's Position And Size...