Unfortunate... (The calf)

JeffNY · #1 12/07/07, 11:18 PM

Well at 9:00pm the calf was alive, and things looked fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing different from others. However sometime roughly 10 minutes before I came down after dinner, the calf was just freshly dead. The calving wasn't hard, the calf was half way out, so it wasn't like it had been stuck. My thinking is that the fluid didn't clear from its lungs properly, soon enough. The calf was HUGE, and was a heifer. I am guessing she was 110-120lbs, and for a heifer thats big.

The bull used was mine, atleast I think it was mind (she was AI'ed the same day). The calf was LONG, much liike the bulls dam (dairy), and this calf was the biggest calf yet here.

The good news is the mother seems fine, she got up without any issues, drank water, went to feed etc. Usually when a calf gets stuck, especially when the legs are coming when the neck is right there, is when they can sufficate. However this seemed to happen after that, and like I said I think fluid didn't clear on time.

What sucks is its a heifer, I had 5 bulls in a row, then a heifer that is DOA more or less. I do have others due, one next month. What is interesting with calf size, I had a cow bred to a 12% Calving Ease bull, that had a calf as small as a 6% calving ease (he was very small, and almost two weeks late).

Really sucks, because that heifer appeared to be a dandy, and if it was from my bull, was an added bonus, but that ain't happening.

Jeff

Mickey · #2 12/07/07, 11:26 PM

I'm sorry Jeff.
Mickey

Countrygrl3 · #3 12/08/07, 07:18 AM

That really stinks Jeff...Im so sorry. ((HUGS))

Sue

HazyDay · #4 12/08/07, 07:27 AM

Sorry to hear that

I guess I was right it was a girl! But I guess even if it had been a bull it would still suck. Are you sure you really did breed her to that same bull and you diddn't get a different bull???

WOW that was a huge calf, just when I seen the legs out it looked alot bigger then alot of the bull claves I have seen.

Good Luck Jeff! Give mom a little more grain tonight for all of us at Home Steading Today

#5 12/08/07, 08:34 AM

I'm so sorry to hear about that.

susieM · #6 12/08/07, 09:13 AM

What is a 'calving ease' bull?

Teacupliz · #7 12/08/07, 09:18 AM

Sorry for your loss- I could of not just watched I am hands on- If we are there we get involved. Maybe to much- but is just my way.
Hugs from here too-
Farm life- loss and life... daily...
Liz

Shirley · #8 12/08/07, 10:05 AM

So sorry Jeff. We all watched in anticipation. You need to cowcam again and we can hope for a lively, thriving calf to get our minds off your loss.
How often does the cow back into the rails to calve? Must not happen often or you would have a wall of plywood up around the inside of the pen.
And someone mentioned last night that alot of dairies take the calf out immediately for bottle feeding. Do you do that or leave it with momma for a day or two?

HazyDay · #9 12/08/07, 10:08 AM

Shirley, he did say on the other post. That he takes them away as soon as they are born. Less stress on mom and baby.

Shirley · #10 12/08/07, 10:19 AM

Yes, after I had posted I went to the other thread and read it. Thanks.

JeffNY · #11 12/08/07, 10:57 AM

She was the only one that calved in the pen that did that. Everyone else stayed away from the rail. Most box stalls have slats that are vertical, and generally a cow is good about keeping her hind end away from the walls. She on the other hand did not. She was at one point using the sides as leverage. She put her hind leg on the rail, and pushed, was interesting..

There has been atleast 4-5 or so that calved prior to her in the box stalls, no problems. Actually if I can, I rather have them calve outside, but this time of year that isn't an option. They do quite well outside, tons of room, and if its dry, no clean up! But the pain is moving the calf in :P. Heck I even had one this fall that was starting to calve, and the calf was 1/4 the way out, and she walked all the way down, put her in the box stall, and the calf came out, no problems. But the key here, the calf was smaller.

See the insinct is to "pull the calf!". The problem is, I hate like heck to get involved if its not necessary, This calf looked fine coming out at 9. The reason I also hate getting involved is injuring the calf or the mother. Only helped one that truely needed help, was April of 06, 100lb bull calf out of a heifer, hips locked. As I was pulling the calf almost sufficated. Let me tell you, I was by myself and I pulled HARD, got it to its chest, where it could breathe. Its why im cautious, would really suck to pull, slip, then end up killing the calf because you suffocated it.

Jeff

ozark_jewels · #12 12/08/07, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susieM

What is a 'calving ease' bull?

A bull that has a good record of throwing easy to birth calves.

ozark_jewels · #13 12/08/07, 11:00 AM

Sorry for the loss, Jeff. I had to pull an enormous heifer at the dairy I milk at a month ago. She was DOA.
Had to help a cow birth twin bulls two days ago, they are both fine and healthy. The irony.

JeffNY · #14 12/08/07, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Sorry for the loss, Jeff. I had to pull an enormous heifer at the dairy I milk at a month ago. She was DOA.
Had to help a cow birth twin bulls two days ago, they are both fine and healthy. The irony.

Yeah and twins can have their own "set" problems. I have heard of stories where you have two legs coming, only to find one leg is from one calf that is behind the other. That would be a nightmere.

Funny, you try to employ technology that allows you to watch more that being there. Still get poblems! Heck last spring I watched a cow calve from the house, I was glued to that calving. It worked extremely well. She did her thing, and everything went off without a hitch.

Jeff

ozark_jewels · #15 12/08/07, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffNY

Yeah and twins can have their own "set" problems. I have heard of stories where you have two legs coming, only to find one leg is from one calf that is behind the other. That would be a nightmere.

Yes, this was a fairly easy twinning She had the first one, normal presentation. The next one was a large breech and I had to help her. He was stressed but was fine after a bit of coddling.

I've had many stange presentations with goats. Triplets trying to come at the same time, a head of one kid and the legs of another, two heads, three feet(all from different kids), etc. Thankfully, I think goats are easier to rearange than cattle.

Shirley · #16 12/08/07, 11:24 AM

Well we appreciate your idea to cowcam. All of us are glued to the screen! When is the next cow due?
I haven't either...never seen an animal back up to the rails before. We (dh and I)haven't witnessed calving but we have been there with horses, even needed to help a time or two.
Once again, sorry for your loss and will be waiting for the next cowcam.

myminifarm · #17 12/08/07, 01:12 PM

I'm so sorry for your loss Jeff.

JeffNY · #18 12/08/07, 01:40 PM

The next cow is due around 4 weeks from now. I need to check the chart to see her due date, but I should start seeing some bagging in a couple weeks. This upcoming cow was bred to a bull that doesn't throw big calves, he is 7-8%, and she is a big cow (1600+). Not height wise, just size wise. Her name is Kahlua...

What sucks about the whole ordeal is that I opened up the calving to the net, and this happens! I had a feeling "watch, something foolish will happen". So yeah in another month, two more are due actually, then two more around March 1st, then two more mid-march. Then 3 due in April, with another due in May, with 3 due in June. Then nothing till fall.

When its time for the two due around March 1st, I might have two cameras, and it will be a split screen, so perhaps two at once..

So here's to the next one, and im sure she will be fine.. Atleast I hope!

Jeff

HazyDay · #19 12/08/07, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffNY

Yeah and twins can have their own "set" problems. I have heard of stories where you have two legs coming, only to find one leg is from one calf that is behind the other. That would be a nightmere.

Funny, you try to employ technology that allows you to watch more that being there. Still get poblems! Heck last spring I watched a cow calve from the house, I was glued to that calving. It worked extremely well. She did her thing, and everything went off without a hitch.

Jeff

Oh ya! I watched as my uncle was pulling a calf from one cow, and he was just pulling and I seen another leg! Well it was twin girls and 1 was coming out and the other wanted to also. He pulled and she screamed and then they had to call the vet. He did get them out, but it took well over 2 hours for the vet! Long story short this was the best cow in the barn and her first set of girls. All bulls before and these 2 were dead

But on that note this cows twin sisther also calved. (It runs in the family) with twin girls. She had them with out a problem and they still have 2 replace heifers due soon out of these twins mother.

Good luck with the others! I have been thinking of putting a cam in our kidding pen, but I would just go out as it will be in our grarge!

JeffNY · #20 12/08/07, 03:01 PM

Loosing twin heifers would suck, considering many twins can turn out to be good cows, and especially out of the best cow in the barn.

The camera is back aiming at the main herd, 4 are behind the camera.

Jeff