Last few weeks before calving

[cjb]

"Violet" our new family milk Jersey, is due to calf on Feb 6th so 5-6 weeks out.

First, She does not look that large to me. My vet bumped her and said that she is definitely pregnant so I know that she is. She also said that her weight is excellent. I just expected a nearly full term cow to be really wide. I did notice that her belly is hanging lower.

Overall, what should I watch for? Is there anything I should give her before she delivers? Any nutritional advice for those last few weeks?

Do cows typically deliver close to their due date? Are they ever early? How early would be too early?

Someone suggested proactively feeding her some kind of calcium paste to prevent milk fever- agree?

Thanks in advance,

Cliff

[momanto]

Have Only Been A Cow Chaser For 4 Years, Don't Know That Much....but Do Think You Are Worrying Way Too Early. You Will Be Burnt Out By Feb.

Hopefully, Someone Will Have Some Real Answers For You.....
I Do Know Not To Over Feed Them With Protein As In Pellets, At This Time.

Mom

[Valmai]

All cows are different. It is likely that here belly will expand sideways for awhile and then appear to flatten shortly before delivery. I doubt you will notice much of a difference in her udder as she has only recently dried off. It is hard to recommend nutrition without knowing in detail what feed she is getting etc, but the vet said she is in good condition so you probably should just continue with what you are feeding her. As momanto said you are worrying too soon, just keep an eye on her. As for the due date, I dont know coz whenever mine have been early or late I just put it down to me getting the date wrong.

[cjb]

Her due date should be right as she was AI'd. Just wondered how true they are to their due dates.

Thanks.

No comment on the calcium paste?

[matt_man]

Our cow was AI'd on 3/19 and due yesterday. Still no calf today but she is close....very, very close.

Due dates are only an average. A study I read done by a university stated Jersey cows calving from 241 days to 29? days gestation with an average of 283 days.

I have read in another forum of giving cows a tube of calcium paste during labor and another right after calving. I would not give it to her until then.

Here is a quote from the wife of a vet that posts on another board that I frequent:

Research has shown that dry cow diets that provided less than 10 grams/day calcium were most effective at preventing milk fever. It is not impossible to provide less than 10 grams per day of calcium - I checked the calcium levels of a variety of grasses and found that assuming your cow will be eating 30lbs per day of grasses and NOTHING else (grain etc), mature kentucky bluegrass, bromegrass prebloom, greenfeed oats, quackgrass, rye, and crested wheat are the grasses I could come up with that would actually put the calcium in that level.
THat is assuming that there is no benefit whatsoever to putting your cow below the 41 gr per day maintenance and fetal skeletal requirements and that it is either below 10gr or nothing at all - I fear my post made it sound like you either do it all or nothing. I am sure there are many cows that would not benefit with a diet of any more than 10 grams and then there are many cows that would benefit from a calcium reducing diet of less than 41 gr in order to mobilize calcium from bone the last few weeks. The reason this WAS (I will explain the "was" later) thought to be helpful is that if calcium requirements are met through the diet, metabolic processes for mobilizing calcium from bone will not occur. To shorten the post and make it more simple, after calving, there is an instant and large demand for calcium that can't be met with diet particularily due to dry matter intake normally declining near calving. So how the animal responds is by mobilizing calcium from the bones. Why this can be a problem is that if the cow is fulfilling her calcium needs via the diet BEFORE calving, then the mechanisms responsible for calcium mobilization via the bone will not be in place. In other words, a cow that does not mobilize calcium during the dry period will have difficulty doing so after calving. Normally only a day or so is required for calcium mobilization mechanisms to become effective, so underfeeding calcium during the entire dry period is not that essential. So, underfeeding calcium before calving ensures that the metabolic processes required for mobilization of calcium from the bone are in place. In addition, calcium absorption from the small intestine is proportionately higher when calcium intake is lower, so a low- calcium diet will promote more efficient absorption of calcium from the small intestine. Again, the research suggests that you have to feed less than 10 grams per day to make any difference in preventing milk fever.
Now, more recently, the idea of feeding low calcium diets has been discarded as research is implicating high-potassium forages as the cause of milk fever. The alfalfa that we were discarding because of high calcium levels, also has high potassium . Many nutritionists and dairy consultants believe the high potassium was actually the problem and not high calcium.
So while we may be feeding grass hays in the hope that we will lower feed calcium enough, if potassium comes into the picture, then there are other things a person has to watch for with grass hay. Grass hay CAN have lower levels, but you need to check for overfertilizing and excess manure fertilizing as that has been shown to raise potassium levels in soil and hays.
Potassium drops as forage matures, thus the reason mature forages of okay quality are good to feed to dry cows - although mature grasses are slightly higher in calcium.
Confusing yet?
Anionic salts. I think my hesitation in using them is because milk fever is not going to happen to every animal and is actually not that common, but problems due to improperly feeding anionic salts are definitely there and you may end up with a larger problem than simply milk fever. It is a personal choice to decide if the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to anionic salts One of the problems with post calving dairy cow maintenance is that her nutrient requirements are often higher than she can ingest due to a reduction in dry matter intake right before calving. You do NOT want to do anything that further impedes their dry matter intake (one of the reasons high grain feeding can also be detrimental immediately before and after calving and SARA is also implicated in a reduction in dry matter intake) . Anionic salts are unpalatable to cattle, and field reports indicate some herds have had serious health problems when fed anionic salts. The reasons for this was related to reduced dry matter intake from feeding too much anionic salt. Reductions in dry matter intake at calving time can predispose animals to metabolic disorders such as displaced abomasum, milk fever, and ketosis, so when you restrict it further by improperly feeding anionic salts, there is a high potential for metabolic
disorders and even kidney damage.
There are ways to manage this with feed testing and formulating plans, including monitoring Urine PH (also helps for monitoring for ketosis LOL). If urine pH is greater than 7.0, they suggest anionic salts, and then urine ph is watched to make sure it does not drop less than 5.5 (too much anionic salts). Heifers should NOT receive anionic salts as the potential drop in dry matter intake is of greater concern than benefits (heifers generally have more problems with reduced dry matter intake than cows, so you don't want to do anything that would reduce DMI). Also, heifers have fewer problems with milk fever and hypocalcemia, so anionic salts are probably not beneficial for them.
And when people choose to feed anionic salts, only do so in close up dry cows to hopefully prevent any problems.

[menollyrj]

First, check for her udder to swell. In beef cattle, this is not difficult to spot, but I don't know about dairy cows. Many of our cows start to "bag up" about 2 weeks prior to delivery, but I have been told that some will bag earlier and some not until the day of delivery.

Second, when she is closer to due date, watch for mucous discharge. Again, in my experience, mucous discharge precedes delivery by no more than a day or two.

Finally, just observe her a few times a day. You'll get a feel for what "normal" looks like and will be able to spot if she isn't feeling good. When she goes into labor, she'll hunch her back as she pushes. Sometimes, our cows will be walking then stop suddenly and hold very still. Our beef cows like to separate themselves from the herd during delivery, but if your cow is the one & only, she may do something different.

Hope all goes well!

-Joy

[HazyDay]

Now Now NOW! Stop your worrying!

Now in my lifetime (16 years) I have watched hundreds of births on my aunts and uncles farm. She should start to bag up soon, I have seen some (holstien) bag over 4 weeks before their due date. Some will leak milk a week before claving, and some won't bag up till they clave. (Like the cow who never got written down and we just noticed some yellow milk! She claved 4 hours later!)
Do you have a pen she can get up and down tens of thousands of times!!! (it will seem like it!)

Don't worry, read a book on claving and you will do fine! Call your vet, talk with them. Just call the office and ask for the vet on call. Ask them your question and say thanks!

One tip I was always told for any animal in labor (mostly cows) If they are in the early or late stages of labor always make them get up before you leave. This way if they are going down you will know it and can treat it before it gets deadly!

[ozark_jewels]

If a cow has a history with milk fever, or she is one I bought and I don't know her history, or she is an older cow, I will give her a tube of calcium or CMPK when I see the first signs of labour, then another tube after the calf is born. Then a tube for the two following days. This is a precaution that I have only used on three cows. My cows that I know do not have a history of milk fever just get watched closely. But I know what I'm looking for and I know what the signs of milk fever look like. For a beginner cow owner, I might suggest the preventative calcium measures anyway. It can save a lot of heartache.

[Teacupliz]

With the dozen or so cows that have calved here in the last year, two showed no signs at all and calved with out us- a couple we knew a couple where in some stage of labor we watched well but still calved with out us. Discharge for wks, before calving. I have one due now any day. Her udder is full, mucus for days now. Just waiting. The few we did get to see calve the thing I noticed most was them arching thier backs up, kind of hunching up.. One jersey we were told is prone to milk fever we gave her a tube of calcuim as soon as she calved. The vet told us to-- her said squirt it fast as it has a bad taste. I keep a tube on hand at all times. I had 3 other jersey calve all did fine. I grained lightly before calving. They are no different then a goat- just bigger.

Liz

[cjb]

Lol - thanks for all the encouragement but I will worry, no matter what.

With our goats- I was intolerable for weeks before their first birth. The local goat breeder must have been so sick of me calling and saying "now, he's getting up and down all the time- what does that mean?".

This will be the cow's third calving and, apparently, she had no problems the other two times. Her first was a heifer, second a bull and I HOPE, HOPE, HOPE that she has another heifer.

As soon as she delivers, I will be worrying and posting about how, when and to whom should I breed her back. ;-)

[Tom McLaughlin]

If you use calcium gel there is a non-irritating gel containing propionate instead of cholrode. One is Dr. Larsons Safe gel.. It won't burn the throat. Also Fresh Cow Caps. that can be sprinkled on the grain. They are made by Crystal Creek.. Good Luck and hope its a heifer..

[robin f]

when you use AI always look for a bull who throws a lot of heifers, as its the female who decides the number and the male who decides the sex, same as in sheep and goats and humans.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by cjb

The local goat breeder must have been so sick of me calling and saying "now, he's getting up and down all the time- what does that mean?".

Man, I would have been real worried about you if you were calling up and asking what it meant when "he" kept getting up and down.......

[cjb]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Man, I would have been real worried about you if you were calling up and asking what it meant when "he" kept getting up and down.......

LOL! Oops. No wonder those babies never came.

I had a doe (he=she) that was a drama queen. She would lay down and groan and I was convinced that she was in labor. I slept in the stall with her two nights in a row because I was sure that she was giving birth. Turns out that she just liked to complain about the babies pushing on her bladder - just like my wife did. ;-)

I do look at the cow and worry - she just does not look that large to me. I've seen pics where their sides stick way out and hers just don't.

[ozark_jewels]

Yes, I have drama queen goats too......

We have had plenty of cows whos sides stuck way out and plenty that didn't. Blossom who just calved with a good-sized Jersey calf, wasn't the slightest bit sticking out. I think it just depends on how they carry the calf. A lower belly is a better indication of pregancy, in goats and cows, than wide sides.

Here is Blossom the day before she calved. I didn't take pictures from the back, but she was anything but wide.

[francismilker]

Remember the old saying "a watched pot never boils" ? The one that comes to my mind is, " a watched cow never calves" ! LOL.

[cjb]

Thanks for your wisdom, Francis. ;-) I guarantee, I will annoy the life out of you guys in a few weeks from now with daily updates, questions and panic attacks.

Ozark!! It hurts looking at the poor cow, lol! THat is one large milkbag.

With this last calf, are you going to milk her at all or just let her raise the little one then retire her?

That pic does make me feel better. Violet looks about like that, except her udder is not the size of a small sofa.

[smpooh1]

I would read and pay close attention to matt man and ozark jewels post in regards to Milk Fever. We know the dreaded MF issue all to well. Last year our high producing 6 year old Jersey went down 3 times. NOT a good time. My suggestion would be to start her on a dry cow diet now, have a Cal, Mag, Phos drench on hand and give it Pre and Post delivery. You may laugh at this but get very familiar with her ear and body temperature to the touch. Cold is "ALL BAD"! I'm not talking weather cold, you'll know the difference. Get online and read all about MF symptoms. I would not sit and worry myself silly, just be prepared. Supplies are much cheaper that a Vet visit or two and possibly worse. My last 2 cents worth would be to feed grass hay (no alfalfa), low potassium feed, kelp, and free choice minerals.
Usually when you are prepared and ready for action, nothing happens. :baby04: Thats a good thing!!

I'm by no means trying trying to preach doom and gloom, actually just the opposite. It feels good to be prepared and know that yes you can do it and do it well. I love having preventative meds at my house that have an experation date that has expired!! Thats money that I like to throw away.

Our girls are due in April and June and our fingers are crossed for Heifers too.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by cjb

Ozark!! It hurts looking at the poor cow, lol! THat is one large milkbag.

With this last calf, are you going to milk her at all or just let her raise the little one then retire her?

We are milking her and bottling the calf until my milk does freshen, then we will dry her off so she can get around better. The heifer will be put on goats milk.