Patiently waiting for our first calf to be born!!

scholtefamily · #1 09/12/10, 09:33 PM

Our cow is due tomorrow! We only have 2 cows. Should they be seperated? Will the other cow bother the calf when it is born?

just a little nervous,

Stacey

itka · #2 09/12/10, 10:08 PM

If all goes the way it should, the other cows will leave the mother alone while she gives birth, and afterwards, until the new mother herself decides that the others may approach and greet the new arrival. We have found that other herd members will greet, as well as accept the new baby rather quickly. However, that being said, we of course supervise "meet and greet" sessions carefully. This spring, we had a baby bull born, and penned our steer for a couple of days until they could get acquainted by touching noses through the gate...turns out there was nothing to worry about...but...always keep an eye on the situation. If the mother is a good one, she will discipline anyone who threatens her baby. Good Luck! There's nothing like a new baby to add some excitement!

Callieslamb · #3 09/13/10, 07:13 AM

Mine calved right in the pasture and no one bothered her. I pulled the calf from her since she's a milk cow. Later, when I put the calf out in a nearby pasture - none of the cows could get enough of him. they followed him up and down the fence line for days. But no one hurt him or looked like they wanted to hurt him. They were all just interested.

FEF · #4 09/13/10, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scholtefamily

Our cow is due tomorrow! We only have 2 cows. Should they be seperated? Will the other cow bother the calf when it is born?

just a little nervous,

Stacey

Will this be their first calves? Generally, one cow doesn't bother another's calf. But one year we did have a heifer try to take another heifer's calf. The real mom didn't allow it. She was busy trying to lick the calf dry and kept shifting her body between the calf and the other heifer, so we shut the second heifer up. When we got home later that day, the second heifer had a calf, too. So she might have been in labor when the first calf was born and got confused. You do hear occasionally about a cow who wants to fight other's calves. So it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on things for a few days after the calf is born. I hope you get to see it born. I never get tired of that part of the cow business.

Ingi · #5 09/13/10, 10:40 AM

There is very popular saying in my old country: "mikid var að beljan bar i fjosinu hans Magnusar. Translated: at last the calf was born in Magnus´s barn. Not an exact translation but close enough.

Cows are herd animals and they will all be involved in protecting the calf. If he calf starts screaming for what ever the reason they come running like it was their own. Be careful around the mother for the first days, she might feel protective and you the predator in her brain. And there is another saying, "many strange things in a cowhead". I think though it refers more to when you are eating it. An old saying so I don´t know.

scholtefamily · #6 09/13/10, 09:29 PM

Well, her day has come and gone and no calf. This will be her 2nd calf, but the first one born on our farm. I have 5 children that I homeschool and we are all checking on her through out the day and anxious to see the birth. I'll definately post pics when it arrives! (fingers crossed for twin heifers!)

scholtefamily · #7 09/15/10, 09:37 PM

I'm pretty sure she is in labor........although I am a newbie.....so who knows for sure! But, there is a storm on the horizon........and I just checked on her and she is breathing heavier, her udder has definately filled out more today and is hard. She looked very uncomfortable with it all day. Her vulva is very floppy. I'd like to go to sleep.........but I don't want to miss it!!! I'm going to check on her again in a few minutes. How exciting!

Callieslamb · #8 09/15/10, 10:12 PM

Waiting for those pictures!! Good luck!

CrashTestRanch · #9 09/15/10, 10:20 PM

hope all is well ...

scholtefamily · #10 09/15/10, 10:37 PM

well, I just checked on her again and there's no change from earlier other than she moved out from the pasture and into the barn. I'm going to go to bed (if I'm able to fall asleep!) and check on her sometime in the middle of the night(if I wake up!).

Good night Y'all

Callieslamb · #11 09/16/10, 07:13 AM

Rats! Eventually, they all calve.

scholtefamily · #12 09/17/10, 07:52 AM

pulled all my hair out and have lost my mind!! Where oh where can my little calf be??

Update: My almost 4 year old Jersey was due a week ago. She has had clear, non smelly, stringy gel like stuff coming out of her for about a week. Her udder is HUGE! and her vulva is loose and floppy. She looks to be very uncomfortable, especially when she is lying down. How much longer can this go on?? I did see the calf kick in there yesterday and a few months ago my 84 year old blind grandfather bumped her to confirm pregnancy.

I have calcium/magnesium on hand and know what to watch for for milk fever. I was only going to give her it, if she has milk fever. Will giving it to her as a precaution help her to calve sooner if that's what's holding her up. Is it normal to go this past her due date without complications. Does anyone have any patience they could lend me??

to help with the waiting, last week we bought a pygmy goat and this week we bought another jersey cow in milk.

**gone-a-milkin** · #13 09/17/10, 09:33 AM

She will calve when she is good and ready to, and not one moment before that.

Last week there was one on the dairy where I work who did as you describe for 2 whole weeks, then dropped twins effortlessly.
She was waiting for the night that it rained 5".

Here is a small cup of patience for you.

scholtefamily · #14 09/23/10, 07:10 AM

gone-a-milkin, Thanks for the patience! Still no calf. She was bred Dec 5,2009. All the cow due date calculators give different dates. One said Sept 9th, another said Sept 16th, another Sept 11th. In any event, we are still waiting and still seeing the mucus every day and the calf moving.

I'll never post an expecting thread again! I didn't realize it would take so long!! BUT, tonight is a full moon, so I'm hopeful

**gone-a-milkin** · #15 09/23/10, 07:16 AM

Oh gosh, you poor things. She is torturing you.

Trisha in WA · #16 09/23/10, 11:32 AM

scholtefamily, I am roflol because I do the same thing to myself EVERY time. We have had only 3 calves born on our property so far though. I get up several times during the night to check on my cow...for a good week before she finally lets go. Last time, DH put in a camera so I could just lay in bed and see on the TV what was going on LOL Bless his heart!
We have since moved and the barn is too far for the camera cable...not sure what we'll be doing next spring LOL
Good luck to you and your girl. Oh and my first cow was two weeks late both times and my new cow was right on time. Next spring I'll have a new heifer to watch too.

Callieslamb · #17 09/23/10, 12:26 PM

Check the weather report. When's the next severe weather coming? that's when she'll have the calf. Hang in there!

scholtefamily · #18 09/23/10, 06:57 PM

It is suppose to thunderstorm late this evening.

Last we checked on her she had blood coming out of her. Is this normal? My husband said it was dripping from her.

Thanks, stacey and the rest

scholtefamily · #19 09/24/10, 06:19 AM

The calf is dead. We were not there when she gave birth. It happened an hour or so ago. She just passed the afterbirth. Not sure what to do now. My husband is trying to hand milk her out some. Her teats are very swollen. Should we milk her out on the machine or wait awhile.

linn · #20 09/24/10, 07:17 AM

I am so sorry about your calf. I would milk just enough out to relieve the pressure. If you milk her out completely, she might go down with milk fever. Keep an eye on her to make sure she stays up. Check her ears and nose to make sure they are not cold. If you have calcium gel on hand, give her a tube of it.