Sale Barn Cow Issues

shullfarm · #1 05/10/12, 10:52 AM

The Long Story:

I bought three bred heifers from a local sale barn on 1/30/12. They were all medium framed black angus. Pretty decent looking cows and supposed to be third trimester. They were a little wild so I put them in the small pasture and fed them some sweet feed and protien pellets. On 2/8/12 I came home from work to one dead cow and one live calf on the ground! Now, the only way I knew to determine if the calf belonged to the dead cow was to get a long glove and "check". The dead cow still had a calf inside and the live calf is doing great now, he obviously belonged to one of the other cows.

Question:

The third cow has still not had a calf. She is fat, but not bagged up at all. I know the other one did not bag up until the calf was born and still never got much of a bag at all. As of yesterday it had been 100 days since I bought them and if they really were 3rd trimester I should have had a calf by now. Should I take the cow that has not calved to the vet or just wait and see? I am assuming they were bred to the same bull and the birth weight of the other calf was ideal and the cow calved with no help at all. I am not convinced the dead cow was calving at all when she died. Looked healthy when I checked them before work and dead in the afternoon, but the calf was not close the the back when I checked.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mike

myersfarm · #2 05/10/12, 11:09 AM

If you can glove up once why not again cow in third stage or close to that you should feel calf before you get pass your elbow.....try to feel her udder from the inside thats were calf should be in that area

shullfarm · #3 05/10/12, 11:18 AM

Thanks for the advice. I sure don't mind doing that, but I don't have a chute. I have an uncle with a moble one that I'm sure he could bring by. I was not sure how careful I would have to be not to damage the cow or calf. Ther was not much to worry about on the dead one.

myersfarm · #4 05/10/12, 11:22 AM

just be sure you stick hand in the GREEN HOLE and feel calf thought the gut it will be easy if calf is 3rd stage and there not so easy if calf is in 1 st or 2nd stage.....might be easier to take cow to vet since you do not have a chute my vet charges $10

shullfarm · #5 05/10/12, 11:26 AM

For 10 bucks she is going to the vet. I have a vet just up the road. I will see if I can get her in Saturday. Thanks again.

Mike

oregon woodsmok · #6 05/10/12, 04:19 PM

I wouldn't glove up immediately. At that stage of pregnancy, I'd bump her first to see if the calf moved. That is, if you can get that close to her. You did say they were a bit wild.

Were they vet checked at the sale? At the sales here all the cows are vet checked and marked as open or bred and the damaged ones are also marked for meat only. They don't sell a cow as pregnant unless the vet says she is pregnant.

shullfarm · #7 05/10/12, 04:57 PM

They are checked by someone, not sure if it is a vet, and tagged for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd trimester or open. These were tagged for 3rd. I called the vet and she said they are not always real accurate at the sale and if the cow seems healthy not to worry about bringing her in yet. So that is the plan for now I guess. I will try to post some pics of her later this evining.

Mike