How premature have you had calfs?

FarmerDavid · #1 03/27/13, 01:28 PM

I found a leg from a calf I my wheat field this morning. The hoofs looked slightly under developed but not much. Wasn't able to find anything else or which cow would have had it.

I shouldn't be having calves for 3 more weeks. I'm trying to get ahold of my neighbor that is about a 1/4 mile away to see if it could have been his and a coyote drug it my way. My inlaws who I bought the cows from say they have never had one more then a week early.

genebo · #2 03/27/13, 02:36 PM

Read this thread about a calf born 6 weeks premature.

http://dextercattle.proboards.com/in...ad=1974&page=1

FarmerDavid · #3 03/27/13, 04:34 PM

None of the neighbors thought they had any coyotes get a calf. None of them had ever had a calf 3 weeks early either. All 3 have been running cattle over 50 years. I'm headed back out now to try and find more and figure out which cow had it. I know it's part of having cattle but I'm pretty bummed about it.

FarmerDavid · #4 03/27/13, 06:18 PM

I've walked or drove over the 20 acres they are in and can't find any other body parts. None of the cows look like they gave birth recently. Part of me wants to be optimistic that a dog drug it up from somewhere, someone very well could have thrown a dead calf in a ditch, use to see a lot of that on our road. I just cant believe i wouldnt find any more evidence. Biggest part of me is being realistic that one of my cows lost a calf.

G. Seddon · #5 03/27/13, 08:16 PM

If you check these animals on a daily basis and one of your cows calved the last day or so, I think you'd see evidence of her cleaning out and she'd probably be standing near where she calved or where the calf disappeared, perhaps calling for the calf. Most likely her udder would be quite full as well.

**gone-a-milkin** · #6 03/27/13, 08:28 PM

If one of the cows slipped her calf you might not notice it for a few days though.
Depending on how close they are, they do not always come into their milk.
They dont always clean properly either.

Keep an eye out for anyone doing poorly or droopy-acting, or off her feed at all.

Hopefully it is like you say and just something a dog drug off from somewhere else.

dannyw · #7 03/28/13, 08:20 AM

Sometimes, if you can go unnoticed near the pasture, you can bleat like a calf loud enough for all the cows to hear. If she had a calf recently, she'll come towards the bleats.

FarmerDavid · #8 03/28/13, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G. Seddon

If you check these animals on a daily basis and one of your cows calved the last day or so, I think you'd see evidence of her cleaning out and she'd probably be standing near where she calved or where the calf disappeared, perhaps calling for the calf. Most likely her udder would be quite full as well.

This is what I was looking for and haven't seen. I'm out there morning and night so ill be keeping an eye out.

FarmerDavid · #9 03/28/13, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

If one of the cows slipped her calf you might not notice it for a few days though.
Depending on how close they are, they do not always come into their milk.
They dont always clean properly either.

Keep an eye out for anyone doing poorly or droopy-acting, or off her feed at all.

Hopefully it is like you say and just something a dog drug off from somewhere else.

If one has slipped a calf and didn't clean properly will she be able to bred in the future?

bigmudder77 · #10 03/28/13, 04:16 PM

Usually when they abort the calf they clean out first then comes the calf and most times it does take a little bit longer for them to have it

And that thing you found might be from miles away animals can carry there food a long ways away before eating it if they get scared or something

G. Seddon · #11 03/28/13, 04:52 PM

Hard to precisely determine the breeding future of a cow that loses a calf early in pregnancy. Could be disease, toxins, any number of things. I had a cow abort a calf because of an "incompetent cervix" (determined by a lab upon examining the aborted calf and the placenta).

If she doesn't clean properly, it might take a little longer for her to get rebred, and then you need to make sure she doesn't keep on aborting (which would indicate a need for testing of some sort) to find out why. A good vaccination program for your area, though not a guarantee, will be of value.

randiliana · #12 03/28/13, 09:59 PM

We've had preemies/abortions as much as 3 months ahead of calving. Sometimes you notice them, sometimes you don't. I find that 6-8 weeks ahead of calving season seems to be the most likely time for abortions. Most of those, you never find the calf, you'll see a cow with blood on her or with cleanings.

This spring we have 6 cows (mature ones) that have shown up 'bulling', they were all preg checked in late October or early November, and all were called bred. We never saw any sign of them aborting. Then, we've had some cows we are custom managing, 1 aborted in Jan, and 2 calved in mid Feb, about 3 weeks ahead of their earliest due date. Plus, now we've also had 2 preemie (approx 3-4 weeks early I would guess) out of our own cows, and both of them are alive and going strong. Both cows cleaned quickly too.

Not sure what is going on, both herds of cows are vaccinated for all the basics. Ours are vaccinated with one brand, and the custom cows are vaccinated with a different brand.