Calving heifer

pitot · #1 02/02/14, 09:18 PM

Can someone explain what it means when their ligaments relax? I have a brahma jersey heifer that has bagged up and everyrthing seems to be tight even her teets seem to be. Also she had bloody discharge hanging out this morning. Soooo that being said I keep reading about the ligaments that relax and am lost.... a little advice would be much appreciated.... also when I took her to get bred I dropped her off and watched her stand to get bred and with a gestational calendar we predicted the 6th of feb. But the rancher said her bull had simmintal in him and all of the heifera he bred all calved up to 10 days earlier......

randiliana · #2 02/02/14, 10:42 PM

The ligaments on either side of her tailed will relax. You will see it sunken in there. Others may be able to explain better. As far as her due date, if the calendar said Feb 6 she could easily calve any time now. If she is bagged up tight and has bloody discharge she will probably calve in the next 24-48 hours.

Athena · #3 02/03/14, 03:22 AM

The whole pelvis softens and it usually looks like the tail head has been lifted upwards out of line with the rest of the spine, leaving dips on either side in front of the pin bones. You can usually see the skin sort of rippling there as the heifer walks.

If she had bloody discharge, I'd suggest all is not well if she hasn't calved during the day. Sometimes there will be blood before birth, but usually it's a sign that labor is in progress and if you haven't seen anything happening, the calf may be in the wrong position and if you don't help it out it'll die. Can you get someone experienced to come and help you - or a vet? You need to put a hand in and find out what's going on. If a calf is stuck, a heifer will often show no other signs of being in labor.

Gravytrain · #4 02/03/14, 06:40 AM

This may help:

Calving heifer - Cattle

karenp · #5 02/03/14, 07:48 AM

Gravytrain, thank-you for that post. I could never picture it.

G. Seddon · #6 02/03/14, 09:37 AM

pitot, has the heifer calved yet? Hope all is well for her!

Here's a very short article on what to look for, but if you google "calving heifers," you will find a lot more detailed information.
https://www.noble.org/ag/livestock/m...alfdifficulty/

Do not wait too long to call the vet if she's straining and not progressing. Please post again with what's happening, okay?

haypoint · #7 02/03/14, 10:09 AM

I wish you well. I had a single catastrophic experience with a large calf in an Angus heifer.
Therefore, since Jerseys have small calves as do Brahma, great care must be taken to select a bull with a solid record for small calves.
Am I understanding that you selected a bull that had Simmental bloodlines? While there are exceptions to everything, most Simmental calves are large at birth. Have you studied the choice you made?
Oversized calves often cannot get their feet up into the birth cannel. If you are able to get the feet into place, without slicing the uterine wall, getting an oversized calf's pelvis through the heifer's pelvis creates another challenge. During that "hip lock", great pressure is placed on the cow's nerve bundle that runs to her rear legs. Failure to relieve this pressure in a timely fashion, can render the cow unable to get up and walk, ever.
I hope you have not bought yourself a calving lesson filled with sorrow. I wish you good luck and hope for an uneventful calving.
Minerals are important to a calf's health. I'm sure you were providing loose minerals with selenium all along. Right?

pitot · #8 02/03/14, 10:39 AM

Yes I have this bull has not had a calf over 50lbs and most were about 40 or so. A local rancher helps me out alot I get tk breed my heifers for free I just help her out when she needs help. I have been there and helped pull a couple calves that she haf aied.but I only show up when feet are already present. I dont have extensive experience but I do have some I usually just niy a lot of steers and feed them out. However I wanted to try out raising some heifers. So all of this has been helpful, I guess I am nervous because I do t want to loose a calf or heifer because my lack of experience and the rancher that helps me out I call all the time with questions and just feel horrible that I may be bugging them! So I found you guys to bug with my questions!
Update on the heifer. Last jught about 9 white kind of opaque mucous startes coming out. About ten it turnes to yellowish and a string about 6 inche long. This morning same yellowish mucous and about 8 inches long... her ligaments seem to be softish.... but thta was the first time ive ever felt them so I do not know... and my otger heifer is over in the bull pasture(she is an angus). So I cant really compare by feeling. I am hoping she doesnt start calving until I am off work... the rancher said she is always there for her first time heifers just in case because sometimes they just dont know whats going on and can just give up on rate occassion

wannabfishin · #9 02/03/14, 11:44 AM

did i read it right that you are at work. you should probably leave work now if the heifer is at home calving for the first time with nobody there

Athena · #10 02/03/14, 01:25 PM

I think your heifer is already calving - or she's in the process of trying. I'd bet you're going to learn about pulling a dead one shortly. That many different sorts of mucous and blood already having shown, would indicate things in progress already, not just preparation.

I hope I'm wrong.

haypoint · #11 02/03/14, 03:16 PM

I guess it is time for another reminder. This happened a few years ago. This calf is died. Had to be cut apart inside the cow. Spent all day, plus a Vet to save the cow. Birth weight, birth weight. The mistake here was selecting a young bull from a neighbor that had no idea if it was 100% Angus or a black mixed breed. Therefore, no idea of expected birth weight.

pitot · #12 02/03/14, 07:22 PM

I had the rancher come out and look this after noon and she said everything looks normal and fine and she should be calving in the next day or two... and as for the bull he hasnt thrown a large calf yet.... but of course there is always that one... she has been using this bull for the past few years so chances are in my favor.... anyways im probably just over thinking all of this because my lack of experince.... I also really do appreciate all of your input

G. Seddon · #13 02/03/14, 07:47 PM

I sure hope you are right, but everytime I look at this thread (first-calf heifer, inexperienced owner, "bloody discharge" etc.) I say to myself "this ain't gonna' be good news."

Wanda · #14 02/04/14, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G. Seddon

I sure hope you are right, but everytime I look at this thread (first-calf heifer, inexperienced owner, "bloody discharge" etc.) I say to myself "this ain't gonna' be good news."

Our version of ''bloody discharge'' and someone with no experience could very greatly. Quanaty and quality of the discharge are hard to gauge with the written word. The poster has a mentor as backup so I would say the situation is under control. It is a learning experience and some people get more nervous than others!

haypoint · #15 02/04/14, 09:47 PM

I'm really expecting some good news by now. Hope everything went/is going well.

myheaven · #16 02/04/14, 10:30 PM

Would love to know what happened.

pitot · #17 02/05/14, 09:15 AM

Well just goopy opawue discharge....... but maybe I didnt say how much there was earlier.... there isnt a whole lot of just some "strings" of it...... and no calf hahahaha like I said before I had someone come out and look and she said everythinh looks normal and to call her as soon as I lnow for sure and she will come our and watch with me in case the heifer needs help.... i will update when she has the calf and maybe a pic too!!!

Wanda · #18 02/05/14, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitot

Well just goopy opawue discharge....... but maybe I didnt say how much there was earlier.... there isnt a whole lot of just some "strings" of it...... and no calf hahahaha like I said before I had someone come out and look and she said everythinh looks normal and to call her as soon as I lnow for sure and she will come our and watch with me in case the heifer needs help.... i will update when she has the calf and maybe a pic too!!!

Thanks for the update, it sounds like you have things under control. How is the weather in your location? We have a foot of new snow and 20 mph wind! Make sure the little guy gets dried off and a full belly and they are ready to tackle the world.

pitot · #19 02/05/14, 01:15 PM

Well we are in a droughy here in oregon but supposed to get some weather in soon...but the temps are in low twenties at night

WJMartin · #20 02/06/14, 09:41 AM

I understand about the nerves. I had a Dexter heifer calve last week, she is an average size Dexter and I didn't breed her until she was two but I called the vet out when she calved because the hoofs would show but then disappear, calf too large and I used a bull with a good track record.

This little bull calf only weighed 25 lbs. and is 19 inches tall, he still was too big for this first time heifer. Thankfully my vet lives just down the road and I bake cookies for him as bribery.

I should have been able to help my girl myself but when I knew she was in trouble I became a gooberhead but after helping the vet I hope if there is a next time I'll be more calm, I know my vet hopes so. lol

Mom and baby are doing great except I think I have a milk stealer, going out now to separate, it's always something around here.