it's always the favorite

[collegeboundgal]

we've been keeping a close eye on a few cows that have been bagged up and dilating for the past week or so. one was a first calf heifer who happened to also be a bottle baby family pet who I loved very much. Saturday she was doing the off by herself, laying down, repossessioning thing. we had the family over for our 4th of July so just kept an eye on her. checked her that evening before we went to bed, had the mucus hanging out so told the kids that were with us we'd have a new calf in the morning and went on to bed.
I got up early the next morning and walked out to check on her. walked the whole field (found that one of the other cows had a calf) but finally found her in the last place I looked, without a calf.
uh-oh.
I got back to the house just as a storm came in. DH moved her (slowly) up to the barn lot and waited for the rain to move out then called my uncle who has a heck of a lot more experience than us, who came over. got her in the head catch and he started to feel around, and found a tail.
sigh.
after a lot of pushing, from both my uncle and the heifer, finally got the butt back in enough that he could find the back legs. took a little bit, but got the back legs to start coming out. hooked the come-along up to the calf and slowly got him pulled out. my uncle had felt no movement up to this point so we all thought the calf would be born dead.
We were more than a little shocked when we got him out and he started weakly fighting for breaths. his lungs were just full of fluid so we tried the "tickling the inside of his nose with grass" trick. it worked a little, so we (my husband and uncle) hung him upside down to try and drain some of the fluid out. he was still rattling in his lungs but was a lot more "perky" aka, "not lifeless".
Got our "pet" cow out of the shoot and pushed her over to the calf. she was hurting, you could tell. head down, moaning with each exhale, dull eyes. I was hoping it was just the hard delivery. she actually licked the calf once or twice then just stood and looked miserable.
I ran to the house and got a bucket and we milked her out. about an hour later the calf still wasn't standing so we tubed him. (breath sounds at this point were not audible gurgling from standing) we thought maybe we had squeaked by and might have a live calf from this, usually sad ending, birthing presentation. left them to go do other farm chores and went to check back on them right before dark.
found the calf dead. he hadn't even moved from the position we had left him in, so he never had even attempted to stand. we new this was a possible out come so weren't terribly shocked. moved the heifer, who also was standing in the same position, to the water in the lot. she, understandable, walked stiff. went to bed. woke up the next morning and went to check on her. she still hadn't delivered the afterbirth (we also looked last night for this). so called the vet. he couldn't get out till late that evening and we work in town from 2pm to 2am (we car pool). I ended up going to the vet and picked up some bottles of dexamethasone and oxytoxin and gave her some shots before we left for work (probably the same thing the vet would have done). put her in the barn (shaded, open on both ends for air flow) with some water. came home that night and ran out to check on her. found her down and gone. sigh. sometimes it's hard being a farmer. my husband was really upset because she was such a love and everybody's favorite.
I had to remind my husband, "smooth seas' never make a good sailor".
It's just so upsetting sometimes when it's the favorite.
I also have just about the whole thing documented in pictures, but they're pretty graphic, so unless it's wanted, won't post them...
we still have 2 more heifers to calve and am biting my nails with worry. our bull we have was purchased for the history of low birth weight genetics, but once you have problems with one (and the first one at that!), you'll fear for the others...

[LaDena]

So sorry for your loss. Hope the next two do well for you.

[somketh]

Keep Calm and hope for the best..

[collegeboundgal]

sorry guys, the momma passed monday night. the way she acted, I think something got torn on the inside when calf was being re adjusted.

Hubby is upset, thinking he should have acted earlier, but I had to remind him that weather we acted saturday, saturday night, or when we did, the calf was in the same position. we would have made the same choice to push it back in to re-position and that in all likely hood would have had the same out come concerning momma.
The only other option would have been to do a c-section. (hind site makes me wonder why I didn't do that anyway...)

[collegeboundgal]

Thanks DR, LaDena and somketh. just thought some of the newer to cattle folks need to hear that it's not always a happy ending, even when everything looks alright. on the bright side we had 7 of the 10 turkey eggs that were found in the hay field hatch. (darn domestic birds must have layed out there...) anyway, they are in the house and learned to eat the chick starter and drink water on their own.

[collegeboundgal]

Be my guest. I just don't get a chance to post regularly. In a sence we work 2 full time jobs...

[G. Seddon]

Wow, hard lesson learned. Sorry you lost them.

Put the two that are due in a smaller pasture where it is easier to check on them frequently when you think they are beginning to go into labor. Make sure they have shade, food and water. Might want to consider a cooler time of year for calving. Heat does not help.

Never go to sleep on a cow that's in labor, especially a heifer!

[FarmerDavid]

Originally Posted by G. Seddon

Wow, hard lesson learned. Sorry you lost them.

Put the two that are due in a smaller pasture where it is easier to check on them frequently when you think they are beginning to go into labor. Make sure they have shade, food and water. Might want to consider a cooler time of year for calving. Heat does not help.

Never go to sleep on a cow that's in labor, especially a heifer!

I've still to a few to calve also the heat last year must have caused problems with breeding cause I should have been done a month ago. I doubt heat was an issue this time today's over 90 but its been in the 80's almost all summer.

Was the calf large or did she just have problems? I had one this year that I had to pull but the calf was still tiny.

[collegeboundgal]

Originally Posted by FarmerDavid

I've still to a few to calve also the heat last year must have caused problems with breeding cause I should have been done a month ago. I doubt heat was an issue this time today's over 90 but its been in the 80's almost all summer.

Was the calf large or did she just have problems? I had one this year that I had to pull but the calf was still tiny.

I personally never held the calf so can't be sure, but I looked like a 60-70lb calf. Showing that even if you buy a low birth weight bull, you can still get bigger calves. The problem here was that the calf was backwards. They can not physically come out butt first. You gotta go in after the back legs to pull them out first. When we had to push the butt back in, it most likely ripped, tore, or punctured something. We've had a very mild summer so far here. Mostly temps in the 80's. Field they are in is small(~15 acres) and next to the house. Water trough is right next to the house. It was just one of those things, Murphy's law and all...

[FarmerDavid]

Ya I was just curious if it was a big calf or not since you mentioned a low birth weight bull. Sometimes it doesnt matter what you do it doesn't help.

[tab]

I might suggest molasses and warm water for mom after birth. Also, I think the answer to milk fever in first calf heifer is, it is possible. A hard labor can do things unseen to the mom. I don't envy you, that is a tough loss.

I have been known to sleep in the barn and have trotted up there in my pj's many times. Not just for potential babies but whenever something isn't right. I might be tired but don't regret it, especially when a problem is caught early.

[FarmerDavid]

Originally Posted by tab

I might suggest molasses and warm water for mom after birth. Also, I think the answer to milk fever in first calf heifer is, it is possible. A hard labor can do things unseen to the mom. I don't envy you, that is a tough loss.

I have been known to sleep in the barn and have trotted up there in my pj's many times. Not just for potential babies but whenever something isn't right. I might be tired but don't regret it, especially when a problem is caught early.

If they are in the barn we use a baby moniter that will reach from the barn to the house.

[65284]

If you had called the Vet when your Uncle discovered the tail, your heifer, and probably the calf, could have most likely been saved.

Dystocias of this type are best left to people, AKA veterinarians, who have the training, drugs, equipment and experience needed to deal with them.

Your heifer and probably the calf almost certainly died as a direct result of your crude attempt at bovine maternity care. Brute force by come-along is an absolutely last resort option, especially in breech presentations.

You will still have to pay for a farm call anyway, calling him at the start rather at the end would have been a much better choice, fiscally for you, and absolutely for the sake of your favorite heifer.

I'm not deliberately trying to offend you, but stories like this, unneccessay suffering and deaths, disturb me greatly.

[genebo]

Losing an animal is the hardest part of farm life. We can prepare for harvesting them or selling them, but losing them suddenly and unexpectedly tears at us.

You have my sympathy.

[willow_girl]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[collegeboundgal]

Originally Posted by 65284

I'm not deliberately trying to offend you, but stories like this, unneccessay suffering and deaths, disturb me greatly.

I can tell.
Thank you for your opinion.