When's calving starting 2020

squinn2912

Thanks boys I moved her into another pen beside the calving pens and I’m keeping an eye on her. No distress, no more blood or slime since so I’m a bit more content. She could go another four or five days.

Limestone Cowboy

Have a cow with the tail out here since 3 o clock today. Hadn't lied down or really made much of an effort to go calving but thought she was way too long going about it. Handled her there now, no blister passed but there was a leg down. Straighten it up there now and let her back into the pen. Hope she calves away herself. Calf seemed good and lively anyway. Calved a springer at 6 this morning so the head is starting to nod a bit now. I'll be glad to see the last 1 calved.

squinn2912

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Have a cow with the tail out here since 3 o clock today. Hadn't lied down or really made much of an effort to go calving but thought she was way too long going about it. Handled her there now, no blister passed but there was a leg down. Straighten it up there now and let her back into the pen. Hope she calves away herself. Calf seemed good and lively anyway. Calved a springer at 6 this morning so the head is starting to nod a bit now. I'll be glad to see the last 1 calved.

Best of luck lad I know that feeling when you’re not happy with things.

tanko

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Have a cow with the tail out here since 3 o clock today. Hadn't lied down or really made much of an effort to go calving but thought she was way too long going about it. Handled her there now, no blister passed but there was a leg down. Straighten it up there now and let her back into the pen. Hope she calves away herself. Calf seemed good and lively anyway. Calved a springer at 6 this morning so the head is starting to nod a bit now. I'll be glad to see the last 1 calved.

Any luck??

Limestone Cowboy

tanko wrote: »

Any luck??

Flat out on her side the last 15 minutes pushing and nothing moving. Looks like the hands will be getting dirtied again

Limestone Cowboy

Another feckin section.

Dozer1

Ah crap best of luck it's a really testing spring for you.

whelan2

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Another feckin section.

Have you many left to calve?

tanko

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Another feckin section.

All ok? Was it the CH bull?

squinn2912

squinn2912 wrote: »

Thanks boys I moved her into another pen beside the calving pens and I’m keeping an eye on her. No distress, no more blood or slime since so I’m a bit more content. She could go another four or five days.

Not great. Vet came and calved a dead calf. 7 losses in 20 including a cow. Calf born Sunday is a weakling too but he got a shot in the vein and that smartened him a bit.

Lady Haywire

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Another feckin section.

squinn2912 wrote: »

Not great. Vet came and calved a dead calf. 7 losses in 20 including a cow. Calf born Sunday is a weakling too but he got a shot in the vein and that smartened him a bit.

Christ lads, I don't know what to say. My heart goes out to ye

Limestone Cowboy

whelan2 wrote: »

Have you many left to calve?

Think there's 15 still to go.

Limestone Cowboy

tanko wrote: »

All ok? Was it the CH bull?

Ya. No a handy enough enough sized lim on a 5th calver. As soon as you'd start pulling the head would go back. Vet put on head rope and everything but couldn't get it to come.

Parishlad

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Ya. No a handy enough enough sized lim on a 5th calver. As soon as you'd start pulling the head would go back. Vet put on head rope and everything but couldn't get it to come.

Had the exact same with the first cow that calved this year. Heifer calf, not huge but the head kept dropping with any bit of a pull. And like that it was a fine big cow that up to now always calved fine on her own.
You are having a tough time of it no doubt! Try and get a bit of rest today for yourself.

charolais0153

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Ya. No a handy enough enough sized lim on a 5th calver. As soon as you'd start pulling the head would go back. Vet put on head rope and everything but couldn't get it to come.

Vet too quick to opt for the knife i think, dont thunk thats cause for a section at all,

Lady Haywire

We had the same with a cow a few years back. Head & legs would come but as soon as you released the pressure off she'd pop straight back into the cow. Upon sectioning her he found a lump of scar tissue somewhere inside that he said was the issue.

Limestone Cowboy

charolais0153 wrote: »

Vet too quick to opt for the knife i think, dont thunk thats cause for a section at all,

Well I spent guts of an hour at her, a neighbour that would be handier than me spent another hour at her and the vet spent another hour. If he could have come out the back door he would have come out. I've put on head rope myself plenty of times and got them out but this fella wasn't coming. After 48hrs on call with no sleep he made it quiet clear that the last thing he wanted to do was a section.

squinn2912

Store cattle would have to be a rotten bad trade butbtheyd be better than this

patsy_mccabe

Tagging a few calves today and noticed one calf very light compared to the others. This fella was from the cow I had out with the bull and was only getting hay. The rest were in on silage. Really drove home to me how feeding can effect calf size.

squinn2912

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Tagging a few calves today and noticed one calf very light compared to the others. This fella was from the cow I had out with the bull and was only getting hay. The rest were in on silage. Really drove home to me how feeding can effect calf size.

Was the bull and that cow getting access to grass as well? My da is a great believer in hay but I’d always like to throw a barrow of silage out too. Is the bull keeping in good condition I presume he’s on meal too?

patsy_mccabe

squinn2912 wrote: »

Was the bull and that cow getting access to grass as well? My da is a great believer in hay but I’d always like to throw a barrow of silage out too. Is the bull keeping in good condition I presume he’s on meal too?

Both out all winter. Put cow in then when she calved. It was well into Jan before grass ran out and then I gave hay. Hay only OK and they were holding their own on it.
As my father used to say - "They won't die of the hunger"

Limestone Cowboy

Best ch bull calf I have stone dead this morning. 3 weeks old, had a scour but is cleared up with a week. Looked at him at 5 yesterday evening and he stood, made a big stretch and trotted over to his mother and went sucking.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Best ch bull calf I have stone dead this morning. 3 weeks old, had a scour but is cleared up with a week. Looked at him at 5 yesterday evening and he stood, made a big stretch and trotted over to his mother and went sucking.

You're having a right bad run atm, LC:(

Dozer1

ah bo**ix, that's a pure disaster, like all bad runs hope it ends soon

tanko

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Best ch bull calf I have stone dead this morning. 3 weeks old, had a scour but is cleared up with a week. Looked at him at 5 yesterday evening and he stood, made a big stretch and trotted over to his mother and went sucking.

That's a real sickner, you'd think when you get them to that stage they'll be ok.
The same thing happened me with a three week old Lim heifer years ago, just dropped dead in the field.
Could it be some type of blackleg at that age?

Parishlad

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Best ch bull calf I have stone dead this morning. 3 weeks old, had a scour but is cleared up with a week. Looked at him at 5 yesterday evening and he stood, made a big stretch and trotted over to his mother and went sucking.

Ah fcukit LC.....genuinely gutted for you!

Lime Tree Farm

So sorry to hear that, you should have it investigated.

Three years ago, 7 week old calf noticed him getting up and laying down immediately. Got him indoors, Calf’s coat felt cold and clammy. Rang Vet to call out but calf lay down and died before Vet got there... Sent calf to Vet Lab for PM, perforated abomasal ulcer.

Lady Haywire

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Best ch bull calf I have stone dead this morning. 3 weeks old, had a scour but is cleared up with a week. Looked at him at 5 yesterday evening and he stood, made a big stretch and trotted over to his mother and went sucking.

May the bad luck go with him.

farming93

Have a suckler cow calved a month. The cow was around today and is in good condition so I ai d her. What are her chances of holding? I normally ai them after two months and it's successful but just took the chance today.

patsy_mccabe

Watching a 16 year old cow calving here now. How rare would an age like that be?
I had 4 cows last year that were 15 years old and the vet doing the herd test thought it was mad.

farming93

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Watching a 16 year old cow calving here now. How rare would an age like that be?
I had 4 cows last year that were 15 years old and the vet doing the herd test thought it was mad.

The uncle had a friesian cow that milked till she was 19.. She was as grey as a badger. She went down with t. B two or three years ago.

tanko

farming93 wrote: »

Have a suckler cow calved a month. The cow was around today and is in good condition so I ai d her. What are her chances of holding? I normally ai them after two months and it's successful but just took the chance today.

There's as good a chance of her holding at one month after calving as two months i find. It's a good sign of good fertility.
It can't do any harm, they won't go in calf if they're not Ai'ed, that's for sure.

Buford T. Justice XIX

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Watching a 16 year old cow calving here now. How rare would an age like that be?
I had 4 cows last year that were 15 years old and the vet doing the herd test thought it was mad.

They're the ones to be breeding replacements from. I've 4 13yo cows, 3 calved and one due in the next 2 weeks. One girls teeth are nearly gone so she'll have to be moved on this year though.

rushvalley

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Watching a 16 year old cow calving here now. How rare would an age like that be?
I had 4 cows last year that were 15 years old and the vet doing the herd test thought it was mad.

Recently sold an 18 year old ch that produced 16 excellent calves and was bulling every 3 weeks before she left. Have a cavelands jolly heifer off her due next Nov/Dec.

Also sold a 16 year old chxhol cow that had 14 calves and often reared a second calf when she was younger. Have a daughter and a granddaughter of hers kept as cows.

Most of our cows would see their 13/14th birthday provided they keep producing the goods

50HX

tanko wrote: »

There's as good a chance of her holding at one month after calving as two months i find. It's a good sign of good fertility.
It can't do any harm, they won't go in calf if they're not Ai'ed, that's for sure.

Better conception rate on 2nd heat though, 30days is very quick after calving but as you say if she ain't bulled you'll never know

patsy_mccabe

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Watching a 16 year old cow calving here now. How rare would an age like that be?
I had 4 cows last year that were 15 years old and the vet doing the herd test thought it was mad.

Well, the old girl calved. A fine bull. That's her 15th calf now. She took a while calving. As soon as the head was out, I headed to the shed. The placenta or veil was still on the calfs head. Pulled it off and calf wasn't breathing. Eyes not moving either. A slap across the side of the head got him breathing. Easy pull out then with the ropes.
The camera is a godsend. Have it in 8 years now and never gave any trouble.

squinn2912

Went for a run this evening after 4 hours of online lessons and taking my mum to a social distancing wake. Head needed a wee clear. Ran ok.
Got home and was stretching and my da rang to say I think the wee black heifer is calving. Had a feel and thought we’d land him but said no well ring. Good job too. Yet another operation and here we are now. Good lively black bull. Took a bit to get him round. Vet thought he was dead. He’s trying to get up now. Another girl in the ward too. Think I have to morning.

squinn2912

Another heifer in the head gate now and vet sent for. Cross the fingers lads and ladies

john mayo 10

farming93 wrote: »

Have a suckler cow calved a month. The cow was around today and is in good condition so I ai d her. What are her chances of holding? I normally ai them after two months and it's successful but just took the chance today.

I ai'd one on monday that was calfed 5 weeks. I starting locking the calves away from the cows during the day to give the cows a break. It worked. Up to now I had to cidr her to get her in calf. Never seen her in heat till this year. Hopefully she holds.

Sugarbowl

squinn2912 wrote: »

Another heifer in the head gate now and vet sent for. Cross the fingers lads and ladies

I wouldn’t like to be the one paying your vet bill! ;-)

Limestone Cowboy

Cow with vessel out this morning. Calf is alive but shook enough. Have her under the red lamp now waiting for beastings to thaw.

squinn2912

squinn2912 wrote: »

Another heifer in the head gate now and vet sent for. Cross the fingers lads and ladies

And finally. Lovely roan shorthorn heifer calf. I’m ringing John king ham tonight he can buy off me!!

charolais0153

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Cow with vessel out this morning. Calf is alive but shook enough. Have her under the red lamp now waiting for beastings to thaw.

A prolapse?

tanko

squinn2912 wrote: »

And finally. Lovely roan shorthorn heifer calf. I’m ringing John king ham tonight he can buy off me!!

Is that not a BB calf, some end on it.

farawaygrass

After seen a waterbsg our how long would you wait before intervening? I seen a cow with a bag out, waited an hour and no progress so I handled her and all was ok, I could get my hand behind calves head and all. (Should have pulled at this stage I’d say, raging). Anyhow left another hour or so and still no progress so got the jack. Calf came with no major difficulty, but dead. I was like a cnut with myself.

Limestone Cowboy

charolais0153 wrote: »

A prolapse?

Ya.

Buford T. Justice XIX

farawaygrass wrote: »

After seen a waterbsg our how long would you wait before intervening? I seen a cow with a bag out, waited an hour and no progress so I handled her and all was ok, I could get my hand behind calves head and all. (Should have pulled at this stage I’d say, raging). Anyhow left another hour or so and still no progress so got the jack. Calf came with no major difficulty, but dead. I was like a cnut with myself.

I'd pull straight away once she's open, tbh. Once I'm out anyway, it's easier to pull now rather than later, milk, tube and off to do something else like sleep.

Hindsight is easy though.

Lime Tree Farm

squinn2912 wrote: »

And finally. Lovely roan shorthorn heifer calf. I’m ringing John king ham tonight he can buy off me!!

Lovely animal. By the looks on her, she should easily pay the Vet bill.

Lime Tree Farm

farawaygrass wrote: »

After seen a waterbsg our how long would you wait before intervening? I seen a cow with a bag out, waited an hour and no progress so I handled her and all was ok, I could get my hand behind calves head and all. (Should have pulled at this stage I’d say, raging). Anyhow left another hour or so and still no progress so got the jack. Calf came with no major difficulty, but dead. I was like a cnut with myself.

After the water bag blister is out, they say one hour for a cow, and two hours for a heifer

Limestone Cowboy

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Cow with vessel out this morning. Calf is alive but shook enough. Have her under the red lamp now waiting for beastings to thaw.

Fair auld lump of a heifer, perked up a bit now.