When's calving starting 2021

tellmeabit

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

The cervix plug. I reckon 5 days from passing this, they calf. Interesting to see when your one calves.

She is due for the 5th according to munster so report.
Today is day 274 from server.

dzer2

Last one calved this morning at 7 massive heifer calf everything fine up and licked the calf. Left her to feed others and a few pet lambs, came back calf dead. **** happens will get a foster one this evening. Anyway 30 calves 29 live ones 20 heifers 9 bulls eventually.

Now to relax for a while until silage middle of May. Dont need much this yr as 120 bales left from last year.

Sami23

Sami23 wrote: »

That's it there

Well do ye agree it's not rolled

tellmeabit

Sugarbowl wrote: »

Sounds like ecoli. You need to get them fast. I had one few years ago like that - very sick - she went dry and never returned back to milk so I bottle reared the calf. Thankfully she recovered and has milk in all4 quarters again. Don’t know how she made it! We were giving her bottles of coffee to get the stomach moving if I recall- passing no dung either. It was misdiagnosed as a displaced stomach.

Something stronger he says and report back Sunday.

whelan2

Had one calving earlier. Cleanings coming first which is not a good sign. Handled her and burst the waterbag. Very brown fluid. Calf coming normal. Jacked it out all OK.

greysides

whelan2 wrote: »

Had one calving earlier. Cleanings coming first which is not a good sign. Handled her and burst the waterbag. Very brown fluid. Calf coming normal. Jacked it out all OK.

Timely intervention.

squinn2912

Hard to beat a big strong brute like that doing it all herself. Thought the aggression of her this evening meant sh wouldn’t be too long but I expected middle of the night. Gonna go down shortly and get straw topped up but that’s it. She’d mill ya after calving

squinn2912

Hard to beat a big strong brute like that doing it all herself. Thought the aggression of her this evening meant sh wouldn’t be too long but I expected middle of the night. Gonna go down shortly and get straw topped up but that’s it. She’d mill ya after calving

funkey_monkey

Sami23 wrote: »

Well do ye agree it's not rolled

Is anyone able to answer Sami's question?

squinn2912

This lady gave me a bit more work to do and she carried over a bit but lovely long big heifer calf landed with a medium pull

Suckler farmer

Finished spring calving here thank god.
Out of 8 heifers we had to to use the jack on 5.
Calving issues seems to have been linked to time. 2 bulls and 1 heifer born on due dates unassisted. 5 others were all good pulls went between 7-10 days over time. The majority of our heifers were 24-26 months lim x fr heifers. In hindsight they probably got too much good quality silage over the winter. The bull we have is an Aubrac - 4.7% calving difficulty on heifers! The calves chest diameters were 75-80 cm the largest being 83cm. Should we look for an easier calving bull to use? All heifers calved within 3 weeks of each other so fertility is very good. Calves are very docile and of good quality. Bull a bit on the temperamental side

charolais0153

Suckler farmer wrote: »

Finished spring calving here thank god.
Out of 8 heifers we had to to use the jack on 5.
Calving issues seems to have been linked to time. 2 bulls and 1 heifer born on due dates unassisted. 5 others were all good pulls went between 7-10 days over time. The majority of our heifers were 24-26 months lim x fr heifers. In hindsight they probably got too much good quality silage over the winter. The bull we have is an Aubrac - 4.7% calving difficulty on heifers! The calves chest diameters were 75-80 cm the largest being 83cm. Should we look for an easier calving bull to use? All heifers calved within 3 weeks of each other so fertility is very good. Calves are very docile and of good quality. Bull a bit on the temperamental side

80 cm is a big lump of a calf for a heifer. 4,7% is easy calving too , I'd be inclined to think they were fed to well when u had so many with bother rather than blame the bull

TooOldBoots

Spent the whole Sunday looking for a cow on the point of Calving. Located her in the Woods with her new calf. Nice end to the Sunday hike!!

squinn2912

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Spent the whole Sunday looking for a cow on the point of Calving. Located her in the Woods with her new calf. Nice end to the Sunday hike!!

Super calf

TooOldBoots

thks, I'm delighted, the mother is half Irish Moll and it's in the calf too

tanko

The feeling of dread wondering what you're going to find when looking for a cow calving out in the fields like that isn't very nice.
It's some relief when you come across both ok and the cow sucked.
It can go the other way too.

Mooooo

Someone give me a kick up the hole if I leave the bull with the cows in to July this year. Trying to treat a cow just calved for milk fever that isn't down but still all over the shop... 8 more left...

Gawddawggonnit

Mooooo wrote: »

Someone give me a kick up the hole if I leave the bull with the cows in to July this year. Trying to treat a cow just calved for milk fever that isn't down but still all over the shop... 8 more left...

Poor old bull even gets blamed for milk fever...maybe Covid is his fault too!!

Cows calving off grass?

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Poor old bull even gets blamed for milk fever...maybe Covid is his fault too!!

Cows calving off grass?

No all inside still, back of the pit was 3 yr old silage, have changed to bales now. Not the bulls fault, it's the fact I'm still dealing cows calving for the next week! If nothing changes land wise for next year I'll be able to snip off the late calvers before winter as should hopefully, touch wood and all that, have enough in calf for before mid April next year

squinn2912

This girl went horribly thin about 3 months ago and she was that weak we fluked her in the cubicles. She got meal every day with her minerals and mended up.
We were sure the calf would be enormous so we’re watching her tightly. First slime Friday. I’m up every hour to check the camera tonight and somewhere between 5.55 and 7.11 she managed to get this calf out and up. She gave me the slip last year too out in the field but I was sure we’d have trouble this time round! 4 to go after 3 in a row

Mooooo

Mooooo wrote: »

Someone give me a kick up the hole if I leave the bull with the cows in to July this year. Trying to treat a cow just calved for milk fever that isn't down but still all over the shop... 8 more left...

Down to 5 now,

Lime Tree Farm

squinn2912 wrote: »

This girl went horribly thin about 3 months ago and she was that weak we fluked her in the cubicles. She got meal every day with her minerals and mended up.
We were sure the calf would be enormous so we’re watching her tightly. First slime Friday. I’m up every hour to check the camera tonight and somewhere between 5.55 and 7.11 she managed to get this calf out and up. She gave me the slip last year too out in the field but I was sure we’d have trouble this time round! 4 to go after 3 in a row

Very nice.

We had a CH cow that calved every year on the slats, 9 in total. Pins didn't drop, no bagging up or other signs. We kept three of her offspring, they are doing the same.

I find having a record of how the cows present before calving useful as they normally do the same every year.

squinn2912

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Very nice.

We had a CH cow that calved every year on the slats, 9 in total. Pins didn't drop, no bagging up or other signs. We kept three of her offspring, they are doing the same.

I find having a record of how the cows present before calving useful as they normally do the same every year.

That’s some going! Aw well this girl of ours didn’t calve on the slats we had her in the calving pen yesterday we knew it would be overnight or early morning but after getting up like that again and again I didn’t think she was going to calve. She had all done in half an hour it must be if the calf was up and sucked within 70 mins.

Great point about past experience being a good predictor for future. The ones that go on and on do it every year here too.

TooOldBoots

squinn2912 wrote: »

That’s some going! Aw well this girl of ours didn’t calve on the slats we had her in the calving pen yesterday we knew it would be overnight or early morning but after getting up like that again and again I didn’t think she was going to calve. She had all done in half an hour it must be if the calf was up and sucked within 70 mins.

Great point about past experience being a good predictor for future. The ones that go on and on do it every year here too.

A lot to be said for a cow that calves herself and have the calf up and sucked themselves too.
Worth keeping!

Welding Rod

Cow here today mad bulling and she calved exactly 28 days ago. Going to AI her, even though I expect she probably won’t hold.

50HX

Had the same last week, didn't bother doing her, she was still quite dirty after calving so couldn't see her holding

Let me known if she keeps...out of interest

Irish Beef

Any tips to get heifer take to her new calf, shown no interest and staying at far side of the pen.

Anto_Meath

sprinkle some meal or even porridge on the calf used to work here the cow / heifer would start licking it off the calf and then take with it.. letting it drink could be another story sometimes.

charolais0153

Welding Rod wrote: »

Cow here today mad bulling and she calved exactly 28 days ago. Going to AI her, even though I expect she probably won’t hold.

I've seen them keep, but usually the later calving ones aren't that fertile

Irish Beef

Anto_Meath wrote: »

sprinkle some meal or even porridge on the calf used to work here the cow / heifer would start licking it off the calf and then take with it.. letting it drink could be another story sometimes.

Tried porridge on calf, heifer didn't bother to kick calf, went about pucking calf, cow seems a bit off at moment, hopefully she'll come to a bit later and I'll try porridge again, I gave calf some colostrum and is in fairly good health, I'll catch cow in head gate later and hopefully as calf sucks it'll help her take to it, I have calf in little pen in corner of cows pen as afraid she'll hurt it when nobody around, probably not right thing to do I know but seems only short term solution.

Lime Tree Farm

I'd get a bag of weanling crunch, it's sweet and strong smelling to entice her. It will help get her into the headlock morning and evening. You will have to tie back her leg to protect yourself and the calf. Pit of a pain and not easy, but she will get to know the drill.

jfh

Much the same here, I'm baling up a heifer here for the last 6 weeks morning and evening, no sign that's she going to take to her calf, she's a smasher so was given her every chance but I think the end is nigh for her. Sell both separately

Irish Beef

jfh wrote: »

Much the same here, I'm baling up a heifer here for the last 6 weeks morning and evening, no sign that's she going to take to her calf, she's a smasher so was given her every chance but I think the end is nigh for her. Sell both separately

That's a right pain in the ass six weeks of that would drive you cracked. Hope that's not what awaits me here, fine looking cow here too, always the good ones.

tellmeabit

Welding Rod wrote: »

Cow here today mad bulling and she calved exactly 28 days ago. Going to AI her, even though I expect she probably won’t hold.

Bulled my 1st today, after 42 days. Have 2 or 3 others that have gone over the 42. No sign on the scratch cards or them.

tellmeabit

Irish Beef wrote: »

Any tips to get heifer take to her new calf, shown no interest and staying at far side of the pen.

I put salt on calf to get them licking, if they don't take then I try and get the smell of the calf to them, bit of clearing or straw after wiping the calf. Big of meal then. If not at that stage. When calf can get up, into crush. The the cows legs and get calf drinking. Couple days at that I'd find the calf drinking in the shed. Sometimes another cow sniffing around the calf can help kick in the protective mode.

Lime Tree Farm

Read somewhere that putting the cow's own urine on the calf's bum gets her to recognise her calf as her own when she sniffs it's bum.

minerleague

Irish Beef wrote: »

Tried porridge on calf, heifer didn't bother to kick calf, went about pucking calf, cow seems a bit off at moment, hopefully she'll come to a bit later and I'll try porridge again, I gave calf some colostrum and is in fairly good health, I'll catch cow in head gate later and hopefully as calf sucks it'll help her take to it, I have calf in little pen in corner of cows pen as afraid she'll hurt it when nobody around, probably not right thing to do I know but seems only short term solution.

Had a heifer calved last year the same as yours, left them together ( can understand why you wouldnt ) as calf was as stubborn as cow. Took a good while for heifer to let calf suck. Can you put a ladder or something across part of the pen for calf to retreat under ( bed in straw ). No real short cuts worked for me but after a few days a bucket of meal left on ground and calf worked away

Irish Beef

tellmeabit wrote: »

I put salt on calf to get them licking, if they don't take then I try and get the smell of the calf to them, bit of clearing or straw after wiping the calf. Big of meal then. If not at that stage. When calf can get up, into crush. The the cows legs and get calf drinking. Couple days at that I'd find the calf drinking in the shed. Sometimes another cow sniffing around the calf can help kick in the protective mode.

The salt sounds like a good one alright, might give that a try tonight. Another cow on point of calving was very interested in new calf, taught maybe it was hers, licking it an all. I think it was wishful thinking on her behalf, thinking that she had calf this time with out the hardship.

High bike

Irish Beef wrote: »

The salt sounds like a good one alright, might give that a try tonight. Another cow on point of calving was very interested in new calf, taught maybe it was hers, licking it an all. I think it was wishful thinking on her behalf, thinking that she had calf this time with out the hardship.

would she rear 2 calves??

Irish Beef

High bike wrote: »

would she rear 2 calves??

The taught actually crossed my mind but she's not the milkiest unfortunately.

patsy_mccabe

Might be worth bringing in a dog and see how the heifer reacts. The sight of a dog can be enough to trigger the protective instinct in the mother.

I fostered a calf onto a cow last year that lost her calf. Cow was quiet enough but would only stand for calf when I was there and kept my hand on her back. One day she just took to the calf when I let in calves to their cows at the same time. She looked around and saw all the calves drinking and it triggered something in her.

squinn2912

Down to the last 2 here now thankfully. This girl always calves on her own but I kept an eye anyhow and it’s just as well. Massive bull calf but medium pull on the jack just. Great calf

valtra2

Finished last of mine few weeks ago. 51 cows 51 calfs. One died and one set of twins. 3 vet assists no sections. Started ai 17 of last month and just finished up there Sunday. Bull in 17th last month with second group. Scan first lot this Sat and will group any that are in calf and bull into the rest. Bull out on 17 June. Then summer off. Crona over and holidays.

tellmeabit

valtra2 wrote: »

Finished last of mine few weeks ago. 51 cows 51 calfs. One died and one set of twins. 3 vet assists no sections. Started ai 17 of last month and just finished up there Sunday. Bull in 17th last month with second group. Scan first lot this Sat and will group any that are in calf and bull into the rest. Bull out on 17 June. Then summer off. Crona over and holidays.

Living the dream

Limestone Cowboy

valtra2 wrote: »

Finished last of mine few weeks ago. 51 cows 51 calfs. One died and one set of twins. 3 vet assists no sections. Started ai 17 of last month and just finished up there Sunday. Bull in 17th last month with second group. Scan first lot this Sat and will group any that are in calf and bull into the rest. Bull out on 17 June. Then summer off. Crona over and holidays.

That's some going, fair play.

Dozer1

you've spare time now....I'll send you on a few late calvers...

that's fair going nice to get to a place where your ducks are in a row, it'll be a few years here yet

valtra2

Dozer1 wrote: »

you've spare time now....I'll send you on a few late calvers...

that's fair going nice to get to a place where your ducks are in a row, it'll be a few years here yet

I am afraid to go home now just incase I jinxed myself. Its 10 years in the making so don't get me wrong it's the best year I had. But getting a live calf is only a bit of it its calfs sold per cow per year and ppk that's the most important thing. This is also the first year I never had to give a lectaide to a calf.

tellmeabit

Dep heifer 282 days. Watched on camera until the arse. Cow was doing fine, then stood and calf was getting stretched for air. Maybe 3 mins for me to get there. Bit of a pull with ropes, and calf not breathing. Couple mins blowing and rubbing, straw water. And she took few half breaths. Few more mins she was breathing better. Not sure would she have made it if I want watching.calved around 5 , looks to have sucked and have her 1lts at 7. Leave them in for few hours to see her take good suck. Stopped watching what time I feed them at couple weeks ago. 1st one to calve during the nite.
Nice calf I think jot huge like I was fearing. End of June next I think.

funkey_monkey

How long would you try to resuscitate a calf before calling it a bad job?
It more accurately how long after birth can you review a non responsive calf and what tricks do you use?

tellmeabit

Ah, to be honest I'm digging way back into the memory bank for most of my farming, say 30 years ago when young lad and my dad (rip) milked a few. He seemed to know his stuff, between him and the older neighbours they had plenty cures tips and tricks around a lot of areas of farming, most forgotten now.
Now all of none of these may have an effect ,they are just what I try or have tried.
1st thing is sitting them up on the back legs to let the lungs open.
I'd try the straw up the nose.
Water on head and ear.
Blowing in the ear, picked that up on here this year.
Shaking or rubbing ears. Not great description by me.
Blowing into the mouth was a new one to try this year too.
Rubbing ribs vigorously with straw.. seems to wake them, or keep them awake.
Used lift them up by back legs for a bit to get the fluid out. back in day Never had a gate in old shed to hang them but vet did it last year on one for a min or so. As he gave him a shot to get him going. --Head wasn't coming with that lad, had to put bailing rope around the head while still inside to get them out.
This am felt like I was working on her for maybe 2 mins before she went from limp to taking some bit of breath.

Keeping them sitting up all during it makes sense as lungs not sqeezed

As to how long to keep trying, I don't know. I did notice a sign of life a couple of times after breathing into her and then chancing straw up nose again. So kept trying.


This wouldn't happen often here now. The one back in March felt like he was going to just stop to kept him alert. With running ears and ribs.

What do other people do?