When's calving starting 2021

Dunedin

minerleague wrote: »

I honestly don't know how people face into calving sucklers every year going by the talk of jacking, c sections, calves not getting up etc. Maybe it's only the bad cases that get mentioned?. When I was younger 1 single vet covered an area that it now takes 2 multivet practices to cover (are we doing something wrong or what ) and he always had time to have a small whiskey before he left ! The factories and supermarkets say they don't want big carcass so why are we breeding them?

I can only speak for the midlands area but there were virtually no suckler herds here in olden years - suck calves were bought from the south by dealers and reared to beef.

Dairy herds were substantially smaller too - 30 cows was considered a big herd.

That said we had circa 8 cows here which we milked to feed about 20 calves. 20 sucklers now and I’d say I call the vet a lot less now than we did years ago.

cute geoge

RD10 wrote: »

A second calver last night, acting stone cracked, handled her and calf coming upside down.
Heifer calf, all ok except doubt she'll clean.
Thats the second upside down calf I've had in a week, would there be a reason for it or just coinicidence?

Happened me one year with several calves presenting sideways /up side down ,Vet put it down to cow lacking minerals

funkey_monkey

Would you just scatter the minerals over the silage or would you mix it in with a small amount of ration to be sure they got their share?

tanko

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Would you just scatter the minerals over the silage or would you mix it in with a small amount of ration to be sure they got their share?

I just sprinkle it on the silage, seems to work the best but all the cows would want enough room at the barrier to eat at the same time. Wouldn't have any more than five cows in a pen here.

patsy_mccabe

A small coca cola bottle holds 600g of pre calver minerals, so enough for 6 cows .

The11Duff

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Would you just scatter the minerals over the silage or would you mix it in with a small amount of ration to be sure they got their share?

I mix minerals with the rolled oats. Troughs are always licked clean.

funkey_monkey

We'd normally throw it over a small bit of ration - probably averaging 1kg each and then minerals on top.
I'd like to get away from using the ration, but as we're fattening some bullocks in same shed they go mad when the others get meal, so it easier to give them a bit.

squinn2912

Just on silage here the cows love it and yea very important they can all feed

Limestone Cowboy

After pulling dead twins there for a neighbour now, 3 legs and a head coming together, 1 backwards and upside down and the other had a leg gone back. I'd say they were dead with a few days. Had pulled another set for him a few days ago and the first one was coming backwards with his 2 legs inside under him and had an awful job to get them up but they were both ok so I gathered as much fluid as I could out of the cow and threw it up on one of them and she took straight away. Never a dull moment with them.

funkey_monkey

Shame about the twins, they do seem to be nothing but a heartache.

tellmeabit

No2. Bull by Uslan 284 days.

dzer2

emaherx wrote: »

Finally a Heifer....
I've 2 live Heifers out of ten calvings. Lost one early on which was a twin.

1 bull here out of 23 calves 7 left

whelan2

Just calved a monster. Got my dad to help. Then oh as jack wasn't moving. Calf just dead when we got him out. A big angus bull out of a fr cow.

Mooooo

Ended up with about 43% heifers out of the fr straws used. Ai beef due for the next 10 days or so then stock bull. First Hereford calf landed the other day, heifer calf of the niece and nephews favourite cow, a fleckx . Was hoping the calf would be a red white head but came black the fecker.

squinn2912

whelan2 wrote: »

Just calved a monster. Got my dad to help. Then oh as jack wasn't moving. Calf just dead when we got him out. A big angus bull out of a fr cow.

Crappy luck that. Way it goes at times but youd think youd be ok with AA

whelan2

squinn2912 wrote: »

Crappy luck that. Way it goes at times but youd think youd be ok with AA

I think the calf was hitting a nerve or something.

Lime Tree Farm

You would wonder at times, we had one like that last year, tried resuscitating him. Then saw a birth like it on a UK TV farming programme, they kept working on him for ages and amazingly got him going.

I bought a calf resuscitator this year - has anyone here experience of using one.

TooOldBoots

Just had an 18month old limX heifer calf no bother to her. I wouldn't usually calve them that early but she made her way out to the night club and met the neighbors 5* limo bull
Calf jumping around the place full of beans. Them limousines are one hardy breed!!

charolais0153

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

You would wonder at times, we had one like that last year, tried resuscitating him. Then saw a birth like it on a UK TV farming programme, they kept working on him for ages and amazingly got him going.

I bought a calf resuscitator this year - has anyone here experience of using one.

Blow in the calves ear. Brought many a calf and lamb back.

jfh

charolais0153 wrote: »

Blow in the calves ear. Brought many a calf and lamb back.

We usually pour cold water in the ear to shock them

whelan2

jfh wrote: »

We usually pour cold water in the ear to shock them

We put water in this lads ear, put straw up his nose. Lifted him over a gate. I'd say the calving was too hard on him

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

We put water in this lads ear, put straw up his nose. Lifted him over a gate. I'd say the calving was too hard on him

How's the cow?

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

How's the cow?

She's fine but it was pretty :eek: had to run and drop daughter to work in the middle of it all. I'd say my blood pressure was mental. Cow got up after.

charolais0153

jfh wrote: »

We usually pour cold water in the ear to shock them

They need air rather than water. The heart can still be going but breathing stopped. Quick short bursts into the ear,
Any calf that water revives wasn't too bad

jfh

charolais0153 wrote: »

They need air rather than water. The heart can still be going but breathing stopped. Quick short bursts into the ear,
Any calf that water revives wasn't too bad

Never heard this before, thought the idea with the water was to stimulate them to shake the head & wake up, genuinely interested in the idea of air in the ear?

charolais0153

jfh wrote: »

Never heard this before, thought the idea with the water was to stimulate them to shake the head & wake up, genuinely interested in the idea of air in the ear?

Ear connected to the airways
Idea like CPR,
Lamb the other day , heart was beating , mouth open , eyes not responsive, wasn't responding to water, started blowing in his ear and he came around after a few mins

grassroot1

Had a freak bivouac bull on Wednesday out of a 500kg cow he is easy 80kg plus and got stuck at the hips. Cow was down and the messing trying to feed the calf.
I have been lifting her every day but wasnt expecting much.
Today both got up themselves and the calf sucked the cow.
I cannot express the joy that brings

squinn2912

grassroot1 wrote: »

Had a freak bivouac bull on Wednesday out of a 500kg cow he is easy 80kg plus and got stuck at the hips. Cow was down and the messing trying to feed the calf.
I have been lifting her every day but wasnt expecting much.
Today both got up themselves and the calf sucked the cow.
I cannot express the joy that brings

That’s fantastic news well done! Last year we had a similar situation last year with a wee bb heifer. The calf had to be cut out of her after giving her an awful time trying to calve her. She got up 4 or 5 days afterwards lifting every day. Great feeling. You’ll enjoy looking at that wee outfit all year.

DukeCaboom

grassroot1 wrote: »

Had a freak bivouac bull on Wednesday out of a 500kg cow he is easy 80kg plus and got stuck at the hips. Cow was down and the messing trying to feed the calf.
I have been lifting her every day but wasnt expecting much.
Today both got up themselves and the calf sucked the cow.
I cannot express the joy that brings

That's amazing.

Base price

charolais0153 wrote: »

They need air rather than water. The heart can still be going but breathing stopped. Quick short bursts into the ear,
Any calf that water revives wasn't too bad

Years ago after a hard jacking the calf wasn't breathing. We tried water, straw, compressing his ribs and swung him between two of us. I did mouth (mine) to nose (his) resuscitation. I cupped one hand around his mouth to seal it and the other over one nostril and kept breathing/blowing into the other for 10 or 15 times. It worked and the calf started breathing by itself. I reckoned that it was going to die so I may as well try.

greysides

charolais0153 wrote: »

Ear connected to the airways
Idea like CPR,
Lamb the other day , heart was beating , mouth open , eyes not responsive, wasn't responding to water, started blowing in his ear and he came around after a few mins

Eardrum is in between.

The Rabbi

The eustation tube connects the ear to the throat to balance air pressure.Blowing or water in the ear can trigger a gag or swallow.

Base price

I was telling our Vet at the time about the experience and he recommended that we keep a single shot of Dopram on standby. I used to keep it in the press for a "just in case" situation and if needed you would squirt it under the calves tongue. I had to use it once after and the response was immediate.

Dozer1

Had a heifer look like calving to an AI bull yesterday morning but wasn't making progress. Handled her and she wasn't open but forcing like mad. Vet came gave her an epidural and induced her.

Last night she started forcing and so off I went this time calf was ready so tried the jack but I wasn't happy with her so said f it rang vet. By the time he came 30 mins or so she had kinda done the splits so we shackled her and got the calf out handy enough.

Gave him an hour and he was sitting up no way would he suck so milked a few bottles about a litre or so and gave him that wrapped him in straw he was still sitting well and trying to get up that was at 1am.

Down this morning at 7 and f*cker was dead. Was it the lack of not enough beistings or what I wonder. I had a trusti tuber but I hadn't used it before and this lad looked fine.
Ah well..life goes on and heifer is flying around

squinn2912

Dozer1 wrote: »

Had a heifer look like calving to an AI bull yesterday morning but wasn't making progress. Handled her and she wasn't open but forcing like mad. Vet came gave her an epidural and induced her.

Last night she started forcing and so off I went this time calf was ready so tried the jack but I wasn't happy with her so said f it rang vet. By the time he came 30 mins or so she had kinda done the splits so we shackled her and got the calf out handy enough.

Gave him an hour and he was sitting up no way would he suck so milked a few bottles about a litre or so and gave him that wrapped him in straw he was still sitting well and trying to get up that was at 1am.

Down this morning at 7 and f*cker was dead. Was it the lack of not enough beistings or what I wonder. I had a trusti tuber but I hadn't used it before and this lad looked fine.
Ah well..life goes on and heifer is flying around

That’s very peculiar a calf you left all fine very annoying. I wouldn’t have thought a lack of bieslin would take him that quickly - if it did him in I’d think it would be over a few days and he’d take a chill or something. Was his breathing ok and everything? Maybe he got injured when the heifer crashed down doing the splits? It’s not so bad she’s ok at self.

whelan2

Would the heifer had laid on her?

squinn2912

whelan2 wrote: »

Would the heifer had laid on her?

Aye I was wondering that too. Or maybe stood on him

Lime Tree Farm

had one like that and RVL diagnosed volvulus - twisted gut - a development issue in the womb.

A neighbour has said not to have too deep a straw bed as cow doesn't see sleeping calf as she lays down.

Dozer1

Nope cow didn't lie on him she gave him a good licking with me there. Then I made a small pen for the calf so she could only see him as vet advised she could trample him when she was wobbly. I should have had a lamp but it was an outside yard and bulb was at home.

grassroot1

DukeCaboom wrote: »

That's amazing.

Only the second time ever I have seen a paralysed cow get up TBH

Lady Haywire

The two from Friday, difficult to get a photo of the blue as he's so dark. Have the lamp off him today. Little heifer is a bit bigger than I expected off LM2014 but flying it, future cow I reckon.

ABitofsense

One last night, nice Knell heifer of AAx 3rd Calver. Nice long calf. 281 days

This morning then Lodge hamlet bull of HEx 2nd Calver. Carried 290 days.

All calved themselves and up sucking within 15min.

TooOldBoots

Dozer1 wrote: »

Had a heifer look like calving to an AI bull yesterday morning but wasn't making progress. Handled her and she wasn't open but forcing like mad. Vet came gave her an epidural and induced her.

Last night she started forcing and so off I went this time calf was ready so tried the jack but I wasn't happy with her so said f it rang vet. By the time he came 30 mins or so she had kinda done the splits so we shackled her and got the calf out handy enough.

Gave him an hour and he was sitting up no way would he suck so milked a few bottles about a litre or so and gave him that wrapped him in straw he was still sitting well and trying to get up that was at 1am.

Down this morning at 7 and f*cker was dead. Was it the lack of not enough beistings or what I wonder. I had a trusti tuber but I hadn't used it before and this lad looked fine.
Ah well..life goes on and heifer is flying around

Wouldn't be lack of Beisting, the calf would live for a few days without getting some as long as it was dry and warm

minerleague

Dozer1 wrote: »

Had a heifer look like calving to an AI bull yesterday morning but wasn't making progress. Handled her and she wasn't open but forcing like mad. Vet came gave her an epidural and induced her.

Last night she started forcing and so off I went this time calf was ready so tried the jack but I wasn't happy with her so said f it rang vet. By the time he came 30 mins or so she had kinda done the splits so we shackled her and got the calf out handy enough.

Gave him an hour and he was sitting up no way would he suck so milked a few bottles about a litre or so and gave him that wrapped him in straw he was still sitting well and trying to get up that was at 1am.

Down this morning at 7 and f*cker was dead. Was it the lack of not enough beistings or what I wonder. I had a trusti tuber but I hadn't used it before and this lad looked fine.
Ah well..life goes on and heifer is flying around

Easy to say I know but there was no need to rush in tubing the calf after 1 hour, try to let them get up themselves or help them to stand, often left them 2 or 3 hours (or more ) after a hard calving and never did them any harm. Most will make some effort to suck but you have to be there just then or they mightnt have energy to go twice

charolais0153

Dozer1 wrote: »

Had a heifer look like calving to an AI bull yesterday morning but wasn't making progress. Handled her and she wasn't open but forcing like mad. Vet came gave her an epidural and induced her.

Last night she started forcing and so off I went this time calf was ready so tried the jack but I wasn't happy with her so said f it rang vet. By the time he came 30 mins or so she had kinda done the splits so we shackled her and got the calf out handy enough.

Gave him an hour and he was sitting up no way would he suck so milked a few bottles about a litre or so and gave him that wrapped him in straw he was still sitting well and trying to get up that was at 1am.

Down this morning at 7 and f*cker was dead. Was it the lack of not enough beistings or what I wonder. I had a trusti tuber but I hadn't used it before and this lad looked fine.
Ah well..life goes on and heifer is flying around

Something wrong with his gut, one of those things .

Dozer1

Thanks all he was in an outside place so I gave him every chance thought once he was trying to get up I'd give him a small feed. its one of those things once the heifer goes right I'll not worry too much.

endainoz

Dozer1 wrote: »

Thanks all he was in an outside place so I gave him every chance thought once he was trying to get up I'd give him a small feed. its one of those things once the heifer goes right I'll not worry too much.

Those "at birth tubes" can be handy to give them if they haven't sucked and you want to go to bed, gives them a good dose of vitamins but as poster above said likely something wrong with the calf anyway. It likely wouldn't have made any difference.

endainoz

The two Droimeanns calved in the last week! The white one was a heifer and the black one was the first bull this year. Apparently the Droimeann bulls can bring the dark colours sometimes and while neither have the supermodel looks of their roan sister, they're both alive and healthy so I'm happy with them. Both needed a little assistance but nothing too difficult. Plenty of lmx cows to go yet to bring those nice colors though.

tellmeabit

A dbz bull call 10 days over, knuckle caught, straightened and big pull. Cow was down for a while but up now, calf making a few goes to stand but is unable. Have him propper up but is very thrown down after he tries to stand. Have couple ltrs gone into him.
2 after a shot for pain off vet.
Cow calved a hefier off same bull last year 4 days shorter. Fingers crossed.
This was a hard one one all involves.

tellmeabit

Just copped the a calf 10 days old drinking the other cows in the pen, they are all due to calve this week.


Is this going to make a mess of their beastigns now?
Was amazed by how well she had come on since born.