Best way to bring a calf locked at the hips

cacs

It has been a while since i posted on boards. I just wanted to get peoples opinion on best way to bring a calf when it gets locked at the hips. When your bringing a calf its 3.30 in the morning, your by yourself and the calf gets locked the hips it can be a high pressure time and there is no one to turn to. I would love hear peoples tricks / methods

older by the day

Their is nothing worse, try and get the calves back Abit and shove in what lube or washing up liquid you can find and grease him up. I remember reading here a year ago that if you could turn over the cow, and put her on her other side it might free her up...

One person on there own is fairly helpless for turning a cow. I'm a great believer in lube.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058280134/best-way-to-bring-a-calf-locked-at-the-hips

First dont rush jacking calf out, try and turn jack left and right to see if one hip can come out, when cow pushes lever end of jack downwards . cow exerts more pressure lying down on side ( can be harder to work jack on your own though this way ) so if using calving gate make sure you can swing it clear as she most likely go down when under pressure

Who2

If you’re on your own and the calf is locked I’d usually try and pull sideways while jacking. If that doesn’t work then try to twist the calf jack a bit and repeat. I had a lad here before put a paling post between the calf and the jack and give a slight twist on the post which worked too.

thankfully this year so far I’ve only had to assist two, other years it was nearly all of them.

1373

Dairy or suckler makes a difference . If you've got the calf as far as the hips then it should be able to breath itself and there's no need to rush. In our experience if the cow is given a rest , she'll start pushing again and even if she starts trying to shuffle around, it'll open her up more . All dairy here so people with continentals might disagree

Limestone Cowboy

Not much use if you are by yourself but have got a couple out by putting the cow on her back and jacking upwards but it's a last resort at that stage. Sometimes if you take off the Jack and rotate the calf 180 degrees you'll get to turn the hips a small bit and it might just be enough to help them through the pelvis. Don't keep the pressure on all the time either if they are stuck, calf will only last a few minutes if you do. I'd wait for a good contraction and put the pressure on then and maybe relax it for 30 seconds and go again. It's an awful feeling though when you get them to the hips and it all locks up.

greysides

Once stuck, the pulling should be to try to 'walk them out', pull to one side then the other.

Prevention, or anticipation, would be to try to direct the jack to 7-8 o' clock or 4-5 o' clock, rather than 6 o' clock, as the pelvis starts to go through the cow's pelvis. You're trying to twist the axis of the calf's hips and biggest diameter to one line of an X.

With a cow lying flat and the calf under tension from the jack, I have unblocked a calf by half-stepping on his ribs and hopping over him. Worked once.

Main thing is to realise that once the calf is dead, it makes absolutely no sense to risk the cow any further, when a vet can bisect the calf and get him/her/it out without further damage.

cacs

Some great advice there. Grey side your a bit of a pro i really like the 7-8 and 4-5.

patsy_mccabe

Just a few things I've learned over the years.

Lubricant - if the calf is caught at the hips then lubricant is no good at that stage. Impossible to get it in where you need it. Lubricant should be used before the calf's head is out. Cup the hand and fill with lubricant. Go right in to the pelvic opening and apply the whole way around. Apply to calf's top of head and in under belly behind the front legs.

Rope Halter - put on cow and tie to calving gate. Leave rope slack enough. If stuck at hips, easier if cow is out of head gate and that bit freer to lie on her side etc.

Calf resuitator - Handy have one. Don't have one but must buy. I've resusitated a few calf's that weren't breathing but it's hard on yourself. Nearly passed out a few times doing it. Harder as I get older.

As for pulling the calf locked at the hips. I think it is better to get cow lying down. They usually do anyway with a bit of pressure on the jack. Calf can breath easier that way. The thing is to be gentle on the cow. Wait for her to push then pull then. One hand pressure is enough at first. Give plenty of breaks, as calf will breath away when not being pulled.

Vary the direction you pull as said above and try and get more pressure on one of the calf's hip over the other. I've also found that if a second person can pull back on the calf's belly in a sudden upward movement, that it can release the calf.

Farm365

How do you resuscitate a calf?

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120135759#Comment_120135759

Only if the newborn calf has a heartbeat present.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oSyvJ2DRtQ0

Lime Tree Farm

I bought from this site 3 yrs ago, it's still in the holdall, where hopefully it remains.

https://www.farmanddairyspares.ie/product-tag/mccolluch-calf-resuscitator/

Greysides, if you wouldn't mind giving your opinion on the video. I hadn't realised it was operated at that speed.

greysides

Sorry, no experience of that tool.

cacs

I have one of those resus tools. I cannot speak high enough of it. It has two sides. One side is to suck the gunk out of a calf i have used this at least once or twice a year. Its particular good when a calf comes in the bag and the bag does not break. Absolutely brilliant for this. The thoughts of lugging a 40 or 50 kg over a gate calf makes my back sore even thinking about it. Also you waste valuable time. Luckily i have not used the other end of the cylinder the resuscitation part. But its there if you need it. Anyone who is breeding cows with valuable calfs should have one these tools. I had a calf faid out on me one night and i said never again. I will say it again its as import as ropes and jack its a must.

Lime Tree Farm

I reckon using the resus tool should be paced with your own rate of breathing. Using it at the speed shown in the McCullough video I imagine would damage the calf's lungs.

patsy_mccabe

The last calf I revived here was one I pulled backwards. I felt it was alive initially from the movements in the back legs. When I go it out, it was lifeless. As I pulled it away, I felt a slight movement in the hind leg. I put pressure on it's side and then rubbed straw vigorously on both sides of it's ribcage. It started breathing very rapidly at first so I just kept rubbing it's sides , keeping it in a sitting up position. Also got water into it's ear. Once breathing had slowed down, I lifted up it's back legs while keeping it's front still on the ground. Did this for no more than 10 secs, All this to help get fluid out of it's lungs.

With calves that had stopped breathing while caught at the hips, You will know if the calf was alive as you start pulling it. If the calf stops breathing after pulling, I do as above . If that doesn't work I keep mouth closed, cover one nostril and blow up the other nostril to inflate the lungs. You'll have to pressure the side of the calf then to get it to exhale. repeat a few times. It has worked for me, but the calf I'd say would want to have stopped breathing for no more than a few minutes. You can pass out from doing this .... LOL

Funny as it sounds but the rougher you are with the calf, the better. Any shaking of it's body can get it going.