Breech calf

[FriedgesCharolais]

Curious how many people have had this (if any). Last year one of my cows had a beech calf. Well this year I came home from work and found nothing but a tail sticking out of the back end of a cow. The thing is it was the same cow as last year.

So my question is: has anyone had a cow that had a breech calf two years in a row? Also, if a cow has a breech calf does the chances of her having a breech calf increase?

TIA

 

[hntwhitetail]

I have one that has had 5 of 6 breached.  I picked her up as a cow calf pair, so I do not know if that one was breached or not.  I am also curious about this.  She is a sim/angus.  Milks like a holstein and alwasy weans a big calf, that is the only reason I have kept her. 

 

[JTM]

Yes I have had trouble cows that would have multiple breech calves or "backwards" back feet first. I have a feeling this is genetic in some circumstances for some weird reason. Calf too big to get turned around or calf small enough to start coming out breech? I don't know but I think there is something to it IMO.

 

[OH Breeder]

http://beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_em_alive

This article says that a bull can heavily influence the presentation of breech births as well as enviroment and cold vs hot temperatures. Interesting read. Palpating calves at 5.5-6 months to see what position they were in and those that flipped later gestation for proper delivery.

 

[Diamond]

I'm not sure exactly causes them but I'm statting to consider myself a pro at dealing with them. I have had a lot of them in a vary moderate size herd (around 15 to calf each year) and had 6 or 7 come that way in some given years. We do this as a hobby, and have a menagerie of breeds thus use various bulls and there seems to be no rhyme or reasons for it. I will say the ones I have had issues with have a higher mounting drive then the rest. The one breech I have had so far this year I noticed jumping another cow whom had calved a few weeks prior. I honestly think there may be a link there as well, considering she's not the first breach I noticed doing this prior to calving.

 

[FriedgesCharolais]

That was a very interesting article! I guess I always thought it was the calves job to get into position and never really thought of it as a genetic issue. So I guess next year I will be watching the cow more closely again because I can't blame the bull when she was bred to MCATL Pure Product last year and had a Duff Hobart calf. Thanks for the input I really appreciate it!

 

[hntwhitetail]

I've used 5 different sires on the cow I mentioned earlier, so you can't blame the bull.

 

[oakview]

I had a back FOOT (singular!)  calf last week out of a 5 year old cow that had calved perfectly fine all previous years.  The calf weighed 90 pounds.  We pushed the calf back in and were able to get the other foot and actually saved the calf.  I have not had very good luck with other backwards calves.  I did have a cow in the early 90's that had her first 4 calves back feet first.  They were the only ones I had in at least a long time.  None survived.  Her 5th calf was born normally and was the best bull calf I had.  I found it dead by a pond at about 5 months of age, no apparent reason.  My neighbor said the Extension Service would recommend the cow for immediate transplant.  Since I was a glutton for punishment, I kept the cow around and she raised several excellent calves for me.  Her only daughter was the dam of one of the best bulls I have ever raised.  Other than a set of twins, first one back feet first, second one normal, these are the only backwards calves I can recall in the last 25 years.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Not sure about how heritable breech calves are but I would guess that it happens a lot more than we realize but often the calf is born without human interference if we aren't watching.

 

[OH Breeder]

Not sure about how heritable breech calves are but I would guess that it happens a lot more than we realize but often the calf is born without human interference if we aren't watching.

My old vet told me there was not inheritence factor in breech births look at enviromental factors, like overdue, overfed or cold winter.
Same with prolapse uterus. some people say they have had prolapses and they never breed again or they prolapse again. I had one cow for 10 years. Prolasped on first calf and never did after that. Cycled like normal, bred and calved without assitance after that. her heifers never experienced that problem. This was my small N population of 15-20 cows.
I thought the article was interesting read. I agree with overdue, overweight etc. Had more problems with overdue than anything else. Never hurst to read whats out there. If i can do something to reduce potential dystocia I am up for it. We stopped graining cows and they have to make it on hay alone til after they calf. I like to supplement heifers and those that might be little under condition or calve sucks them down. not trying to stray off topic....JMO