calving season stories

[CAB]

Thought it may be fun to hear PPL's stories and learn about some of the bulls along the way. Hope I don't get too many nightmarish stories myself.

 

[David]

Had a Simmy/Limmo cross heifer calving this past Sunday night, bred to Rocky Balboa. I know not real smart but was hoping that rocky would frame it down. It didint. I deserve all the bashing I get for this mating. Any way calf was coming right except for the head was folded back against calf's left side. Had to push calf back down and reposition in order to get the head coming right. Dad and myself pulled with all we had and still nothing. Ended up having to jack the calf out. Calf came out alive and mother got up shortly after. We left them alone for a few hours and then went back. Got to the barn and seen the calf had a broke front leg. It wasnt broke when we took the chains off, but i think it was stressed so much that when the calf got up it snapped. Splinted it and the calf and mom are doin fine.

 

[wsc]

Well are first calf came on 1/24/2010 first calf heifer bred to Free spirit. It was 10:30 pm and she had her water bag out so I went back out at 11:00 pm front feet were out... Waited a little bit and started to help her.. I couldint gain any headway so I called dad to come help... He gets there we started to pullin and still nothing, so we cranked it out... Calf hit the ground running then cow decides to throw her uteress out...  Called the vet he shows up about 1:00 am and gets her fixed up... Calf is doin good mom dosint milk very good... SHE CAN SAY HELLO SALE BARN.. 2nd calf came on V-day sin city heifer that is pretty dang good in my opionion...  And that cow every year lays down has her calf cleans it off gets it milkin and heads back to the hay feeder... So in all we were off to rough start but things are lookin up now... Thats my calvin stories so far this year....

 

[ELBEE]

Yesterday was a first for me.

11 year old cow torsion uterus. C-section. Strangulated uterus. Only chance for survival, hysterectomy. Unable to manually force prolapse due to under dilated cervix.

Walking dead cow. Dead calf.

Doesn't take a genius to see who's in charge. (angel)

 

[redwingfarm]

Last friday we had a hereford heifer calve, calf backwards, then prolapse, then no milk, heifer quit eating and drinking, wed the heifer died, $25 to landfill, vet bill showed up today $150+, heifer calf being bottle fed and doing well- silver lining in otherwise dark cloud, 3 previous calves doing great, running around with tails high, 3 more due this weekend

 

[forbes family farms]

This happend last year

Had an Angus heifer that was suppost to have a calf on March 10 well she had it on February 15 it was a really premature calf worst of it all is that the Angus heifer decided to have the calf near a creek the calf fell in it was only 5-7 inches deep we got mama cow and baby into the barn got the calf warmed up took it to the vet $150+ in vet bills we kept the calf in the basment for three days my dad goes down to the basement to get his chore clothes on sees that the calf has passed away.

My 4-h heifer had a baby calf last year that my dad and i thought was suppost to be twins because the calf had a foot sticking up out of its back and the calf belli was full of infection asuming the other twin.

My 4-h heifer from 3 years ago had her first calf breed her to All about you the calf came backwards my dad and his friend pulled with all the had and was pulling fast because the feet where dry sticking out of the cow that they ended up breaking the calves back right leg the calf and cow lived so all in all we were very lucky.

 

[feeder duck]

Yesterday was a first for me.

11 year old cow torsion uterus. C-section. Strangulated uterus. Only chance for survival, hysterectomy. Unable to manually force prolapse due to under dilated cervix.

Walking dead cow. Dead calf.

Doesn't take a genius to see who's in charge. (angel)

  Had very something close to that last year. Vet said he sees it most in cows over 10.

  Jeff

 

[kanshow]

Where to begin.. ..    we've had our share of the odd stuff this year - could be just making up for all the years of few problems.

1.    Found a commercial cow in the timber - prolapsed & dead one morning - calf had walked away with another cow - but the strange thing about this one was that her neck was slit - no other marks.  There wasn't even evidence that something had tried to eat on her like sometimes happens.

2.  C-section on a first calf heifer - calf had three legs up in the birth canal and his head turned down.  Calf is a big dumb bull calf and heifer wants nothing to do with him.

Theres more but I'm depressing myself..

 

[JAGUR01]

Thought it may be fun to hear PPL's stories and learn about some of the bulls along the way. Hope I don't get too many nightmarish stories myself.

This happened last year.  I went to the barn to check cows and found Dads heatseeker cow starting the process.  Nothing out of the ordinary, cow was up and down.  Left and came back an hour later, same thing. Finally a foot, along with two others at once. We put her in the chute and examined her. At first I thought it was twins, but couldn't push the other calfs leg back.  Kept trying with no luck.  Went on in farther and new something wasn't right, only one calf, two front legs and a rear leg.I tried to push the calf back in and untangle the legs.  No luck. Called the vet.  The vet examined her and like me thought twins, but after examining her further new we had a freak.  She had called it shistitomus reflexes (spelling I'm way off).  Calf was alive with internal organs outside of its body.  Its hard to describe........ but imagine a calf standing in front of you with its hide slit on both sides from the bottom of the barrel up to the loin and that hide flipped up over its back and all four legs pointing forward.  The hide from the back half had grown together with the front.  Anyway, off to the OSU Vet hosp.  The old vet in charge Dr. Hoffas (I think) had only seen three others in his lifetime, but none had a live calf until this one.  They      performed a C- section and the calf died shortly after delivery.  The cow recovered and raised an orphan calf, but was unable to get her bred back.
So far this year no major problems.   

 

[TJ]

Despite all the cold, damp, snowy weather, I'm doing great so far.  I've only had 7 calves so far this year, all born outside in the open pasture, but have had no troubles at all.  Hopefully that will continue.  I'm very thankful & I hope that everyone else has a trouble free calving season or at least has no more troubles.     

 

[frostback]

Thought it may be fun to hear PPL's stories and learn about some of the bulls along the way. Hope I don't get too many nightmarish stories myself.

This happened last year.  I went to the barn to check cows and found Dads heatseeker cow starting the process.  Nothing out of the ordinary, cow was up and down.  Left and came back an hour later, same thing. Finally a foot, along with two others at once. We put her in the chute and examined her. At first I thought it was twins, but couldn't push the other calfs leg back.  Kept trying with no luck.  Went on in farther and new something wasn't right, only one calf, two front legs and a rear leg.I tried to push the calf back in and untangle the legs.  No luck. Called the vet.  The vet examined her and like me thought twins, but after examining her further new we had a freak.  She had called it shistitomus reflexes (spelling I'm way off).  Calf was alive with internal organs outside of its body.  Its hard to describe........ but imagine a calf standing in front of you with its hide slit on both sides from the bottom of the barrel up to the loin and that hide flipped up over its back and all four legs pointing forward.  The hide from the back half had grown together with the front.  Anyway, off to the OSU Vet hosp.  The old vet in charge Dr. Hoffas (I think) had only seen three others in his lifetime, but none had a live calf until this one.  They       performed a C- section and the calf died shortly after delivery.  The cow recovered and raised an orphan calf, but was unable to get her bred back.
So far this year no major problems.   

We had one of those too. I did not see it because as soon as my vet figured out what it was he sent me to the house. I was nine months pregnant with my first and he said I did not need to see this. Husband said it was the worse he had seen. Our cow bred back that year and had many others for us too.

 

[Reinken Cattle Co.]

Not starting off good here in Iowa I leave for denver this mornin went out to check cows about 4.30 angus cow moowin like crazy she isnt due for month in a half so I go over anyways remembering she was bagging for some reason night before.. her calf lying there in the hay primature and no hair, it was a pb angus cow bando daughter bred lowline... do you think somethings wrong with cow that she dropped calf now?! or do I keep her around... Thanks

 

[Torch]

Coldest day of the month and heifer has calf very early in the morning. Calf had a frostbitten nose and never suckled right. To make a long story short: Milked mama, tubed calf. Dead calf and mama looking all over for it.

Had worked for a few years to get this mating. Now trying to figure out why we do this.

 

[CAB]

  Some very interesting stories. Sorry for everyone that has a heartbreaking story, but I think that it is nice to share them. It's nice to know that we all have our share of heartbreaking stories so that we realize that we are not the only one that these things happen to.

 

[kanshow]

We had one born with no anus (atresia ani - as per the vet school)    I thought she was doomed so made arrangements to take her to the vet college and found it was an easy & inexpensive fix.  I also learned there are ongoing studies about congental defects like this due possible mishandling of embryos during ET or clone work.  This is an ET calf and she is doing great now...  You could not tell now except for the evidence that her rear was shaved.    She will be just a market heifer when it's all over - although we are told she could be bred. 

 

[justintime]

I wasn't going to " jinx " myself as we have just started calving and have not touched any in the first 12 born. Several years ago, we had about 300 cows to calve. In the first 12 that calved, 11 were backwards, and all were very difficult births. To top it off, we had about 1000 head in our feedlot and we had just lost our hired man. The days were far too long without having all these calving issues.  I was really starting to freak out about calving the rest of the cows. Guess we got most of our bad luck out of the way at the front end, as we hardly touched another calf at birth after that.

 

[OH Breeder]

Not starting off good here in Iowa I leave for Denver this mornin went out to check cows about 4.30 Angus cow moowin like crazy she isn't due for month in a half so I go over anyways remembering she was bagging for some reason night before.. her calf lying there in the hay premature and no hair, it was a Pb Angus cow bando daughter bred lowline... do you think somethings wrong with cow that she dropped calf now?! or do I keep her around... Thanks

I have had two premature births this year to start off calving season. The first one was in January 2 months premature hairless with deformed legs primarily fetlocks. Heifer torn uterus size of foot ball hemorrhaged but lived. Gave some iv vasoconstrictors and vit K at 12M. Took calf to State Department because Ohio State said they turn it around in a week. Negative for any virus or bacterial process. Sent an ear to Dr. Beever don't know anything. Purebred shorthorn clean genetics on both side. Calf looked like a little pig.When we put our hands in the heifer she had a pelvis large enough just to pass a football. Vet said If the calf would have been full term would have come out the side. Heifer is being fed out for freezer.
My second premature was an ET calf. Born still born 2 months early. Two different farms and our vet said it just happens sometimes.  Now we are anxiously waiting for the rest to calve. Most are going to come in March. A couple stragglers in April. Will sleep again when its all done.

 

[JWW]

well heres the scenerio - out in the middle of a 1mile x 2 mile calving pasture with 600 head of cows and see back feet out a cow, brought her in with the horse and me and the hired guy start working on this calf...we get the hip out and start of hte ribs and then everything stops, their is plenty of room for this guy to come out but not even budging, the hired guy puts more tension of the jack and the back half of the calf comes out, it took me a minute to regroup and to relize what the hell just happened, then i put my arm back in the cow and found 3, yes 3 front feet, we went off to the vet .... c-section later, got out this extreme mess.... siamese twins conjoined at the ribcage, like they were hugging.... i have a had full of picture but could only upload one of them...

JWW

 

[JWW]

heres a two head calf too...


JWW

 

[jbw]

We had one of those two headed freaks a couple years ago, the cow was a second calver and had it on her own.