What is a safe delivery date

[OH Breeder]

Okay.
I am not trying to sound stupid, BUT, I have a cow. She lost her calf last year at a month old. Bizarre untimely death. She had him on June 1. He died mid July. I had the clean up bull running from July 4 th on. How quick could she have caught? It looks as though this week she might calve. She is a month ahead of what I had expected. Is this possible? I assumed it would be pretty hard for her to settle so shortly after calving. Kids called me as I am on the road this week and said she is bagged down and looks like she is draining pretty good etc. Any advice?

 

[Cowboy]

OB -- whether or not the cow actaully shows you a heat -- most of these cows we all have DO cycle the first time early on -- say in that 25-35 day ange. Not at all unusuall.

When she lost her calf, the milk hormone Prolactin was reduced and allowed for a heavier flow of reproduction hormones tosurface. I'dbet by the sound of it, she had her second heat shortly after her calf died, and with out the added stress of production, she bred right back for you.

If so, asuming that put her in the 5-60 day range at that time, her due date would be some where from next week to early May. Your description of her now makes that look pretty realistic.

GOOD job I'd say, back in production earlier than last year is good, especially if she as carried dry for the year. She wants to make you some money -- or is at least trying to.

PS -- That 45 day strange calf death loss sure looks like a classic Clostridial death to me, they always seem to die frmo it in the 3 to 6 week age -- and looks like nothing was wrong -- then bang they die over night. That is classic Clostridium Perfringens symptoms. Can I say - "Vaccine"?? REALLY cheap versus death.

Best of luck this year

Terry

 

[CAB]

Terry, I did get the Alpha 7 vaccine in this spring and do believe it is the best 7-way colstridial vac. for calves. I posted up a question about nutreena's PHD nutritionist program that was on the cattle Show a few weeks back about everyone's thoughts about his take on early vaccination protocol. He said that any vaccination B4 2 months old was like throwing money down the drain. Obviously another out of touch and out of reality vet.IMO.

 

[chambero]

I've seen some other articles about ineffectiveness of early vaccination, really out to 100 days.  They were talking mostly respiratory though.  Not sure if they are comparing apples to apples.  We don't vaccinate until we cut calves, most are around 90 days old, but late calves get it if they happen to be born the day before we work.

We lost a show steer prospect once to perfingens.  He never had that second blackleg shot.  That along with about a $2000 bill doctoring a bunch of other sick ones inspired me to start trying to learn how vaccinations are really supposed to be done.  I still haven't figured it out.

 

[C-CROSS]

We use guardian as a scour shot, then at birth any calf out of a heifer or one that goes through the barn gets a c&d antitoxin and every thing gets alpha cd.  We brand and cut mid May then give the shot and since we have started this our loss due to overeating has been cut to almost nothing.

 

[CAB]

IMO, anyone that has had any real experience with any clostridials will be vaccinating calves very early and boostering. If a person has a bad outbreak, you will give both the anti- toxin and the toxoid. I had been using Ultrabac 7 with somnus up until this spring. I switched over to Alpha-7, i.e. Cowboy's suggestion, and it has been good so far, but this wet weather is trying.

 

[chambero]

Vision 7 w/ Somnus has worked very well for us since we started using it.  How does it compare with the others yall are using.  But, we are calving in dry weather in the early fall.

 

[kanshow]

We've been using the Vision 7 for several years and haven't had any problems...    We vaccinate when we cut them - around 30 - 60 days old but like a PP , we'll vaccinate a 2 day old calf if that's what he is when we work the calves. 

 

[OH Breeder]

OB -- whether or not the cow actaully shows you a heat -- most of these cows we all have DO cycle the first time early on -- say in that 25-35 day ange. Not at all unusuall.

When she lost her calf, the milk hormone Prolactin was reduced and allowed for a heavier flow of reproduction hormones tosurface. I'dbet by the sound of it, she had her second heat shortly after her calf died, and with out the added stress of production, she bred right back for you.

If so, asuming that put her in the 5-60 day range at that time, her due date would be some where from next week to early May. Your description of her now makes that look pretty realistic.

GOOD job I'd say, back in production earlier than last year is good, especially if she as carried dry for the year. She wants to make you some money -- or is at least trying to.

PS -- That 45 day strange calf death loss sure looks like a classic Clostridial death to me, they always seem to die frmo it in the 3 to 6 week age -- and looks like nothing was wrong -- then bang they die over night. That is classic Clostridium Perfringens symptoms. Can I say - "Vaccine"?? REALLY cheap versus death.

Best of luck this year

Terry

Thanks Cowboy! Much appreciated. I kind of figured that was the case.  Appreciate the information on the vaccine's. I thought it was possible but wanted to make sure.
OH B
Shawn