Calf Issues:Update

Super Steve · Mar 12, 2013

Well after a long drawn out battle, i lost the calf. I tubed her 3 times a day giving her milk replacer and electrolytes plus LA 200 but it didnt work. Tonight at dinner time she wouldnt even swallow the tube and i was about to force it into her. She got cold on me and no matter what i did, i couldnt get her temp back up. I talked to a very knowledgable neighbour/cattleman and he said i did everything he would do, sometimes you just lose.

This is only my 3rd year calving out cows. The first year I lost one to calving complications, we had a heck of a time pulling the calf and werent quick enough. The second year we didnt lose any, and so far this year im only 3 for 5. 1 was born dead a week ago and then this one.

Ive got a guy going to try getting me a holstien bull calf to try sticking on this cow so atleast she raises something. If she wont take it, well i guess the girlfriend has a bucket calf.

For next year, Im aiming calves for April. The weather just isnt cooperating for calving this time of year.

Just thought i would give an update. Thanx for the suggestions the other day.

Old Bob · Mar 12, 2013

Always is tough to lose one. You put up a good fight. I was in the cow business for over 40 years and I never learned to like losing one. My grandpa told me that if you have cattle some are going to die, if you don't have cattle you will never lose one.

Super Steve · Mar 12, 2013

my Grandpa told me something similar

"If your going to have livestock, Your going to have deadstock."

but yes, its hard to lose one. Especially one that you put so much extra time into.

LAA · Mar 12, 2013

Something to consider before you buy a bottle calf, decide how much of losing the calf was the cows fault and whether you need to replace her or not, the weather did not kill your calf, calves are born in all kinds of adverse weather, if they are healthy and properly tended to by the cow they are fine. It will be a minimum of another year before you get to see this cow in action again, you can sell her now on a high cull cow market and buy a pair or heavy bred cow to replace her. If I had a calf born dead and one die at 3 days old I would be looking at my herd vaccination regimine and the cows that did not raise calves.

Old Bob · Mar 12, 2013

What always tested my patience the most was having to carry feed and water to one that was down. It didn't take many days of this until my patience was gone and I would put the animal out of it's misery. I learned early on to be my own vet. I found out that basically what the vet could not save neither could I, but I did not have a vet bill to pay.

Tom in TN · Mar 12, 2013

Steve,

Although I'm an old man, I've only been raising cattle / calves for 15 years. During those 15 years, I've lost at least one cow or calf every year. It kills me to lose one, but it still happens.

The Ellington Agriculture Center is located in Nashville, TN. When I lose an animal, I usually take the dead animal to Ellington for a necropsy. I always want to insure that there isn't anything that I could have done to prevent the animal's death. So far, they've never found any contagious or preventable causes for the deaths.

If you have something nearby like Ellington, you might want to have a necropsy done to get a better idea as to what caused the calf's death.

Don't quit. Don't slow down. You are obviously a very conscientious farmer.

Tom in TN

notjustair · Mar 12, 2013

Don't let PETA hear this.

When we lost a calf we skinned it and used baling wire to attach that skin to the new calf (like a coat of many colors!). By the time that thing was ripping into shreds we were ready to take it off because she had accepted it. Never once had any that didn't take.

Lazy WP · Mar 12, 2013

Mine died too, and I have had cattle around for over 40 years. Sometimes, no matter what you do, its not enough. I have a couple more that may need to visit the one that tipped over last night.

I believe that you ought to give them a fighting chance, but after 6 months of full feed, and gained only 100 pounds, I can't afford to keep doing it.

Super Steve · Mar 12, 2013

im all for learning about vaccines. Grandpa was an old school farmer and didnt do to much needling up until a few years ago. We do a yearly shot of triangle 9 and a dose of pour-on ivomec to the cows and twice to calves.

Im no vet and never wanted to be one. Im trying to learn this stuff but with few cattleman left in this area, its not overly easy anymore.

Super Steve · Mar 12, 2013

thats one thing the neighbour told me tonight, you can only keep them on "life support" for so long, eventually you have to pull the plug.

Lazy WP · Mar 12, 2013

I have drafted a lot of calves, using the partial skin off of the calf that died. You don't need much, and the cow will usually claim the draft.

I'll open my email, if you want or need any other info.

old harv · Mar 12, 2013

Don't feel bad, if you have livestock you will eventually also have deadstock. Vets and doctors loose patients too.

RusselAZ · Mar 12, 2013

Apricot brandy. Dad's new calf up and at-em. Was the only liquor on the place and for one purpose.

bison · Mar 13, 2013

Wintercalving is a PiTA, to many problems with the cold,snow and/or rain in manure laden corrals. firstcalf heifers and some cows have the uncanny abillity to drop a calf in a mudpuddle or a snowbank.
I done it quite a few years,i hardly ever lost a calf that was born alive but one has to pay close attention to that they are up and suckle within a half hour,if not then i would take them to the house and feed them collostrum (either with the bottle or tube) i had always on hand(i had 4 head of dairycows as well and saved and froze all the collostrum in from them for that purpose)I would only put them back with mommy if they were frisky and Wam and dry. Cold ears and nose and no or little sucking reflex (on the fingers) is a sure sign of hypotermia that has to be dealt with before putting them back outside.
I got tired of babysitting and being on call 24/7 during calving season so i changed the breeding season to have them start calving late april out in the pasture as nature intended.
I never regretted that move,they were on their own, any cow that could not have or raise a calf without intervention would hit the stockyard that fall.

LAA · Mar 13, 2013

Most all vaccination programs reccomend vaccinating twice per year, its cheap and effective, if you use killed viruses its safe for pregnant cows and the unborn calves also get the protection. I would definitely talk to a large animal vet or agricultural extension agent in your area and develop a program. To maintain effectiveness wormers need to be alternated, pour on one time and vaccinate the next time. I always worm the whole herd twice per year, at spring green up and again at fall sorting/weaning. In general, the cows need the wormer worse than the calves, the cows are the ones who eat the most and cost the most to maintain, keeping the cows in good condition makes you money and benefits the calf. Can't stress enough that 90% of the battle is the cow herself, problem calvers and cows that don't instictively mother and protect their calves should be culled and replaced and no heifers from those cows should be kept for replacements.

Dr. Walt · Mar 13, 2013

Who got the most, you or the calves? One swig for the calf, one swig for you. LOL

Dr. Walt · Mar 13, 2013

Notjustair:

PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals .

Bruce from Can. · Mar 13, 2013

If your cows have thier calves in warmer/drier time ,half your troubles will go away by themselves. Some cows are better mothers than others, and it time you can weed out the cow faimlies in your herd that just are not good mothers. Then you could back your calving time up into colder months if you wish, but I personaly would prefer to have the babies born in warm sun, on green grass.I like the KISS program when ever possible Keep It Simple Stupid/Kiss ,works best for me in everthing. Bruce

Bret4207 · Mar 13, 2013

I'm not much of a cattle guy, but freshening in warmer weather is always easier. We lamb latter than some other sheep people in my area, but I have more live lambs too.

One thing I found out with cattle, they have relatively small lungs. Any pneumonia is a very, very serious because the lung capacity if so small to start with. You simply have to address the issue very aggressively right from the start. LA200 is good stuff, but not for pneumonia.

donjr · Mar 13, 2013

Like I said, you'll probably lose it. That's the tough part. Now, make sure the cow has dropped her milk, go to a local dairy, get a bull calf, and smear both down good with Vicks and put them in the same pen for a few days. The cow will adopt the calf as hers, and you won't lose everything for the year, then sell both come fall. The cow will be heavier, and the calf will go for a feeder. There's just some you're gonna lose- so you might as well get used to it in this business.

showcrop · Mar 13, 2013

As LAA says is the mother to blame? When we had sheep if a ewe didn't produce healthy twins two years running she got culled.

JRSutton · Mar 13, 2013

This is natures very effective way of saying "the herd will be better off without this one".

You intervened and gave the calf much more of a chance than it had on its own, and it still wasn't enough.

Hard to watch, but sometimes nature knows what's best.

dcarp · Mar 13, 2013

Well said LAA. Totally agree with everything he said. In addition try to have a calving season. All my cows drop calfs in March or they are culled. Manage the time with the bull so this happens. It's much easier to keep an eye on them for one month than it is a whole year.

formenwhogrow · Mar 13, 2013

I am sorry to hear you lost it, that is the worst, especially when you have done every thing you could. I have stayed all night with calves and lambs alike,trying desperately to keep them alive and have many times experienced the agony of defeat when they die despite my best efforts. It sucks. I have since quit trying to birth critters in the winter months and 90 percent of my problems have went away. I would cull that cow, wait till July to put your bull out and the following year, cull any cow who calves later than the first of June. Your herd will improve and it"s a good time to cull cows, prices have never been better for culls. Oh, and if your bull wont breed cows in July because it"s too hot, cull his butt too.

Calf Issues:Update

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