First Calf Crop

[Nebrfarmr]

That got me thinking.   The first calves born, are usually the smallest (shorter term), so it he had the first one not make it, and had to pull the second one, he may be in for a long calving season.  I wish him the very best of luck.

We normally pull about 1 calf in 20 (or less) from the heifers, and none from adult cows, in an average year.   There was the one year our heifer bull went bad, and the neighbor's bull got in, and we pulled maybe 1 in 5 that year.
 Not calving yet, but I hear this year is harder calving than normal, due to all the corn in the fields the cows were grazing (high wind during harvest, caught a lot of people with corn yet to harvest).
Not 100% sure, but I think if the cow/heifer gets too much corn, the calf is bigger, and if they are 'fatty' it can constrict the birth canal.

[Shaggy98]

Neb, I'm sure these heifers either grazed corn stalks or were feed failed corn bales.

[Nebrfarmr]

If that is the case, look them over, see if they are 'fat'. 

If they are, try to find some grass hay, to feed them.

I found my 'book of wisdom' on calving, and found another reason why cattle fed too much corn may have trouble calving.

Too much grain, can dry the mucus in the birth canal.

Grass hay, will cause it to re-moisten, providing more lubricant.   It will also slow the growth of the calf, in the remaining heifers, as well.   Don't give them pure grass hay, it might not have enough protien, but 2-3 pounds a day might help.

I know it might not seem like it would make much of a difference, but it might be just the little bit she needs, to squeeze the calf out.

Oh, and when pulling the calf, if it comes halfway out, and gets 'stuck' at the hips, with its head and most of the body out, if the cow is lying down, stop pulling, get the calf to breathe, and then pull, while gently rolling the calf sideways.   The two biggest reasons calves don't survive being pulled, is lack of oxygen, after the umbilical cord tears, and injury due to pulling too hard.  If you can get the calf breathing, he can survive that way until you can re-position.  

[Nebrfarmr]

If I pull a calf from a heifer, I never keep a replacement from her, no matter what.

If I pull 2 calves from the same critter, I sell her.

Started doing that about 10 years ago, and have not assisted a grown cow calve, in 6 or 7 years, and less heifers than most.

[k-289]

Nebr -  how the weather over there  - in the  N E  we are watching the forcast and waiting for the rain and change over to snow sometime tomorrow  --- hiefers about done and cows  "supposed " to start the 25th - you know how that can go ---

[Nebrfarmr]

Nice, right now, supposed to have rain turning to snow this evening, turning to blowing snow overnight and tomorrow morning, turning to drizzle tomorrow afternoon, turning to freezing drizzle and possibly more snow tomorrow night.

It sounds like a real hum-ding-danger of a storm, but they say total moisture will likely be around an inch.

On the bright side, our cows are not due to calve until March 28th, so I'll probably just go out 2-3 times during the day, and look them over, be sure they aren't hungry, and that's all I should have to do.   Those guys around here, that calve in January, are braver souls than I am.

[Shaggy98]

Thanks for the info Neb, I'll pass it along & keep you posted.

FWIW, the pulled calf was a bull calf.

[Shaggy98]

Nephew is all smiles boys, he had his first set of twins Saturday. He is back up to 100%.