How do i prepare for calving season?

[FarmersTan]

I am a row crop farmer that has decided to run some cattle, and dont have much knowledge of livestock.  I have bread heifers that should start calving the first of May, what do i need to be doing to be ready when they start calving?  There is a lean to in the pasture they are in but that is it for shelter.  I do have access to a barn but i would prefer to leave them in there current pasture if possible.  Thats about all that i know to tell without being asked, the are Beefmasters if that makes a difference. 

[cowfarmer]

Well not to insult you but bred heifers probably weren't the place to start. They are much harder than older momma cows. But if you like a good challenge I say go for it.  Iwould have them close to a calving pen and make sure I had a good head gate and good calf puller. Hopefully the EPDS are good on the bulls and you have no problems, good luck.

[Nebrfarmr]

Also, a couple small pens to hold a couple head each are never a bad idea.  If there are stalls or partitions in the barn, that is probably good enough.  If mama doesn't claim the baby, or if the baby has problems getting up to nurse, you will need a place to put them, until you are sure the calf filled his tummy, and mama claims him.

Be sure they get their first milk within 12 hours, and the sooner the better.  If mama is being difficult, get some of the powdered stuff you mix with water (not a bad idea to have some on hand, anyway).  If the calf goes a day without first milk, either from mama or the mix, you just as well shoot it in the head, as it will die sooner or later anyway.  Nothing like thinking you have a healty calf, to have it get sick after it is 5 days to 2 weeks old, and slowly die on you, no matter what you do to try to save it.

If you have to pull a calf, be sure both legs are straight forward, and pull with the contractions.  If the calf is halfway out, and starts crying, don't panic.  You know the calf has air, and you have time to work.  Just relax the pressure from pulling a bit in between contractions, so it can breathe.  I have seen more calves injured/killed because it was halfway out, and crying, and the guy pulling it thought that they had to get the calf out as fast as possible, and injured it when it became hip-locked.  If the calf seems to get hip-locked, meaning it pops out to the hips, and seems 'stuck', try gently rotating him, a quarter turn.  The calf's hips match the birth canal shape more closely when they are sideways sometimes.  If the calf isn't breathing, poke a stick in his nose, to make him sneeze, that often will get them started.  Lastly, get mama to stand up as soon as practical, so she doesn't prolapse.

I agree with cowfarmer, heifers are a bigger challenge than older cows, but with careful oversight, and an easy-calving bull, you should be OK.

Last tip:  The very first one or two born will likely be the 'smallest' in terms of birth size of the calf, and they usually are heifers, and are born unassisted.  A week or so after the first are born, is when you need to really start watching them.  The one that will be the toughest pull, if you pull any, will be a bull calf, probably about halfway to 3/4 of the way through calving.

You have an advantage calving in May, for as they start getting into grazing grass, they also tend to calve easier.  I don't think I ever pulled a calf after May 15th or so.

[FarmersTan]

I would have prefered cow/calf pairs, but got a deal on the heifers, so your not insulting me.  Is building a claving pen in the lean to sufficent?  I do have access to a barn, if its not, but it is in a pasture that im planning on haying so im trying to keep them off of it till after its baled, hopefully they have all calved by that time.  Guy i bought them from said that they only have to pull a few each year and they have over 200 cows and keep quite a few replacement heifers as well.  While he did give me an excelent deal on the heifers he is older and isnt much help when it comes to asking questiongs, i think that his generation has a i learned it on my own so you can to mentality, not mean about it at all just thinks i need to learn for myself.  Which i think is the best way to learn i just dont want ten dead calves while im learning.

[hardwayfarmer]

Don't know where you are in the country, but hopefully calving in late May you should be able to do it outside, but I agree you need to be prepared to isolate each cow with her calf if needed so they can bond, especially with heifers.  One thing to watch out for with outside calving is predators, such as coyotes.  We aim to start April 1 in SW Michigan, and usually shut the cows in the barn at night so they aren't dropping calves outdoors in a cold rain on the manure pile.  I don't know how that's going to work this year if it stays as warm as it has been lately.  We grain our cows year around, whether on pasture or at the barn.  Keeps them coming up to the barn from the woods so I can check on them.  We usually grain in the morning, but for calving season we grain in the evening.  It helps get them in the barn, and research has proven that feeding in the evening tends to cause the cows to calve during the day, or at least towards morning.  We try to pen each cow with its calf so they can bond and the calf can learn to nurse before we put them back in the general population.  Depending on how frequently cows calve, sometimes the isolation is only a day, or sometimes several days.  It's best to get the cows back in the group as soon as possible so they don't fight much, reestablishing their pecking order.  We vaccinate the calves as soon as possible after birth for both viral and bacterial scours, and with Cattlemaster Gold FP 5.  We ear tag the calves as soon as we see they are nursing, before turning them back out.  Here in MI all cattle leaving the farm except for custom slaughter have to have an electronic tag because of the state's TB status.  We don't have a wand to read the RFID tags, so we also use big Allflex tags so we can read the numbers.  We keep not only milk replacer, but also a couple of packages of powdered colostrum on hand during calving season.  In extreme cases we have used a stomach tube to get nourishment into a calf that hasn't nursed, but we don't like to and don't recommend it unless you get a vet to show you how to do it, as it's too easy to get the milk into the lungs instead of the stomach and cause pneumonia.  Ideally, we rubber band the bulls before we turn them back out from isolation, but ideal doesn't always match reality.  Sometimes we have a rodeo towards the end of the calving season.  A cheap rope calf halter is a great equalizer then!  When we do band the bulls we always give them a tetanus shot.  It's a good idea if you cut them, too.  That's about it.  Just be sure to keep an eye on the herd, and check them often, which you'll find hard to do in May during planting season.  We hope you do well with your new adventure.

[cowfarmer]

I think you will be okay, if they are getting grass right now that slicks up the birth canal. Also don't panic if you do have to pull one, but remember they aren't mature cows so don't give them the benefit of the doubt if you think you need to pull one. Lastly don't feel ashamed to call your vet if you are a little overwhelmed, my brother in law has had cows for 40 years and still calls me if he needs one pulled. I think you have made a great choice getting into cattle, diversity in an operation is still important, and the longer you have them the more you will probably enjoy the whole process. Lastly when you go to buy a bull, don't go to the salebarn find a good honest seedstock guy that you can explain your situation to. But remember if you are in doubt at all call the vet, don't feel dumb for making the call if you don't know what is happening, always be a caretaker and watch out for the cattle and there best interest.

[FarmersTan]

I really feel that diversity is going to be important for my operation in the future for a number of reasons.  I enjoy being around the cattle just dont have alot of experience.  Sounds like above all else i need to make sure and have the vet on speed dial and not be afraid to call him.

[Nebrfarmr]

One more thing, be careful out there.  If you don't have experience calving out, you may not realize just how hot under the collar some critters can get just after calving.

Rule of thumb, they moslty will want to 'hide' until the calf is born, or just after.  If you have to run one in the barn, it is doable.  However, once the calf hits the ground, hormones kick in, and they may very well want you out of there.

For example, I have one cow that will eat range cubes out of my hand all summer, but from the time the calf hits the ground untl the next morning, NOTHING gets near her baby, at least not on foot.  In a day or two, she is back to her old self.

The reason I mention this, is so you know, just because a cow is usually tame, or well mannered, does not mean they will be that way when they calve.  Probably the worst time to bother a mama and baby, is from about the time the baby tries to stand up, up to the point that it is all dried off, and done nursing the first time or two.

[cowfarmer]

I have a couple the exact same way, guess I don't have to worry about coyotes getting the babies.

[FarmersTan]

Ha mine are normally docile but thanks for the heads up. I already got in trouble for telling my wife that they are being moody like she was when she was preg