Young Suckler Cow Down After A Hard Calving

Have a young (3rd calver). Calved herself the 1st year to a lim, slight pull last year to a sim and this year was in calf to an easy calving lim (calved 10 others to him and 8 done it themselves).

Big cow around 700kg. Got plenty of time to try it herself but was making no head way - feet were out. Small enough feet and could get arm in over calf.

Started to pull and got it half way when it jammed. Cow went down. She was bawing and calf was bawing and i was stuck.

Got help real quick and got her legs straight out and spread apart - one man holding the jack straight, one man holding the cow back as i jacked. Was very nearly beat but eventually it came.

Immediately got painkiller into both and antiimflamitory.

Cow has been getting painkiller with antiinflamitory and antibiotic for 7 days now and still wont get up - think it is a trapped nerve.

Have been lifting her every other day with hinch lifters and she can stand under her own power but as soon as she moves down she goes on the bad leg.

I keep putting her onto her good side as to free the blood on the bad side but an hour later she tries to get up and falls back onto the bad side.

She is in great health otherwise, gives 2ltr of milk morning and night for bottle feeding the calf, eats and drinks the best. Just doesnt seem to have any power in the leg.

Tomorrow will be day 8 - i often heard that if they arnt up by the 9th day then they will never get up - anyone got any success stories?

Anyone got any suggestions?

FYI - calf is flying. Heifer calf out of my own lim bull - look at the end on it!!

Pics were at 10 mins old and 1 day old once i got it dried out and going.

Before anyone says it - i wasnt aiming for extreme muscle, was just the way the cow and the bull clicked i guess! And i know its no good unless mammy gets up!

88220514_228541268295654_2921097830279938048_n.jpg
89950822_515605475805351_2229891451796324352_n.jpg
90085033_682241552516350_2512626838199599104_n.jpg
90148412_841113653069603_8011891702593748992_n.jpg
90186249_138935724206888_4856271606932045824_n.jpg
90354397_650987735736363_517802906473201664_n.jpg
90421660_689759374898536_3710286629127061504_n.jpg
90828777_2400701760145882_6051205321987194880_n.jpg
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Some of them surprise you. The old man always said 20 days for a badly pinched nerve so if she's got motivation and not giving up then it's up to you really. As a stockman you'll know when she's had enough.
 
Some of them surprise you. The old man always said 20 days for a badly pinched nerve so if she's got motivation and not giving up then it's up to you really. As a stockman you'll know when she's had enough.

Thats the thing she is motivated as hell to get up. God knows how many times a day she tries.

To be honest, as a stockman as long as she is healthy otherwise i couldnt give up on her! Pity it wasnt a month later in the year and she could be lifted outside.

20 days - i had said to myself i would try for 3 weeks if i had to!
 
Never heard this saying before!

I suppose it's generally based on the fact that an overcooked calf has more coat on it as it's effectively done 2 weeks growing inside the cow that it should have been doing on the outside. We ceasared a cow 2 days ago, that we knew had gone over time, with a huge pair of feet poking out and that had a strong coat on it.
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
We had a heifer take 4 weeks to get up. She was in the hay shed which had a deep dry layer of bedding on an earth floor. Always bright and trying to move around. Had another 3 calves unaided since then.
Nerve tissue takes a while to heal but I have seen others go off food within a few days and only one outcome then.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
We had a heifer take 4 weeks to get up. She was in the hay shed which had a deep dry layer of bedding on an earth floor. Always bright and trying to move around. Had another 3 calves unaided since then.
Nerve tissue takes a while to heal but I have seen others go off food within a few days and only one outcome then.
If they keep lying flat out and constantly need sitting up its usually curtains. Handy if they can be put outside in a sheltered place because it doesnt take long for the bedding/muck to give them sores if there inside
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top