How long before intervention with calving heifers?

[TheRanger]

Had 2 in quick succession that have started calving, all looks fine, coming correct etc, calf is alive (tongue is moving). The heifer itself isn’t really trying very hard to push it out.

Both were left around 4 hours before deciding to intervene, by this point the calf is dead. Normal sized calf, not massive.

Should I be intervening before this? The vast majority calve fine themselves within a few hours of starting. I’v been told not to intervene before 6 hours, but I’m 90% sure I’d have a living calf if I’d intervened after an hour or 2.

 

[lazy farmer]

Get some mag into them. Sounds like lack of muscle tone unless the calves are large.
If I know when they had started calving then a couple of hrs would be about right. I would also being judging on progress or the lack of it.

 

[TheRanger]

5% born dead across all cows and heifers this year. Not sure how that compares to an average herd?

(0% dying from 0-8 weeks old, so we’re doing better in that regard)

 

[Ffermer Bach]

a vet said to me, after the water breaks, if the calf is not out in 1/2 hour, help

 

[TheRanger]

a vet said to me, after the water breaks, if the calf is not out in 1/2 hour, help

I think I’ll do that for the rest of the season, for the heifers at least.

Have a leftover IBC of molasses, so i’ll start giving them some of that and a mineral lick block. They must be lacking something, even the ones that calf fine dont seem to want to get on with it.

 

[Sharpy]

a vet said to me, after the water breaks, if the calf is not out in 1/2 hour, help

Old gaffer of mine, very experienced, very few calving losses if they were spotted calving told me "if feet showing and no progress for half an hour - get them calved"

 

[Kiwi Pete]

30 - 45 minutes

cows can go for hours sometimes, but heifers I watch

 

[Werzle]

If in doubt get it out

 

[Spudley]

Once the water bag breaks or I see feet, I usually wait about an hour before intervening with heifers. I will leave cows longer if I'm happy it's coming the right way.

 

[Rossymons]

I give it an hour before I intervene. Sometimes it's an easy pull and wonder whether I should have left her to it but better safe than sorry for cow and calf.

 

[Sparkymark]

That extra hour you leave them can help them to make a bit more room before you pull.

 

[lazy farmer]

If in doubt get it out

Not sure that’s what I’d write on a protocol sheet.

 

[jerseycowsman]

If I happen to be there and see the feet, I get it out! cow has used less energy and the calf has had less stress.
Read some stuff from AHDB lately that moving to calving pens can upset the mother and make her delay and bugger about and sometimes end up with dead calf

 

[Sharpy]

If I happen to be there and see the feet, I get it out! cow has used less energy and the calf has had less stress.
Read some stuff from AHDB lately that moving to calving pens can upset the mother and make her delay and bugger about and sometimes end up with dead calf

Any disturbance can easily stall them for an hour, even down to fresh silage at the barrier.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

30 mins to an hour of no progress. If there's progress the clock is reset.

That said, there's no hard and fast rule really. You eventually over time build up a sort of sixth sense which ones need help.