New-Born calve unable to stand

[bruce9001]

Had a heifer calve earlier with a really big Heifer calve (First was convinced it be a bull by the size of it)

Was presented fine but had to assist with the jack as it was a very large calve!
Heifer was dilated and fully opened up!

Ropes were put on correctly on the front feet as well, didnt need a massive amount of force from the jack and most of it was just taking up the slack from pushing gently on the bar and releasing the pressure!

Calve came out without being stuck at the hips etc but had the fall from where cow was standing on the crush base!

Now the calve has plenty of uo and go about it and has full movement of its 4 legs and can move its head but jist cannot stand, instead it is flailing about on the straw wanting to get up!
Tubed it fod the night and done best to prop it up but it just wriggled back to lying completely flat!

It is almost as if not got full control of back legs etc when tryna stand!

Do you tbink it is just a case of big calve, first time mother so smaller pelvis than normal and hopefully given time calve with manage to get up????

Or can you occasionally get them hurting themselves when they fall to the floor once finally out the cow???
Cheers

 

[Old Boar]

They are designed to fall out of the cow so that the shock makes them gasp, so inflating the lungs, so I would not have through it was that. Chances are that being big in a smaller womb, it has been squished into a position for some time and needs time to stretch the ligaments. Flick the ankle and it should move the foot - that will tell you if there has been any damage. Pinch along the leg and watch for a response, to know the nerves are working.
I would put a sling on it and try lifting for a while every day so that it can bear weight on its legs and stretch the muscles and ligaments. It will come right, just needs a bit of time and patience I think.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

They are designed to fall out of the cow so that the shock makes them gasp, so inflating the lungs, so I would not have through it was that. Chances are that being big in a smaller womb, it has been squished into a position for some time and needs time to stretch the ligaments. Flick the ankle and it should move the foot - that will tell you if there has been any damage. Pinch along the leg and watch for a response, to know the nerves are working.
I would put a sling on it and try lifting for a while every day so that it can bear weight on its legs and stretch the muscles and ligaments. It will come right, just needs a bit of time and patience I think.

They aren’t designed to fall out of the cow at height as most cows calve laid down....Best thing to do is fill and empty fertiliser full of straw to put down so the calf has a safe landing

 

[Anonymous...]

I’ve found big calves have often been a bit dopey and slow to get going
In the past I’ve stood them up and even stood astride them to support them, but our cows at the time were very tame !
Hope all works out , as often than not you’ll find it up and sucking when you look in the morning , here’s hoping

 

[bruce9001]

They aren’t designed to fall out of the cow at height as most cows calve laid down....Best thing to do is fill and empty fertiliser full of straw to put down so the calf has a safe landing

I do like this idea and think I'm gonna steal it and keep a fert bag of straw by the crush....


Had big lazy calves before but just weird this one fully alert and moving trying to get up yet just flaps about on the floor flat out on its side and front legs always keptstrsight out..

Hopefully it is justligaments and musclesbeing sore if been cramped in smaller womb etc

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Most likely, stating the obvious but keep lifting and moving her, vitamin e I think from memory, not used in a while can work wonders

 

[bovine]

Maybe get it checked by the vet? If it's got a broken back (surprisingly common) then all the physio is the world is basically cruelty.

Never calve cows in crushes.

 

[Werzle]

Had a heifer calve earlier with a really big Heifer calve (First was convinced it be a bull by the size of it)

Was presented fine but had to assist with the jack as it was a very large calve!
Heifer was dilated and fully opened up!

Ropes were put on correctly on the front feet as well, didnt need a massive amount of force from the jack and most of it was just taking up the slack from pushing gently on the bar and releasing the pressure!

Calve came out without being stuck at the hips etc but had the fall from where cow was standing on the crush base!

Now the calve has plenty of uo and go about it and has full movement of its 4 legs and can move its head but jist cannot stand, instead it is flailing about on the straw wanting to get up!
Tubed it fod the night and done best to prop it up but it just wriggled back to lying completely flat!

It is almost as if not got full control of back legs etc when tryna stand!

Do you tbink it is just a case of big calve, first time mother so smaller pelvis than normal and hopefully given time calve with manage to get up????

Or can you occasionally get them hurting themselves when they fall to the floor once finally out the cow???
Cheers

Ive had a big bull this time out of a hfr that i stretched abit calving, didnt get up for 2 days, i just kept feeding it and lifting it up when it seemed to want to try and get up and he was as right as rain in the end. I never calve any in the crush either, if they go down your knackered. i always have them behind the crush, in the race with the gate un-done so when/if they go down the gate slides open, letting them roll on there side.

 

[Blaithin]

Never calve cows in crushes.

Only breed cows that are quiet and placid and will stand there and let you do absolutely everything to them without any sort of restraint.

The golden standard.

A cow that stands in the middle of the pen or stays laying on the bedding pack while you glove up, reach in up to your shoulder to reposition a calf and continue to pull it. Those cows are so common I can’t understand why anybody even bothers to buy squeezes anymore! It’s not like they’re useful equipment or anything.

 

[M-J-G]

Make sure it hasn't got a broken femur.

I agree that calving cows in a crush is a bad idea for several reasons.

 

[bazza3034]

2 mm of vitamin e and a splash of iodine on its nostrel plenty of patients and keep it well fed if that doesnt work change the bull

 

[collie]

Keep plenty of milk going in a shot of meta cam plus some alamycin la in case fluid gets on the lungs and some vitamin e.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Only breed cows that are quiet and placid and will stand there and let you do absolutely everything to them without any sort of restraint.

The golden standard.

A cow that stands in the middle of the pen or stays laying on the bedding pack while you glove up, reach in up to your shoulder to reposition a calf and continue to pull it. Those cows are so common I can’t understand why anybody even bothers to buy squeezes anymore! It’s not like they’re useful equipment or anything.

In principle fine, havnt milked in 7 years, but my docile, placid, want a head scratched cows after 12 years of tb testing hated it, quiet cattle that need clipping for slaughter are spooked by shearer, squeeze crush invaluable in my opinion, ok yes bed better, guy works 2 days for me and 3 days for an intensive finisher, shears no end of cattle, angus and Hereford lay outside in feed passages, filthy, continentals spotless on straw, plenty of reasons to buy a squeeze