Novice Suckler Cow Calving Advice

[M-J-G]

Don't worry too much about the retained cleansing as long as she's eating fine and doesn't smell or have a temperature, we've had them go ten days before and be fine as long as they haven't got an infection

obviously it's not ideal, but there's no 100% way to help them apart from treating any infections they get, so just give her time

I agree, up to 10 days as long as they are healthy, they usually stink so I never worry as long as they eat, cud, etc. They often get rid of them by that time anyway. Usually only happens here with the odd set of twins.

Antibiotics can slow up the breakdown and the separation process so better avoided where possible.

 

[marshfarmer]

I had retained cleanings one year, went and got a few 80kg hi phos crystalyx things, I detest buckets normally, job done. I've got a few galloway, first thing you know about them calving sometimes is when you see a calf beside them sucking, can't make much of a bag out under all the hair, usually wean a calf as big as them with a conti bull, more problems with older cows with dairy blood in them, big bags full of water.
Amazing how much time you can spend with them sometimes, yet turn them out and they just seem to get on with it, I find.

 

[DrWazzock]

Calf with swollen infected navel hasn't improved with 2 x 5ml injections of Betamox LA 48 hours apart. Still swollen and wet navel a week after birth.

He appears healthy otherwise.

I will be asking my vet tomorrow but any ideas for alternative antibiotic treatment that doesn't involve a 5 day course of 2 injections. He was iodined thoroughly.

Some calves now breathing fast and hard like the first one did. But it carried it on doing that even for a week after the course of prescribed injections finished but its fine now.

Time to f off home and forget about them till tomorrow.

Must be easier to leave the whole lot in a hundred acre field all year with no intervention and just go and shoot a fat one occasionally.

 

[bruce9001]

How long will a calve survive for if it presented the right way while the cow is calving her???

Had one at it for maybe an hour all the right way so decided to check it for size etc and was all normal size nothing massive but felt its tongue was cold and swollen!
Pulled it out but calve already dead and no life to it!

 

[czechmate]

How long will a calve survive for if it presented the right way while the cow is calving her???

Had one at it for maybe an hour all the right way so decided to check it for size etc and was all normal size nothing massive but felt its tongue was cold and swollen!
Pulled it out but calve already dead and no life to it!

Sorry to hear that.
And I hate to be flippant but can't resist with what you wrote, would you expect a dead calf to have much life to it?

 

[bruce9001]

well now you mention it, No you wouldnt expect them to have much life in them!!

Think the water bag burst inside her and covered the capves head which sadly meant it would of suffocated before getting to her!

 

[choochter]

As I understand it, the calf is safe inside her as long as the umbilical cord is not broken.

 

[onthehoof]

How long will a calve survive for if it presented the right way while the cow is calving her???

Had one at it for maybe an hour all the right way so decided to check it for size etc and was all normal size nothing massive but felt its tongue was cold and swollen!
Pulled it out but calve already dead and no life to it!

If tongue was cold and swollen it had been at it a lot longer than an hour. I reckon on about 4 hours max if she is having proper contractions, would have a feel after 2 hours though. If the tongue is swollen calf needs to be out asap

 

[Henarar]

Calf with swollen infected navel hasn't improved with 2 x 5ml injections of Betamox LA 48 hours apart. Still swollen and wet navel a week after birth.

He appears healthy otherwise.

I will be asking my vet tomorrow but any ideas for alternative antibiotic treatment that doesn't involve a 5 day course of 2 injections. He was iodined thoroughly.

Some calves now breathing fast and hard like the first one did. But it carried it on doing that even for a week after the course of prescribed injections finished but its fine now.

Time to f off home and forget about them till tomorrow.

Must be easier to leave the whole lot in a hundred acre field all year with no intervention and just go and shoot a fat one occasionally.

combiclav or sinulox for a navel
don't worry about them breathing fast unless they have a high temp with the calf at rest

A round up after a few years would be good you could then have a cattle drive to market yee ha

 

[CharcoalWally]

How long will a calve survive for if it presented the right way while the cow is calving her???

Had one at it for maybe an hour all the right way so decided to check it for size etc and was all normal size nothing massive but felt its tongue was cold and swollen!
Pulled it out but calve already dead and no life to it!

Bear in mind that the calf may have been already dead inside the cow before she ever started the calving process.

 

[bruce9001]

Tongue eas slightly swollen but nothing major and not blue etc!
Bag etc looked slightly off colour so might of been dead already!

 

[Henarar]

Tongue eas slightly swollen but nothing major and not blue etc!
Bag etc looked slightly off colour so might of been dead already!

Hair coming off ?

 

[M-J-G]

Check its teeth, see how long they are, of its dead a few days they will be shorter.