The “I’m too posh to push” calving index!

[jerseycowsman]

I think the PLi should include the above. I’ve had enough of having to intervene and pull because the mother just isn’t getting in with it over the last 5 years. Then the calf is absolutely useless at finding its mothers teat as well, I then have to feed it too.
All this snatch calving etc has a lot to answer for, I haven’t got time to hand calve 300 cows every year

 

[Cowmansam]

Sounds like your dry cow feeding isn’t right and there running out of energy

 

[jerseycowsman]

Sounds like your dry cow feeding isn’t right and there running out of energy

Well, this year they’ve had special dry cow mix through out of parlour feeders, which has cut back milk fever and almost eliminated ketosis.

 

[Cowmansam]

Sounds like it’s helping then but still might be short on energy out of our jerseys id be calving less than 1 percent

 

[dairydurham]

Well, this year they’ve had special dry cow mix through out of parlour feeders, which has cut back milk fever and almost eliminated ketosis.

How about Iodine levels ?

 

[buffalo_soldier]

How did you arrive at heritability of calving/calf being the issue?

Be one of the last things on the list I would think.

 

[jerseycowsman]

How did you arrive at heritability of calving/calf being the issue?

Be one of the last things on the list I would think.

Because we’ve done post mortems on calves, tested for everything, vaccinated for everything, dosed and fed for everything, yet there are still lazy buggers who just don’t want to get on with it, and calves with plenty of get up and go, but can’t get themselves sucking, they suck the leg, the side of the udder, everything but the bloody teat.
You can by beef semen that comes with a calf vigour index, why not dairy? Temperament is indexed, so why not calving ability?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Because we’ve done post mortems on calves, tested for everything, vaccinated for everything, dosed and fed for everything, yet there are still lazy buggers who just don’t want to get on with it, and calves with plenty of get up and go, but can’t get themselves sucking, they suck the leg, the side of the udder, everything but the bloody teat.
You can by beef semen that comes with a calf vigour index, why not dairy? Temperament is indexed, so why not calving ability?

because as others have pointed out, it is nearly always a metabolic issue.

 

[jimmer]

Because we’ve done post mortems on calves, tested for everything, vaccinated for everything, dosed and fed for everything, yet there are still lazy buggers who just don’t want to get on with it, and calves with plenty of get up and go, but can’t get themselves sucking, they suck the leg, the side of the udder, everything but the bloody teat.
You can by beef semen that comes with a calf vigour index, why not dairy? Temperament is indexed, so why not calving ability?

I know every situation is slightly different, but in my opinion far too many farmers intervene at calving time too quickly, cameras and the like are as much to blame as help

 

[lazy farmer]

I know every situation is slightly different, but in my opinion far too many farmers intervene at calving time too quickly, cameras and the like are as much to blame as help

Funny we have got a camera this season and intervened much much less. It will be interesting to see from submission rate this yr whether it has helped.

 

[jimmer]

Funny we have got a camera this season and intervened much much less. It will be interesting to see from submission rate this yr whether it has helped.

As I said, could go either way, some put in cameras so they can be there with the jack at the first glimpse of a foot

 

[lazy farmer]

As I said, could go either way, some put in cameras so they can be there with the jack at the first glimpse of a foot

agreed that’s properly stupid.

 

[Henarar]

Funny we have got a camera this season and intervened much much less. It will be interesting to see from submission rate this yr whether it has helped.

Quite
Best thing with a camera is you can leave them to get on with it undisturbed while still watching for problems and you can check the calf is ok as soon as its born.
We have had one for 15 years plus and only intervene if necessary

 

[Sheepfog]

One of the best things about a camera must be that you know when the cow started calving. If you know she's only just started you'd be happy to leaver her and see how she progresses. If you go down to the shed and see a foot you don't know how long she's been calving and are more inclined to intervene when she may well have gone on to calve unassisted no problem.

 

[AGN76]

Best thing we ever did was give them Rumenco Lifeline pre-calver licks

 

[Princess Pooper]

Best thing we ever did was give them Rumenco Lifeline pre-calver licks

Yes, we got on well with those and our vet also says they are a good quality dry cow lick. We don't have much dry cow housing and if a cow calved early she was sometimes not getting it for long enough before giving birth, we didn't like using them outside due to our black and white furry friends. So we changed to a dry cow bolus which gives 12 weeks - these have been good, but a lot more expensive. I think we used to get the odd cow that didn't take from the lick, too.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Also worth thinking about when you separate a calving cow. So many people separate them too early and they stop pushing as they feel isolated.

We use one of these (with stickers). It is quite useful to establish if you have a transition issue... usually find out in about 6 weeks as you get a run of them!

 

[Henarar]

Also worth thinking about when you separate a calving cow. So many people separate them too early and they stop pushing as they feel isolated.

We have a shed that is our calving pen which we put the cows that are soon due to calve in. We let them calve in the shed in with the rest of the cows, once they have calved we pen them at the back of that shed, once the calf is up and sucking ok on its own we move them to the shed next door. I know we only have a small sucker herd so it maybe easier for us but I wouldn't want to be moving a cow just before calving

 

[Sandpit Farm]

We have a shed that is our calving pen which we put the cows that are soon due to calve in. We let them calve in the shed in with the rest of the cows, once they have calved we pen them at the back of that shed, once the calf is up and sucking ok on its own we move them to the shed next door. I know we only have a small sucker herd so it maybe easier for us but I wouldn't want to be moving a cow just before calving

Ah yes, it is called 'just in time' calving. It is often used with cows in cubicles and when nose and feet are visible. Most folks I know calve onto a pad.

 

[lazy farmer]

Ah yes, it is called 'just in time' calving. It is often used with cows in cubicles and when nose and feet are visible. Most folks I know calve onto a pad.

Exactly what we do. The pad is in the same shed and is visible to the whole shed.