The joys of cattle

[Bill the Bass]

On Friday evening I checked a cow that was due and it had started calving. The calve was out to its chest but hadn't been out long so I whipped it out with not much hasttle at all, a nice sized bull calf. It got some colostrum that night and suckled the next morning healthily. Mean while, first thing on Saturday morning a heifer had calved with its backside to the door and calved the calf under the door, presumably spitting it outside into a frosty puddle - its about -6 through the night here at present. The poor cold and wet calf was dried off and put under a blanket with straw and some hot water bottles and given 2 litres of colostrum and by mid day was up suckling and trying to dance.

On Saturday evening we had the vet to another heifer that was calving as the calf had its head back and we couldn't sort it, the vet got that calved all well and good. At midnight I went for a final check around and the first bull calf that calved on Friday evening was dead. Absolutely gutted and no real understanding as why.

It never ceases to amaze me how fickle some cattle are and how unbelievably resilient others can be.

I hate the sickly feeling I get when we loose an animal. The joys.

 

[M-J-G]

Sometimes these things happen.

Look on the bright side, your skills have you 2 calves that a lesser stockperson could have lost.

Things tend to balance out, the odd dead calf is often balanced out by one or two less barren cows, or one or two sets of twins.

Only a good stockman gets annoyed at the dead ones, the day you accept it is the day you should quit!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Things tend to balance out, the odd dead calf is often balanced out by one or two less barren cows, or one or two sets of twins.

!

You’re right there....I lost a calf earlier in the year, monstrous bull, was gutted...when I went round the cows the next morning a cow had had a pair of bull calves...fate

 

[Sharpy]

I would focus on the saved calves. Dwelling on the unexplained death of a calf that may have had a heart problem or been sat on will do no good to you or the rest of the herd.

 

[lim x]

We lost one a few weeks ago, 3 day old and doing nicely, found it laid by the ring feeder and can only assume it had been stood on. It does put you on a downer for a few days.

 

[GTB]

As annoying and upseting as it is you can't allow this type of thing to get you down. It happens to us all and its best to concentrate on the ones that are still alive. You cant do anything to help the dead ones.

 

[NH8360]

I've been farming for over ten years and have been fortunate enough to never loss a cow until yesterday morning. I had two cows a bit thin and three late calvers outside as I thought they might get bullied going in with the others. Found two of the fit ones dead yesterday morning. Had been fluked last week, mineral buckets available, loads of grass and good shelter and got hay the night before as there had been some snow. Vet advised cal and mag drip for the other three which I have done. Don't normally have any cattle out this late but they were doing great and did not want to disturb them, thinking I was doing a good thing. Would knock the heart out of you.

 

[John Chance]

PMs ?

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Always runs of bad luck, cant remember the last time I lost something then 3 today. One a calf that I had suckled twice, knuckled over on one front leg so just wanted help to teet, been suckled then lights went out on check last night with snow, dead this morning, one beast broke its neck on feed barrier, another must have hit it and it slipt, smallest animals and least stocked pen in roundhouse, pushed up feed last night and more than enough in front of them, then to cap it off a shed of 40 cows and calves, now 39, I allow calves to run under a gate into other half of shed that is storing straw, where there is a creep and allows them to lay away from cows if they chose and would be cleaner and drier by a fraction as only just been housed. One calf randomly in water trough. Well that's hopefully 3 out of way and get back to a good run. Or start next run of 3!!

 

[X344chap]

If you have livestock then you will have deadstock.

Very True.