Twisted Calf Bed

[Wishful Thinker]

Vet out tonight. 2 heifers with twisted uterus, both calving at same time. Got 2 living calves and hope heifers will be ok, but what causes it?
Heifers have been out in calving pens for coming up to 2 weeks, no stress, no excitement, feed always in front of them.
In the last 12 calvings I have had an upside down set of twins, a twisted calf and now these 2. Is it just a coincidence?
Only change I can think of is new calving pens. They have a fall of 1ft in 15ft. Would this be the cause?

 

[epfarms]

I’d say bad luck. They can be caused by a few things, generally a combination of calf size, cow body depth and abnormal movement. I know of a farm that ran cows down a 1:5 slope in to their new calving pens a few days before calving and this downward and side to side waddling motion resulted in more than half of the cows having twists.. they stopped it and problem went. Could be something to do with the pens or how they’re travelling to them in your case?

 

[Princess Pooper]

I know of a farm that ran cows down a 1:5 slope in to their new calving pens a few days before calving and this downward and side to side waddling motion resulted in more than half of the cows having twists..

 

[deleted user 837354]

I’d say bad luck. They can be caused by a few things, generally a combination of calf size, cow body depth and abnormal movement. I know of a farm that ran cows down a 1:5 slope in to their new calving pens a few days before calving and this downward and side to side waddling motion resulted in more than half of the cows having twists.. they stopped it and problem went. Could be something to do with the pens or how they’re travelling to them in your case?

Years ago a wise old man told me heavily pregnant close up cows shouldn't be on any kind of slope as it 'upsets' them, maybe more truth to it than I thought.

 

[happycows]

Vet out tonight. 2 heifers with twisted uterus, both calving at same time. Got 2 living calves and hope heifers will be ok, but what causes it?
Heifers have been out in calving pens for coming up to 2 weeks, no stress, no excitement, feed always in front of them.
In the last 12 calvings I have had an upside down set of twins, a twisted calf and now these 2. Is it just a coincidence?
Only change I can think of is new calving pens. They have a fall of 1ft in 15ft. Would this be the cause?

Both bull calves i bet?

 

[Wishful Thinker]

Both bull calves i bet?

No one of each, vet thought be both bulls. Photo gives idea of slope.

 

[epfarms]

I can’t see that it’s enough of a slope there and that they could move enough to get the swinging motion.. see what the next 2 do!