First calf of the year

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Pleasant Grove Farms

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Sep 19, 2011
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sad way to start the calving season;
from my experience, if both legs are back at birth, I would assume the calf was dead before labor started; because almost without fail, a calf will have at least one leg up and coming; mostly both are up and maybe one gets hooked on the pelvis and so bent at the pastern and so has to be straightened before delivery is possible.
do you still have your calf?
when a calf is dead at birth, try wiggle the teeth; if they are wiggly or becoming loose, the baby has been dead prob. 12 hours or more; just always makes me feel better if I can feel it is not my negligence during the delivery process but that for some unknown reason the baby died even before birth began, hence nothing I could have done make it turn out any different.
 

nck21

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Oct 29, 2007
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Salina, Kansas
Thanks PGF, I'm not with the herd right now. I think my dad still has the calf, I would assume he was dead before labor.
 

OLD WORLD SHORTIE

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Jan 15, 2008
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TX
Man that sucks, sorry about your loss. I know what your going through, just hang in there and don't beat yourself over it. I know that's what i do, i tend to ask myself "How did I let this happen?" until i get sick to my stomach. I think as breeders of cattle it really does have a huge impact on us when we lose one not only from a monetary standpoint but maybe even more from an emotional aspect.
 

mainegirl

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Sep 30, 2008
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Toms Brook, VA
I don't know if you'd want to do this, but another way you can tell if the calf died before birth is taking a piece of lung tissue and put it in a cup water and see if it sinks. If it sinks, the calf never took a breath so oxygen never got to the tissue. If it floats, it took a breath. Just a little interesting fact I learned.
 

nck21

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Oct 29, 2007
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I'm glad I didn't have to see it as I am away at college. The calf was at least a week early, the cow was turned out with the bull May 1st. Fortunately, it wasn't an AI or embryo calf.
 

Davis Shorthorns

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horrible way to start off a season.  I had a similar start to my season last year.  First calf was ok, next one dead calf, next one dead heifer.  Not fun to walk out and see a almost dead heifer first thing in the morning.  Things will get better. 
 

Freddy

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Mar 31, 2007
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North central -- Nebraska on highway 183 - 30 mi
Sorry for your bad start but some years it seems like it starts that way....Usually I try some new bull and get a great big one ,kinda happened that way this year ...  Good advise for breeders just trying to raise good breeding cattle ,don't use show sires unless you got lots of proof there good ..
 

nck21

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Salina, Kansas
The bull is our Copyright herd bull and the first calf we've had from him. Our neighbor had one calf out of him last year and got along fine.
 

Hilltop

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Mar 22, 2009
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Sask, Canada
Yes, it is  one of those things that "Just Happens". Last year out of 60 cows we had 4 calves with 1 or BOTH fronts back, 1 upside down, and a set of twins that the second calf wasnt coming out until Momma got her arm in the cow. And that was just the first 43 cows and we (Momma) saved them all. After that we had two backwards and lost one of the two that came tail first.  Other than that it was pretty quiet  ;D.  It does suck when the first one is dead though. Good Luck the rest of the way to to everyone this year.
 

cowgirl864

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Saluda, S.C.
i am so sorry for your loss, our season started out the same way, one dead heifer by Touchdown, one dead bull by Aviator, for our small herd (9) it was devestating, Good Luck , i hope you have safe calving the rest of the year (angel)
 

nck21

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Oct 29, 2007
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Salina, Kansas
cowgirl864 said:
i am so sorry for your loss, our season started out the same way, one dead heifer by Touchdown, one dead bull by Aviator, for our small herd (9) it was devestating, Good Luck , i hope you have safe calving the rest of the year (angel)

How big was the Touchdown heifer? We have heifers bred to him due next week.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
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Ada, Ohio
cowgirl864 said:
i am so sorry for your loss, our season started out the same way, one dead heifer by Touchdown, one dead bull by Aviator, for our small herd (9) it was devestating, Good Luck , i hope you have safe calving the rest of the year (angel)

SOrry to both of you. I know what you mean. When you are a small herd those losses make a big cut in your bottom line. We lost our first calf from Alta Cedar First Bllood but it was 50% human error. First calf heifer had no problem having it but she dropped it in the mud outside because the children I asked to shut her up did not follow my instructions and I had to leave town for a week. It is very frustrating. Goodluck with the rest of your season.
 

nck21

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Oct 29, 2007
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696
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Salina, Kansas
Well, we now have our first calf on the ground out of a Pride & Glory 1st calf heifer. She had it unassisted, the calf is sired by Bodybuilder. It's a heifer.  :)

Pride & Glory is Ali x Harrietta.
 

cowgirl864

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Saluda, S.C.
our Touchdown heifer calf, weighed 86 lbs came backwards,  though that she got enough colostrum, but her first calf momma was difficult to be around, so it was more human error, will be using Touchdown more in the future
 

nck21

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Salina, Kansas
cowgirl864 said:
our Touchdown heifer calf, weighed 86 lbs came backwards,  though that she got enough colostrum, but her first calf momma was difficult to be around, so it was more human error, will be using Touchdown more in the future

That's too bad. We have 2 heifers due to him any hour. I'm a little concerned about BW on them since hes PB shorthorn. We'll see, the Bodybuilder calf born tonight is tiny.
 

CAB

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Mar 5, 2007
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Corning,Iowa
Nck21 are you talking about the Duff bull or the DMCC bull. Would like to know your thoughts about the calf if it is the Duff bull. I know a guy that bred a handful to him last season.
 

nck21

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Oct 29, 2007
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Salina, Kansas
Here's the heifer. I will most likely use Bodybuilder again on heifers.
 

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