4 days overdue.... What should I due?

[JoeDirt]

Take pictures and keep us all informed

Thanks

 

[xxcc]

correct me if I'm wrong, she is now 6 days overdue?...but the anticipated calving date was based on someone elses analysis?

remind me again, was it based on her AI date, or an ultrasound date?

you know, mother nature doesn't lie, people make mistakes, the people you got her from may have fowled up.  when did she had her '3 day slime'?  what's her bag look like now?  how big is she springing?

 

[greenbean]

correct me if I'm wrong, she is now 6 days overdue?...but the anticipated calving date was based on someone elses analysis?

remind me again, was it based on her AI date, or an ultrasound date?

you know, mother nature doesn't lie, people make mistakes, the people you got her from may have fowled up.  when did she had her '3 day slime'?  what's her bag look like now?  how big is she springing?

Yes , she is now 6 days overdue according to the breeders date (AI).  we talked to him and he said he had one bred the same way that just calved a couple days ago so she was 4 days overdue.  Maybe she will go 295 days.  He didnt' give us much information so we are just patiently waiting now since we didn't receive much help.  Her udder is filling out evenly now. she had some scabs  on her udder like it had froze when it was so cold out so we have been putting lotion on her teats to get them fixed up before she calves.  Please don't get to upset with us we were just trying to get some advice.  Our combined age is only 35 so like i said we get antsy especially having a lot of money wrapped up in them.  We usually don't go off the "3 day slime"  We have had cows slime a month before they calve... We usually start watching them close based on the date of when the vet calls them at the preg check.  usually gets us decent in the ball park... Helped my brother in law calve in 400 heifers one year that were suppose to leave before they calved but never did, seemed like no matter what signs you looked for you were never right.  Best thing we have learned since we are younger is just keep a real close eye on them. 

 

[red]

we bought a bred cow once. Was told she was due in  early February. She calved the end of March.

Red

 

[box6rranch]

How does anyone feel about inducing labor? We had a cow last year that we think cooked her calf. He was born dead and extremely large. She is actually due anytime now. Her due date is tomorrow. We bred her to a much smaller calving ease bull.

 

[red]

How does anyone feel about inducing labor? We had a cow last year that we think cooked her calf. He was born dead and extremely large. She is actually due anytime now. Her due date is tomorrow. We bred her to a much smaller calving ease bull.

I made the comment before that we do induce if they go over. Not the most popular decision but it has worked for us. Yes, our cows tend to have large BW's but we realize that & breed accordingly.

Red

 

[CAB]

 Greenbean/Tadpole, no one is upset. There is a huge wealth of experience available on this board. If you go back and read Tadpole's response to"xxcc" it comes off a little smug and almost smart%$$, PPL will defend themselves quickly in these instances. I myself am very frank and strait forth. Depending on my day, I can be taken wrong or at least in a bad light. I don't do it to cause troubles or on purpose, it's just the way that I'm wired , I guess, but again, I'm sure that no one is upset. Try to be patient, we had one go over8 days last year. That calf was big(124lbs), but was born unassisted. Good Luck. Brent

 

[greenbean]

Thanks CAB!  The beauty of internet forums  (lol)!  I'm a member on a racing forum and it seems like you can't even say hi without somebody getting mad haha I enjoy steer planet though just because the wealth of knowledge on here. 

 

[box6rranch]

Sorry, I guess I should have read the posts more carefully ))
What do you use to induce?

 

[xxcc]

there are comments above on inducing labor.

women hate to be compared to cattle but you treat it the same and use the same drugs.  labor in humans is induced with Pitocin, cows it's Oxytocin.  The '3 day slime' is just like the plug coming out before a women goes into labor.  yes, thesy do slime 3-4 weeks ahead of time too.  Antsy, I have a cow family I call the 'bag a month club' because they all bag up a good month before they calve.  I had one that I cut into the heavy pen on the first sort one year and she spent all calving season in the corral and finally calved right at the end.

I, myself, do not favor inducing.  God knows what he's doing, but by the same token, we should not be so naive that we don't learn from our past mistakes.

My earlier comment may have been a little snide, but i think you'll see a difference in how your cows calve if you don't monkey with them much.  Same with her udder, i understand the concern of chapping and scabbing, but I would just grease them up once real good with bag balf after the calf sucks and maybe let them be unless they are too terrible.  she's gonna get plumb tired of you messing with her.  Sometimes people just need a wake up call to see that their behavior is silly.

 

[OH Breeder]

Someone asked about what to use,
Our vet has had us use 5 cc of lutalyse and 10cc of dexamethsome.

Nothing wrong with being concerned. We also have not had issues with induction. ON heifers, I feel better if I know the date exactly and give them 5-6 days over before getting worried. If I purchased one and was waiting on someone else's AI date then you can always have the vet take a look at her. Probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[greenbean]

Thanks xxcc! Ran her through quick tonight and the scabs have fallen off so she is back out in the lot.  The weather has been great up here in north central iowa so we finally got the rest of the snow and ice cleaned out of the lot today now the cows don't need ice skates to get around anymore  ;D that should lead to happy cows haha

 

[xxcc]

lut and dex will work too.  lut should contract the uterus, dex is steroid to speed things up.  oxytocin also induces contractions.

if she has trouble, like say a PHA style calf, block her tail underneath with epinephrine and on top with lidocaine.  and that will relax the utrus enough to drive a Mack truck through, but your nice heifer may end up with a zipper.

 

[xxcc]

<cowboy>,  how's your rodeo going?  have you pulled the plug yet, or are you going the natural route?  you can't keep us in suspense.  :

 

[tadpole]

No I havent done anything with her.  Just leaving her be.  She still hasnt calved.  She prolly wont today either by the looks of it.  But if you look at the bright side she is one day closer to calving!  ;D

 

[GLZ]

Any updates?

 

[box6rranch]

I wonder what the truest gestation table to use would be?  I've seen a few and the dates are always different. Our Maine X is 3 days late now but we used the chart listed in the SEK Genetics book.

 

[red]

the Maine calendar uses 283 days. Many dairy charts are different than beef's.

Red

 

[oakbar]

I induce a few cows/heifers each year based on my travel schedule.  I know for you purists on SP that would be a sin but I would rather be here when the calf is born than a thousand miles away when  she has trouble.  In my world, inducing cows is a tool that works well for me.  However, given the choice I would always like them to calve on their own.  We use 5 ccs of Lutalyse with 20 ccs of dexamethazone and usually about 36-40 hours later we have a calf.  I won't induce a calf if I don't know the exact breeding/AI date though.  I have not had any more problems with the induced births than I have with "natural" births.  I sometimes wonder if heifers dilate quite as well as they would naturally but that is just a very obscure observation on a few heifers.  Heifers don't dilate as well anyway.  Bottom line is that I'd rather they calve naturally but being here when they calve trumps the other considerations as long as I know their breeding date.

By the way, Greenbean,  we're from northern Iowa(Northwood) too!!  What's your hometown?

 

[OH Breeder]

Tadpole,
Did you all have her palpated to check calf's position etc It wouldn't hurt to have her checked out to see potential due date.