Calving nightmare

[SKF]

As many of you know i was worried about our heifer having her calf in the cold but, it turned we lost the calf to calving problems. I guess in a way I am glad it was so cold that way she did not get overheated. My dad bought my daughter a show heifer out of Sunseeker that was Ai'ed to Golden Child. He did not know better but I knew along that we could have calving problems. We have kept her out in the pasture on grass only so she has not been fed up and had the vet check her last week to make sure the calf was positioned right. The heifer did not look overly large so I was not to worried about it but I was wrong. It took a couple of hours of pulling to get the calf out because it was very hipped locked. It was a 90lb heifer calf built like a mack truck. I wish the person who decided that breeding Golden Child to a first time heifer was a good idea could have been there last night. Its not worth the risk to bred a heifer to a non calving ease bull!!! It was a beautiful calf but you can't show a dead calf. It was one of the worst deliveries I have ever seen and of course where we live you can not get a large animal vet out at nigh so a c-section was not an option but that was the only way this calf could have survived she was not built to come out the natural way. I am just very relieved that the heifer was able to get up this morning she is week but up walking. Sorry this is so long just venting and I want anyone who is even thinking about using something other then a PROVEN calving ease bull on a heifer I wish you could have been there last night. I have used calving ease Maine and shorthorn bulls before but after last night on all our clubbie bred heifers I will ONLY use an Angus. Good luck to everyone on their calving season!!!

 

[herefordfootball]

Sorry to hear that. Yes, golden child on a first calf heifer is not a good idea. Hopefully you can get your heifer bred back and get a healthy calf next year. Good luck

 

[the angus111]

SKF,I feel for you and I thats why I have said all along there is no precictability in club calves.There are some that think collecting data as the AAA does is a joke.at least the AAA gets enough data that you can makes decisions with some certainity.I have had this happen to me numerous times trying for the big one and end up with a dead one.Clubbies are a crap shoot. Rusty

 

[CAB]

Sorry to hear that SKF. I have seen Golden Child put some older cows down. Any bull out of HW until proven overwise would be suspect to throwing a big one every now & then. Good to hear that your heifer is up. I think that some of the best bulls to use on Sunseeker's are Angus or an Ali son. Ali used to seem to nick well on SS's.

 

[TJ]

As many of you know i was worried about our heifer having her calf in the cold but, it turned we lost the calf to calving problems. I guess in a way I am glad it was so cold that way she did not get overheated. My dad bought my daughter a show heifer out of Sunseeker that was Ai'ed to Golden Child. He did not know better but I knew along that we could have calving problems. We have kept her out in the pasture on grass only so she has not been fed up and had the vet check her last week to make sure the calf was positioned right. The heifer did not look overly large so I was not to worried about it but I was wrong. It took a couple of hours of pulling to get the calf out because it was very hipped locked. It was a 90lb heifer calf built like a mack truck. I wish the person who decided that breeding Golden Child to a first time heifer was a good idea could have been there last night. Its not worth the risk to bred a heifer to a non calving ease bull!!! It was a beautiful calf but you can't show a dead calf. It was one of the worst deliveries I have ever seen and of course where we live you can not get a large animal vet out at nigh so a c-section was not an option but that was the only way this calf could have survived she was not built to come out the natural way. I am just very relieved that the heifer was able to get up this morning she is week but up walking. Sorry this is so long just venting and I want anyone who is even thinking about using something other then a PROVEN calving ease bull on a heifer I wish you could have been there last night. I have used calving ease Maine and shorthorn bulls before but after last night on all our clubbie bred heifers I will ONLY use an Angus. Good luck to everyone on their calving season!!!

I sure hate to hear that!  But, glad the heifer is up & moving around.  I've been there & done that, plenty of times in the past.  It's absolutely no fun at all!!  That is a big reason why I now raise Lowline Angus. 

 

[glitter6m]

Sorry about your calving nightmare. I don't AI a lot, but am always concerned about calving ease no matter the cow's age or history when I'm breeding to a clubby bull. I just don't want to have to go through what you just did. Hope the heifer does well for you next year.

 

[Bulldaddy]

I wish the person who decided that breeding Golden Child to a first time heifer was a good idea could have been there last night.

Sorry for your ordeal.  I have been their before and it is no fun. Seems like it takes a week or so to get over losing one like that. I would go back to the breeder and ask for a refund or a least a partial refund.  He should have known better than to breed a heifer to a bull known for large birth weights.

 

[PLKR]

Sorry to hear about your trouble...this is why we will probably never RAISE a great clubby--just not willing to put up with the potential problems with using the bulls that consistantly produce the great steers.  We don't have enougn cows to afford the loss of very many calves ( or cows ). I certainly don't blame people for using those bulls--I guess it's a risk/reward situation.  We are very conservative in our bull choices on heifers--really has to be a PROVEN calving ease bull--I've seen too many birth epd's go from below a 2 up to a 5 after the first calf crop ( we raise mostly Herfs...a pretty decent data base).      As for the breeder's choice of bulls for your heifer--obviously a bad choice, but unfortunately it happens alot. I've seen Herfy heifers AIed to Reload or Moler, and that makes me cringe.  Hope your heifer fully recovers and rebreeds!!

 

[OH Breeder]

So sorry SKF. That sucks when you loose one.
Sent you a PM.
OH B.

We lost one over the weekend as well. Whole different deal. But stinks still the same.

 

[thebulllady]

SKF.. so sorry for your loss.  Been there, done that, although not with a "clubby bull".  Just based on my experiences with purebred cattle, using a clubby bred would scare me to death.  Whenever you work with the crosses, it is such a crap shoot because it is so hard to predict the calving ease.  I guess that's what makes breeding club calves so dangerous.. there is such a fine line to getting a live calf, and not killing the cow or the calf in the process.

 

[Jacob B]

Sorry about the bad news.  I would be just as causious about an angus bull as any other.  There are angus bulls that can throw a biggun just as well. "Clubby" bulls just are a problem waiting to happen.  Just remember that your heifer had some part in the calf size and SHAPE more importantly too.  That's why they are called "terminal types", she may not have been shaped as well to have that kind of calf. Good luck next year.

 

[shortdawg]

Sorry to hear about your troubles ! I'm glad the heifer made it through it.

 

[farmboy]

hey your not the only one to lose one this week. i feel your pain.  :-\

I'll never forget the time we had a cow calving only the feet were out, we tied her up and pulled with 4 or 5 guys, a come-along jack, then finally, the tractor. that thing never budged. Killed the cow in horrifying fashion. The first time I ever heard a cow "cry" and hopefully the last. pulled her back in the woods by the calf's feet.

 

[chambero]

Losing calves is always bad.  It was a definite mistake in breeding her like that for her first calf.

However, don't overreact to the loss. She'll be just fine going forward.  You can do everything right and still lose babies during calving, especially heifers.  You should be just fine breeding her in the future to other club calf bulls in the future, just steer away from anything from the Heatseeker lines since that's what she comes from.  Lots of other choices.

 

[CAB]

It seems to me that on some of these production sales that they are breeding 1st calf heifers to some of the new hot names that are being promoted as calving ease, trying to get more hype instead of being a bit safer by using an older proven heifer safe bull. I do like the idea of Brad's of using heifer safe sexed female semen. I would be more inclined to pay a bit more for a heifer that is going to have a heifer. Easier calving plus hopefully a good replacement heifer all in one.

 

[Sunset Hills]

SFK, sorry for your loss.  We've all been there.

 

[LT]

I can feel for you and your pain.  We have had some bad calving experiences over the years and they stay with you forever.  The one thing you have to look at is that you can learn something from it and teach others.  You have the right attitude, in my opinion, that a live calf is better than no calf.  Not only that, it is SO hard to watch the cow after ward....I feel your heartbreak.  No cattle person wants another to go through this.  So sorry.  Start planning for next year and try to get excited about what she may offer in 2011!

 

[horseshoe b]

we have been AIing for quite some time now, and using some of the big name bulls hoping for that good or great one , one good enough to pay cash for a new pick-up if you know what i mean.                          But it always seems that the ones that are heavy or dead at birth or get cut out are AI sired , and if they are born alive they end up cripple,  so with that being said  if you are trying to raise clubbys      WELCOME TO THE BUSINESS

 

[cowboybecoachin]

Use Northern Improvement to get live calves that will be useable for show or replacement females.  Mike Christian, Christian Cattle Co, Hico, Tx.

 

[SKF]

Thank you to everyone for all your comments!!! The heifer is getting stronger everyday and  hopefully she fully recovers. I will be giving her sometime to recover and then we will try AIing her to Northern Improvement.