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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:32 am
by Sylvia
At last, something has gone right! This year we have been stuck on 12 calves and lost 3, the dreaded 13th. The last heifer to calve has been in the barn for a couple of weeks (with a mate in the next pen) and a careful watch has been maintained. Hooray, yesterday settled then down at about5.30pm, thought I'd check about 8pm. April bellowing but couldn't see anything wrong and then noticed tiny calf hiding behind the big bale hay we feed from in the adjoining pen. She must have been pushed out or rolled out under the gate (a very small gap). Picked her up and popped her back with April. Oh joy, she was so pleased and babe soon feeding.
That is us finished this year on a nice uncomplicated note.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:57 pm
by PeterO
Sylvia
Out of curiousity - what was the cause of the losses?
Peter
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:21 pm
by Sylvia
PeterO
First loss was a babe born with its guts outside its abdomen. Whether it grew like that or it happened during birth I don't know.
Second and third were exactly the same problem: on checking at dusk (and this was in summer so fairly late) nothing happening, went out early next morning and babe was properly presented but stuck fast by hips and already dead. The vet showed us how to get the first one out so mother was not damaged and we got the second one out the same way. It just sounds so careless of us to have had this happen twice but I don't know what else we could have done. We did not have exact mating dates and we were checking carefully not just a quick look over the fence. Both calves good strong specimens, no deformities. Our summer calves are born in the field, but I doubt we would have saved these if they had been in the barn. Just another step along a very steep learning curve.