Hello
We have just started our 'spring' calving and unfortunately had our first ever stillborn calf yesterday. We are baffled about the reason as the mum has never had a problem before and everything has been normal so far (she is the fourth to calve and all the mums have been overwintered inside). Naturally our concerns are for her well being she seems fine and she has expelled the afterbirth. Is there anything else we should be looking out for/doing for her?
Stillbirth
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Duncan MacIntyre
- Posts: 2372
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
Check service dates as well as you can and if the calf might be early report to your vet. Any early calvings shoudl be investigated for brucellosis, though this is rare nowadays in UK. But it also gives an oportunity if sampling is needed to discuss with your vet any other tests which may be appropriate.That might be for possible infectious causes such as BVD, IBR, leptospirosis, neospora etc. Or the vet may know local situations in regard to deficiencies and feel it is wise to check eg selenium status.
At the end of the day it may just be "one of those things" and not attributable to any particular cause.
Duncan
At the end of the day it may just be "one of those things" and not attributable to any particular cause.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
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strawberriesclint
- Posts: 167
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2004 11:10 pm
- Location: Somerset
Hi Carole
I know how awfull it is to loose a calf, this morning i checked on my cows to find one had tried to calf early morning and somethig had gone wrong with the calf and only his head had come up not his feet, so sadly for the cow she couldn't calve. I was so annoyed, last night the cow showed no signs of calving and her udder was nowhere near being its normal size and plus she was a week off her due date. On having the vet out as she had to inject the cow to relax so eventually the calf could be pulled out, she said that unfortunatly its just one of those things or to quote the vet 'just bad luck'.
However the cow is fine and she stood up shortly afterwards so at least there was no nerve damage. We managed through a friend to perchase a aberdeen angus heifer calf for the cow to foster as she does have a tendency to be very milky. My nan always said 'if you have live stock you have dead stock' but it doesn't ever make it any easier. I was devastated, one of my favourite cows as well, but it always seem to be that way.
Well lets hope tomorrow brings better luck as i dont want another day like today.
signing off
cyndy
I know how awfull it is to loose a calf, this morning i checked on my cows to find one had tried to calf early morning and somethig had gone wrong with the calf and only his head had come up not his feet, so sadly for the cow she couldn't calve. I was so annoyed, last night the cow showed no signs of calving and her udder was nowhere near being its normal size and plus she was a week off her due date. On having the vet out as she had to inject the cow to relax so eventually the calf could be pulled out, she said that unfortunatly its just one of those things or to quote the vet 'just bad luck'.
However the cow is fine and she stood up shortly afterwards so at least there was no nerve damage. We managed through a friend to perchase a aberdeen angus heifer calf for the cow to foster as she does have a tendency to be very milky. My nan always said 'if you have live stock you have dead stock' but it doesn't ever make it any easier. I was devastated, one of my favourite cows as well, but it always seem to be that way.
Well lets hope tomorrow brings better luck as i dont want another day like today.
signing off
cyndy
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Duncan MacIntyre
- Posts: 2372
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
Sorry to hear of another loss, it is not easy when we really care for our stock.
In our part of the world the saying is "where there's stock, there's brock" - brock being the waste, eg when you sort through the potatoes there is the ware, which can be sold, and the brock, which is just waste or might be fed to cattle.
At the end of the day (or the beginning of it!) you cannot be with cows 24/7, you always have to take a break somewhere and sleep - so never blame yourself if something goes wrong while you sleep or see to some of the other necessities of life. I suspect that malpresentations, ie when there is a leg back or two back, or head back etc, it is sometimes the case that the position has happened because the calf was dead, rather than the calf dying because of a malpresentation. If you are getting more than the odd one of course something may be predisposing them to it and you should have it looked into.
Duncan
In our part of the world the saying is "where there's stock, there's brock" - brock being the waste, eg when you sort through the potatoes there is the ware, which can be sold, and the brock, which is just waste or might be fed to cattle.
At the end of the day (or the beginning of it!) you cannot be with cows 24/7, you always have to take a break somewhere and sleep - so never blame yourself if something goes wrong while you sleep or see to some of the other necessities of life. I suspect that malpresentations, ie when there is a leg back or two back, or head back etc, it is sometimes the case that the position has happened because the calf was dead, rather than the calf dying because of a malpresentation. If you are getting more than the odd one of course something may be predisposing them to it and you should have it looked into.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Hi Duncan
Thanks for your advice, our bull was running with the cows from May 2nd so I don't think it was an early calving particularly as she hasn't been the first to calve, the calf was formed but tiny. We did not think she was about to calve as her udders were not full. I will have a chat with our vet, she took blood and tested for a number of things during our tb test last year. I will have to check to see exactly what she tested for, I know BVD was one as we have a steer that isn't thriving but I do remember everything can back clear.
Thanks again.
Thanks for your advice, our bull was running with the cows from May 2nd so I don't think it was an early calving particularly as she hasn't been the first to calve, the calf was formed but tiny. We did not think she was about to calve as her udders were not full. I will have a chat with our vet, she took blood and tested for a number of things during our tb test last year. I will have to check to see exactly what she tested for, I know BVD was one as we have a steer that isn't thriving but I do remember everything can back clear.
Thanks again.
Callington, Cornwall
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strawberriesclint
- Posts: 167
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2004 11:10 pm
- Location: Somerset
Hi
Just as a follow on from yesterdays depressing news, this morning one of my other cows calved, everything was fine, no problems. A lovely little heifer calf, and my other cow from yesteday is in the process of fostering a aberdeen angus which she is allowing to drink so today is one of the good days that make you remember why we all love our dexters.
Many thanks duncan for the information and we did think that perhaps the calf was dead before birth.
cyndy
Edited By strawberriesclint on 1266766495
Just as a follow on from yesterdays depressing news, this morning one of my other cows calved, everything was fine, no problems. A lovely little heifer calf, and my other cow from yesteday is in the process of fostering a aberdeen angus which she is allowing to drink so today is one of the good days that make you remember why we all love our dexters.
Many thanks duncan for the information and we did think that perhaps the calf was dead before birth.
cyndy
Edited By strawberriesclint on 1266766495