Premature calf

[M Blake]

We had our TB test on Monday and all went calmly as all the dexters are well handled. We have six girls due to calf to pedigree dexter mid Jan to mid Feb.
Tuesday night one of the girls, a heifer calved down. I found her first thing with her calf dead and lying directly behind her facing her with legs tucked in tight, She had not long had the calf. She was indoors with plenty of room and well bedded.
It looked as though the calf was born backwards. The heifer was still lying down and i moved her ok and she drank and picked some hay although was obviously suffering shock and shaking a lot.
Once we sorted the calf we checked the heifer and her milk had come in. We managed to aquire a 2 week old hereford cross heifer calf from a local farmer and she is sucking well.
We are just so gutted that we lost the pedigree calf. Even more annoying was that we had handled the heifer for the test and commented how well she was looking but she was definately not looking as though calfing was iminent especially considering the earliest date she should of calved was early Jan.

I know these things happen but you do ask yourself if there was any way it could have been prevented.

Any similar experiences or ideas ? Thanks Mark and Sally

[Rob R]

We once gathered our herd from the field to cut out a steer and the next day found a heifer had aborted her calf. It really focussed my mind on improving the handling facilities to make it easier and less stressful for all concerned.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Very sad to lose a calf, remember there are infectious causes of abortion and think about isolation till tested for the obvious ones, like BVD, IBR Lepto and Neospora. It is in fact a legal requirement to report any abortion to DEFRA and someone, usually your own vet if an LVI, will come and take samples for testing for Brucellosis - I know it is not likely to be brucellosis, but this is still necessary especially now that there are no routine herd tests being done for it. The ministry visit for this costs you nothing, and your vet can ask for the other tests to be done - SAC in Scotland do them on the same samples but of course you have to pay the lab charges except for the brucellosis ones.

An abortion is a calving occurring more than 10 days before the expected date ie 270 days or less after service.

Watch that your heifer has cleansed properly, there is a much higher incidence of retained placenta in early calvings. Hope she is none the worse.


Duncan

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Very sad to lose a calf, remember there are infectious causes of abortion and think about isolation till tested for the obvious ones, like BVD, IBR Lepto and Neospora. It is in fact a legal requirement to report any abortion to DEFRA and someone, usually your own vet if an LVI, will come and take samples for testing for Brucellosis - I know it is not likely to be brucellosis, but this is still necessary especially now that there are no routine herd tests being done for it. The ministry visit for this costs you nothing, and your vet can ask for the other tests to be done - SAC in Scotland do them on the same samples but of course you have to pay the lab charges except for the brucellosis ones.

An abortion is a calving occurring more than 10 days before the expected date ie 270 days or less after service.

Watch that your heifer has cleansed properly, there is a much higher incidence of retained placenta in early calvings. Hope she is none the worse.


Duncan

[Tim Watson]

I am so sorry too hear about that.
Last year our TB test was such that we had a cow due to calf about a month after it, so similar to yourself. Our vets quietly let us know that there may be a risk to the calf that close to term.
We decided the risk wasn't worth it and advised AH by email, that whilst we take TB testing very seriously, we would not be testing until after she calved. They confirmed our decision and let the enforcement team know.
We will do it again in the same situation.