Getting Impatient...

[cjc]

Do you have a head gate? We learnt very quickly that it's super hard to raise cows/calves without a squeeze or head gate.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Nope. They're out in a pasture with a shed to get into and a fairly wide run to get over to feed and water by the barn.

 

[cjc]

Unless you have extremely quiet cows you'll likely never be able to check them this way. Ours we couldn't and its why I don't haha. We got a squeeze because we knew if we had any issues we couldn't properly help our girls. The calves we can manage for the first two months but after that we could not restrain them. If you get into this as a regular thing, I know you said you just started, I would suggest getting a squeeze chute. Will make the world of a difference when taking care of them. Pretty hard to vaccinate a cow that wont let you touch it and if these girls will be reproducing for you they will need to be kept up on their health.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

If we had to we could get them down and into our barn into a stall. It's not far away but the horses use the run in and it was getting too messy too quickly with cows in it as well. How old should calves be when they are vaccinated?

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Can we just call the vet to do it??? Lol

 

[cjc]

It's unsolicited advice but if you continue to breed get yourself a head gate. Getting them in a stall won't be enough, you need something to keep them still. Our vet won't help unless unless they are in a head gate.

When the calves are born you need to immediately clean their navels in iodine. Also administer a shot of vitamin A&D and vitamin E&selenium, these are really important. At one week old give it a pneumonia nasal spray something like enforce 3. At 3 months old give an 8 way vaccine something like covexin 8. You will need to booster the 8 way 8 weeks later and then again at 6 months.

It's best to have colostrum on hand if you can get it. Have a bottle and a tube feeder. We have started giving all new calves colostrum on day 1 regardless of if they are nursing and MAKE SURE they are nursing. The calf should nurse shortly after birth. Especially watch your heifer. It's best to move her and her calf into a small pen for the first few days. It's easier to watch them and make sure the calf is feeding as well as helps them bond.

If you are castrating your bull calves do it before they are 8 weeks old. Any older and it's harder and worse for the calf.

It's best to handle the calves young. Get them used to a halter and tie them to a post for 30 mins a day. This will keep them friendly. You don't want another jumpy one like your heifer. Not good without proper handling equipment. Catching it for its 6 month vaccine will be near impossible if it's not super friendly without a head hate. It will be 300lbs by then.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

The cow is my father's and he doesn't want to vaccinate his calf. We didn't give the cow any meds prior to being bred which i read is apparently a thing. His motto is that cows have been having calves for years without help.... We do have the tool to band a bull calf though.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

That bull has a lot of Simmental in him. Like a lot, more than Hereford. If he were even 3/4 Hereford he'd have more of a white stripe down the top of his neck than he has shown here. I've seen red-necked Herefords but they still looked like your typical Hereford. Not this guy. And the forehead is SO Simmental, just the shape of it and the ears and both patches over the eyes. I'd peg him, without asking, at 3/4 Simmental and 1/4 Hereford.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Is that a good or a bad thing? I don't know much about that breed.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Heifer:
View attachment 18822
View attachment 18821 Cow: View attachment 18818 View attachment 18819
View attachment 18820

We have two cows that should be calving any day... But I've thought that for about a week now. These are the first cows we've had and I'm pretty nervous... The older cow, who is the mother of our other one, has been bagged up for over a week now. And she looks awful springy... Her stuff bounces all over the place. But still no calf! The other is a heifer. She's finally developing udders and is getting a bit springy. Can anyone give me an idea of when We should expect to see a calf? Thee pictures are from yesterday.
Please do not mind the mud in the pictures. I could only get them by the feed bin because the bull isn't thrilled about anyone getting near his women....

I forgot what @cjc's prediction where, but my guesstimate is Heifer: 2 or 3 months away; Cow: 3 to 4 weeks. I never go by the udder. I always go by the vulva and the tail-head. The udder can fill up well before calving time. But that vulva getting loosey-goosey and the tail-head sinking in are big-time indicators that the cow or heifer is very close to calving. Your heifer's vulva is still tight and the tail-head too high up to be even close. But the cow is getting there.

Patience, my dear, patience. Trust me, waiting for a cow or heifer to calve is like waiting for water to boil.