Maggie, our heifer

[farmerjan]

I would advise for you to take the salt block out of the pen. She does not need it for a few days if she is locked in there. If she spends too much time licking it, she will retain more water and get more edema in her udder and in the area under her belly (like where her belly button is). If you can pretty much see all her fenced in field, then honestly, she is better off out on clean grass unless they are calling for rain and crappy weather. The more exercise she gets the less problems she will have. I know lots of people who calve in a stall, so it is not the end of the world, and I have penned up animals that are famous for "hiding" their calf, but I prefer they calve on green grass. Just one thing to watch for in a pen, if she starts to calve and her hind end is close to a wall, MAKE HER GET UP AND AWAY FROM IT. I have seen cows calve up against a wall, and the calf either cannot get out right, or can suffocate because there is not enough room and they get stuck in the fluids/membrane/placenta. It is not common, but just a heads up to watch out for. Not able to see her vulva too well, but I don't think she is that loose yet. But they can fool you.
Hope she fools you, looks all calm and serene, then an hour later you go out and there is a pretty little calf wobbling trying to stand and nurse. That's the best surprise.

 

[sunnysideupfarm]

Thank you for that advice.

 

[sunnysideupfarm]

We are trying to get Maggie to take her CMPK. We have crushed it up and tried to give it to her with her feed, molasses, muffins. She just sniffs it and won't touch it. Any ideas?

 

[farmerjan]

I don't know what kind of CMPK you are giving her. And honestly, if she isn't showing any signs of problems, why? I don't give it to any of my dairy cows unless I have suspicions of milk fever. Had on older jersey cow that was prone to milk fever, prior to calving, so she did get a tube before calving and one again after and sometimes a third 12-24 hours later. But I have never given it to cattle as a preventative. What form is it in? Pills/boluses???
The only form I have ever seen it in is a paste that is in a tube.(or IV) Like a caulking tube.

You halter them where they can't move their head much, stick the tube in the side of their mouth and about halfway back their throat, use a plunger of some sort to push the paste out, down their throat and they have to swallow it. Stroke the throat to make sure they swallow. If it is in bolus form, then it should be administered with a "balling gun" that you put the bolus/pill in, shove it down their throat as far as you can and they will swallow it. The balling gun is about 12 - 18 inches long at most and the plunger only adds an inch or two to the length. You cannot lose it or put it too far down a full grown cows throat. They will "regurgitate" the pill if it doesn't get down far enough that they have to swallow it. Once it dissolves, then any cud they bring back up won't matter.

Sorry I am not much help, but I am curious as to exactly what and why you are giving this to her.

 

[sunnysideupfarm]

Vet recommended, slow release cmpk bolus. She finally did eat her first dosage, mixed in her feed. They are large pills that can be crushed.

 

[farmerjan]

New one to me. Have been involved with dairy cattle of my own, as a milk tester and as an AI tech, for over 40 years. Never heard of giving it to an animal unless a history of problems. Especially not a heifer. Jerseys have a greater tendency to have milk fever than other breeds, about 2% ; but usually only after a couple of lactations. I've see it in holsteins that are very high producers and on farms where they are pushed to come into production quickly. And a well fed heifer with her first calf should not be in danger of having milk fever. Well, you do what your vet tells you if you like and trust the vet.

 

[Beekissed]

To me she doesn't even look preggers. Must be a mighty small calf if she is. But, no, she doesn't look "loose" at all.

A watched pot and all...

 

[sunnysideupfarm]

She is due today.

 

[farmerjan]

Honestly, she does not look any looser in the vulva than before. With that much udder development, I would say she is pregnant - because I have never seen a heifer develop that much udder just from being fat.
Is there any chance she could be bred to a later breeding? What was her exact breeding date? Maybe you didn't have a correct due date? One thing, most jerseys do not look hugely pregnant because the calves are often more "long" than they are "wide".
Okay, I see where her actual breeding date is Dec 1st and she was confirmed pregnant. I would give her at least 2 weeks before I would panic over it, and check to make sure there is no possibility that she could have come in heat and gotten bred 3 weeks later. Any neighbors bulls around? Believe me, they can be sneaky.... and there have been many cases of a heifer/cow, jumping a fence and going to a bull and coming back home without you realizing it.

The only other suggestion is if she goes way over, to have the vet recheck her......

 

[Mini Horses]

It is shocking at how well a cow/bull can jump a fence! With all the bulk you wouldn't think so but, I've witnessed it with amazement.