Well she made it to May! Pics page 2

[redtailgal]

I wouldn't lock her in. The pacing will help a heifer have an easier delivery. She may walk and pace right up until she lays down to push, and confining her may make her tense and frustrated, leading to a harder birth.

Here's another tip: this is your first calving, relax and take a breath, lol. This is a fun time and chances are it will go off without a hitch. Let her do her thing, and you just sit back and watch, ready to act in the unlikely event of a problem.

The red light wont have any effect on her birthing.

 

[kelsey2017]

I am pretty relaxed but I also had to work all weekend, so I was half expecting to come home to a baby. I don't want to lock her unless it is terrible weather, they were talking snow, yuck!
Her barn is pretty big and all hers, I always let her come and go. I will start shutting her in the cattle panel 'yard' outside of the barn at night so at least she is not out in the pasture when she calves. The wolves would hone right in on that.

On another note, where I bought the CMPK and Keto gels I couldn't get the dispensing gun, so I will have to order one. Are they mostly the same? The tubes I bought are just like any other big tube that I can tell.

 

[clarmayfarm]

Hi from Virginia,

The CMPK or KETO gel can be given with a metal caulking gun found at any hardware/ Lowes store. We don't usually give them to our dairy cows until after they calve. I did not read what breed your heifer is, but she looks to be a Jersey cross. Jerseys have a propensity to get milk fever, so you may want to give her a tube of calcium gel as well, that plus a CMPK will not hurt her.

Don't worry, a light nor locking her in will disturb her labor once she starts.

We look for the following signs for an impending birth: no cud chewing, switching the tail, kicking at herself, etc., but she can fool you...we have a camera in our maternity pen (we live 1/2 mile from barn), and sometimes they just fool you.
And once you see feet and are certain they are front feet (diving, head first with soles down), give her some time to push before interfering.

Have fun!

 

[kelsey2017]

I noticed right away this morning that my heifer has fluid by her belly button. I can't tell though if it is just edema or a hernia, is it possible that it could be a hernia?

 

[rd200]

I noticed right away this morning that my heifer has fluid by her belly button. I can't tell though if it is just edema or a hernia, is it possible that it could be a hernia? http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/3312_edema.jpg

Not a hernia. MOST heifers that i deal with on a daily basis get that. Its not a big deal, sometimes it will get alot bigger than that. Its just swelling.The Vet told me once WHY they get that, but i cant remember what he said. Looks like she's getting there. He udder should get fuller and her tities will get glossed up and full. Often heifers have a slightly longer calving period than cows do. Our vet always told us that if the calf is presenting normally, dont interfere unless the feet have been visible for an hour with no further progression or if the heifer looks in alot of distress. Or if you come out in the middle of the night and its feet and a head sticking out and the head looks swollen AT ALL, then pull it. I see with our holstein heifers that they get "stuck" at this part of the game. They got enough to get the head out, but if the calf is big or the heifers "parts" are small, they often get the head out and then can't push the rest out. But im sure it will be okay. the majority of heifers do fine with calving. But from growing up on a farm, and doing maternity work the past few years, I've seen some really really weird calvings!!! Backwards, upside down and backwards, full & half twisted uterus, one leg, multiple legs from 2 different calves, backleg and front leg, no legs-just head, just a tail, c-section, hy-drops, triplets, you name, It can happen.... thank goodness for 24hour Vets!!!!

Sorry, didnt mean to scare you.... just alot of possibilities....

 

[kelsey2017]

Wheew! I don't know nuttin yet but I'll get there. The way she still runs around I thought she hurt herself. Thanks for your reassurance, my "cow mentor" is not back until next Monday. I guess Kjersten doesn't know she should wait for him!

 

[redtailgal]

Yeah, Rd is right, it's not a panic situation.

I mean, even I had an "outie" during the last few weeks of my pregnancies.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Very normal. I've seen way worse and it still wasn't a problem.

 

[Icp7147]

It is very normal for this to happen around freshing. You shouldn't be concercerned. Also just a FYI if a cattle diets is high potasium ( sorry not sure on spelling ) It will create more edema in her. I have never had hardly any problems with heifers calving. Ketois is mostly found in aged cows seldom in heifers. As far as milk fever is concerned even being a jersey it is still more often found in aged cows.

 

[kelsey2017]

My computer died while I was trying to do this yesterday, urgh! But here is our new heifer! born yesterday after a very quick labor. I was able to take picture and a video before the camera battery died. She weighs about 50 pounds and is 3/4 jersey. We still have to come up with a good name for her. she would let the calf nurse but Mom is not quite sure why the baby is after her belly but also won't take her eyes off her. We did have to put mom in the stanchion so the calf could nurse but it seems like they have that figured out now. She let me touch her udder and milk her but it was making her nervous when the calf would go around behind her and she just kept turning around so the calf couldn't keep up. I didn't want to monkey around too much but after two hours she hadn't let the calf nurse so we intervened too be sure she got colostrum.
Is Iodine enough for the calf's navel? I have blue-cote but I didn't know if that was okay to use, you only ever hear to put iodine on.