Southern Ohio | Simocattle - 4/23/2025 08:05
I would have to breed my heifers Longhorn to get very many to calf within a half hour of a water bag. We normally let them go until progress stops or heifer is showing signs of getting tired. Any blood on rectum or walking extremely spraddle legged are signs intervention is necessary and soon. We calf them close to the barn.
A bull supplier I have one told me once everyone calves heifers just a little different. This thread proves that point.
Maybe because everyone's definition of "progression" is different?
I don't calve many heifers but had one a few weeks ago that was interesting. Found her with the hooves just poking out and bag already broken. Had checked her a couple hours earlier and wasn't in active labor so it hadn't been that long. When she'd lay down, she get the hooves out and barely the nose. She'd stand up and they'd go back in. So it's about 45 minutes that I've been watching this back and forth that may not be considered "progress"...... and the bag has likely been broken for an hour plus. My daughter and I were eating dinner and watching from the truck and I'm to the point I'm thinking it's time to help. About that time, she laid back down but where a hay ring was blocking our view. I finish my food not even two minutes later, start the truck and pull around where I could see her again and the calf is out. So there are probably thousands of cases where intervention could be five minutes early and, on the flipside, could be five minutes late. |
How long?