calving problems

[av smoker]

hi i had to pull a calf on sat and now his front legs are hurt cant stand very well is there anything i can do vet long way away

 

[dun]

Give it time. If it's standing at all they legs will get better. Unless you used a truck to pull it it's relatively hard to do permanent harm.

dun

 

[Beefy]

elaborate on "how" they are hurt.

 

[Farmgirl]

We had to pull one a few weeks ago. He had a little trouble straightening out his sore feet for a few days. Now you could never tell it happened. I was concerned too, initially.

 

[av smoker]

thank you very much front legs bowed out and shaking when standing

 

[Beef11]

I have seen braces made out PVC pipe cut down one side and then duct taped on seemed to work well.

Doesn't AV stand for artificial vagina? I wouldn't recomend smoking them because of all plastic and rubber seems like that smoke could kill you pretty quick.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Hard calving & bowed legs (tight tendons kinda go hand in hand) Hard calving is USUALLY because the calf is too big. Tight tendons is usually because the calf is too big & is crowded inside the cow. Happens a lot with twins.

You can definately hurt the hooves when pulling a calf. Chains/straps should be placed above the dew claw. You should loosen the chain periodically to let blood circulate to the hooves during pulling.
Dun, not to step on your toes, but there are lots of folks out there that DO NOT know the proper way to place the chains. Improper chain placement can deffinately "kill" the hooves. Never pull with pressure right above the hoof.

 

[dun]

Dun, not to step on your toes, but there are lots of folks out there that DO NOT know the proper way to place the chains. Improper chain placement can deffinately "kill" the hooves. Never pull with pressure right above the hoof.

I was just stupid. I had assumed (and we know about assumptions) if someone was pulling a calf they had at least the basic knowledge of the process/procedure

dun

 

[dun]

Dun, not to step on your toes, but there are lots of folks out there that DO NOT know the proper way to place the chains. Improper chain placement can deffinately "kill" the hooves. Never pull with pressure right above the hoof.

I was just stupid. I had assumed (and we know about assumptions) if someone was pulling a calf they had at least the basic knowledge of the process/procedure. That's another one of those deals that when you've done it a lot you lose sight of when you learned it and think it's common knowledge.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's another one of those deals that when you've done it a lot you lose sight of when you learned it and think it's common knowledge.

dun

Boy, you are so right. I do the same thing. Maybe we're telling our age here

 

[dun]

That's another one of those deals that when you've done it a lot you lose sight of when you learned it and think it's common knowledge.

dun

Boy, you are so right. I do the same thing. Maybe we're telling our age here

I'll admit mine! Old enough to vote................lots of times

dun

 

[rjk]

LET ME CHANGE DIRECTIONS AND ASK IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. HAVE A NEW CALF, BUT RIGHT FRONT LEG IS PULLED UP AS IF IT IS LAYING DOWN ON IT. CHECKED IT, NOT BROKE, TRIED PULLING IT STRAIGHT, WOULD HAVE BROKE LEG. CALF IS AMAZINGLY FAST AND AGILE ON 3 LEGS. VET SAID HE HAD SOME SUCCESS CUTTING TENDONS, BUT LEG WOULDN'T BE RIGHT, BUT BETTER THAN IS NOW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SURGERY, WOULD IT BE WORTH THE TROUBLE AND EXPENSE? SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO LET IT GROW AND BUTCHER, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.
THANKS,
RJK

 

[msscamp]

We've had calves with shortened tendons before, but none were as bad as what you're describing. As long as the calf is getting around and isn't hurting, I think I would grow it out and butcher it.

 

[Bez!]

LET ME CHANGE DIRECTIONS AND ASK IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. HAVE A NEW CALF, BUT RIGHT FRONT LEG IS PULLED UP AS IF IT IS LAYING DOWN ON IT. CHECKED IT, NOT BROKE, TRIED PULLING IT STRAIGHT, WOULD HAVE BROKE LEG. CALF IS AMAZINGLY FAST AND AGILE ON 3 LEGS. VET SAID HE HAD SOME SUCCESS CUTTING TENDONS, BUT LEG WOULDN'T BE RIGHT, BUT BETTER THAN IS NOW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SURGERY, WOULD IT BE WORTH THE TROUBLE AND EXPENSE? SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO LET IT GROW AND BUTCHER, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.
THANKS,
RJK

Any animal that requires surgery immediately after birth is not worth keeping.

Give it some time to see what is happening - but if you were to refer to my 'cost of keeping a cow" you would know what I would do with this animal.

If you do not mind eating a flawed animal - I do - then do as those folks said.

If you do not mind having other folks see what is born on your place - I do - then do as those folks said.

Regards

Bez!

 

[Victoria]

What is the cost of the surgery? How much weight will the calf be able to put on if he has the surgery? I'm presuming you couldn't sell him at auction but could you feed him up for the freezer? If you gave him surgery would you break even on the calf? If so it might be worth it if you plan to keep the cow. A cow with a calf is generally happier, healthier and gets pregnant easier in a herd. Of course if you have a really small herd that may not be a concern.

I wouldn't keep him as is. If your vet is talking surgery chances are the leg is really bad. As he grows and the bones and muscles start getting larger it could get pretty painful for the calf. So in my mind that isn't even an option.

If it were our calf he would've been dead already. That's my opinion.

To answer your other question, no we've never had one that bad.