What a sad day. Monday update!
Mar 31, 2018 17:22:09 GMT -5
eon69nc, grammagrace, and 2 more like this
Post by finallyfarming on Mar 31, 2018 17:22:09 GMT -5
My cow managed to push out a dead, slightly deformed calf early this morning. It came out butt first as it's back legs were frozen and tucked under the belly. It took the poor cow all night to deliver and she had to have the vet out this morning for some CMPK as she developed Milk Fever. I think she had been in the first stage of labor for the whole afternoon and then from 10 or so till 4am she was in active pushing mode. The Doc couldn't believe she managed to deliver the calf herself, usually they have to be cut into pieces to get out a presentation like that.The calf was born dead and had been for awhile, not slipping the hair or anything but obviously dead before delivery. I think it was a bull calf but the rectum was just a bloody hole, I am not sure if things got squeezed during delivery or it was just, well, off. And with the unbendable legs it was hard to tell. The cow still hasn't eaten anything and I am sure we will have a major ketosis problem now too. Poor thing is tuckered out and snoozing in a sunny place in her stall. The vet doesn't want her milked until tomorrow noonish. This all seems so nightmarish and I just don't know what to do with myself. No sleep at all last night and really nothing to do for cow but obsess on her not eating. Sorry for the whining but I can't sleep, can't milk, can't force food down the cows neck, so I am reduced to wandering around not making any sense. Think I will wander out and see if she is eating yet.
So I really shouldn't milk her till tomorrow noon? The only reason she hasn't exploded is she was sucking on her front teats between contractions last night and the rears have been leaking. Poor girl, I feel so bad for her. She loves her babies, we couldn't remove the calf till one this afternoon. It took her that long before she gave up on it. So sad.
Update:
I was worried yesterday afternoon, thinking I would have to have to vet back out on Easter. But when I went to check around 3 in the afternoon she had her head buried in her feeder. YAY! I milked out 5 gallons Sunday night, and put milk all the way to my pump through 20 feet of vaccuum hose cause 5 gallons in a surge bucket is all the way to the top. And it still didn't empty her out. So I did a partial milking and did my best to empty her. (I am a people pleaser at heart.) This morning I got 3 gallons and I don't think I had a full let down, there is still some edema and she isn't totally on board with me having all the milk yet. But it went smoother and she didn't have to show her displeasure at my fumbling around by Pooping all over. Thank you, Cow! Now I will really relax when I see a nice full rumen, She got so hollow from not eating for a couple of days.
So I really shouldn't milk her till tomorrow noon? The only reason she hasn't exploded is she was sucking on her front teats between contractions last night and the rears have been leaking. Poor girl, I feel so bad for her. She loves her babies, we couldn't remove the calf till one this afternoon. It took her that long before she gave up on it. So sad.
Update:
I was worried yesterday afternoon, thinking I would have to have to vet back out on Easter. But when I went to check around 3 in the afternoon she had her head buried in her feeder. YAY! I milked out 5 gallons Sunday night, and put milk all the way to my pump through 20 feet of vaccuum hose cause 5 gallons in a surge bucket is all the way to the top. And it still didn't empty her out. So I did a partial milking and did my best to empty her. (I am a people pleaser at heart.) This morning I got 3 gallons and I don't think I had a full let down, there is still some edema and she isn't totally on board with me having all the milk yet. But it went smoother and she didn't have to show her displeasure at my fumbling around by Pooping all over. Thank you, Cow! Now I will really relax when I see a nice full rumen, She got so hollow from not eating for a couple of days.