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Center of IL | First, I'd go and buy the best calf puller you can find. I had a big cast aluminum one that worked great with a ratchet. They are expensive but probably the cost of 1 vet bill. Saw wire is handy too in a real mess. I had mine dry lotted at calving and fed them in the evening and they usually calved during the day then. I still checked them around 1or 2 am anyway. A pen to catch them in, where you can control the cow and protect yourself is also very helpful. The pen is necessary if you have to teach the calf to drink, and the calf MUST drink. Sometimes I'd have to throw the calf down on its knees when I had an old cow with a big bag or just a huge calf. AS soon as I could, usually right after the calf is dropped I'd throw them into a nice grass pasture with other cows that had calved. I didn't calve until April to avoid the muddy mess that probably occurring right now. I had dirt mounds and would cover them with corn stalk stacks to attempt to supply a dry place for cows. I've done the skinning route too and this works great if you can lock then up together for a few days. Good Luck, especially if your calving in this weather ! | |
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Calving helpfull hints???
