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Proper placement of calf pulling chains

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Soapweed

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northern Nebraska Sandhills
Years ago, a veterinarian showed me how to properly put chains on to pull a calf. This is one of the most helpful lessons I've learned.
By putting the 60" chain on in this fashion and pulling from the middle of the chain, injury to the legs almost never happens.
They also don't walk with their ankles bent over after a difficult pull.

Thebestwaytoattachthechains.jpg

The best way to attach the chain


Not sure if it is the cold winter, too good of feed :roll: :wink: , or what for sure, but we have had to pull a lot of calves
out of first calf heifers this calving season. We are calving 350 head of two-year-olds so are watching them pretty closely.
Probably about a third of the heifers are needing assistance, but so far no C-sections have been required. Our older cows
are calving easily, with only an occasional mis-presentation needing to be pulled.

Last night at 11 o'clock the telephone rang. I awoke from deep sleep to answer the call from my dear wife
who is the hard-working night calver. She was watching a heifer calving and things didn't seem right, so she put her in the headcatch.
After checking things out, she realized the calf was coming frontwards but was upside down, and still back in the channel a ways.
She wanted a second opinion. I pondered the situation a moment, then answered, "I hope you don't think this is a cop-out,
because I am only too willing to come help you, but I think more time is what the heifer needs." She admitted that that was what she
was thinking also. We gave the heifer until daylight this morning, and by then the front feet were peeping out of the opening.
It was a big calf and definitely needed to be pulled, but came out alive and well. I know had we tried last night to get the calf out
in its upside down position, the whole endeavor would have been a wreck. When a situation like this is rushed,
the head tends to go back, and then it is a mess. All is well that ends well. :wink:
 
That's interesting. I'd been in there trying to roll him over and pull it. At best it would have been lots more work, with a good chance of thing ending up lots worse. Knowing when to hold 'em and knowing when to fold 'em can win a few hands. Sound like you are having to work at it this year. Hope you are saving most of them. You will if anybody can.
 
I do the same but like to keep the loop and half hitch on the under side of the leg. As you pull down it puts even less stress on the legs.
 
cowboykell said:
I do the same but like to keep the loop and half hitch on the under side of the leg. As you pull down it puts even less stress on the legs.
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I've tried it both ways, but prefer having the loop and half hitch on the upper side of the leg. When it is underneath, the foot bends over, and it looks like it would be more stressful. When we pull backwards calves, then the loop and half hitch are on the bottom, which is actually the "top" of the back leg. This keeps the leg and feet straight with the world. Having done it this way for years, it has been proven to be effective. If the cow or heifer always stayed standing up during the procedure, it might be different. Generally our critters lay down.

Shortgrass said:
That's interesting. I'd been in there trying to roll him over and pull it. At best it would have been lots more work, with a good chance of thing ending up lots worse. Knowing when to hold 'em and knowing when to fold 'em can win a few hands. Sound like you are having to work at it this year. Hope you are saving most of them. You will if anybody can.
Click to expand...

It's been a tough cold year, with a few more casualties than normal. I try to keep telling myself that spring is just around the corner. :)
 
How in the world would the ranch function without Peach???... she gets my nomination for hardest working person of the year award! :D

Sorry to hear about your heifer calving troubles. Lets all hope they straighten out soon.
 
Eyeballing it's feet and ankles---it does look big!

Always a treat to reach in and find what feels like a clydedale's hoof.

Always something to learn.

If your calfs legs aint' square---consider putting one end of them o.b. chains loops in a vise and tapping a curve into them.

On frontwards presentation, with one leg back---you usually gotta push it back in to straighten things out---kinda a 2 hands with room for one arm deal. Try using a little toilet plunger---fits right over the calfs nose and handle don't take up much room.

On a cow that's dryed out inside---crisco makes a pretty good slickem'. You can get it in sticks, just like butter.

Ya' ever wonder if them cows having a hard time getting started that get up and down a lot----that maybe the calf is gettng repositioned?

Widest area of a cow's pelvis? think about it.

It's a diagonal. On hard backwards pull, twist the calfs hips before they enter the pelvis. Frontwards---the chest fits pelvis staightaway---when it's thru, twist. Actually, if you take kinda a breather after chest thru---you'll see hips kinda realigne them selves this way---sometimes.

You got that calf out---and it looks about 10 seconds dead----throw it against the wall, throw a bucket of cold water in it's face, hit it in chest with hot shot-----I have done this with an obviously dead calf---with very experienced cattlemen watching me and a look on their faces like they were prepared to run as i had finally, totally lost it----and revived him. Whatta ya got to lose?

A cuttng torch, duck taped to top half of half liter pop bottle and slipped over calfs nose is good for a little oxygen boost---don't overdo it as co2 level in calfs blood is what gives body signal to breath.

Hard pull---calf struggling to breath----put them in position like lion in front of library---upright, front legs forward---back legs forward on either side----easiest way for diaphram to work. Often gotta kinda prop 'em up with straw
 
How is your exericise program for the heifers? The reason why I ask is I had a simular problem about 10 years ago cold weather good feed =big calves now I get on a horse every day and trail them about a mile and a half every day seems to keep the birth weights down. I bet since I have been doing this I adverage maybe 1 or 2 calves a year that need some help coming out most of the time it is a leg caught back and I also have noticed that the heifers seem to mother their babys better verses just laying there till I get them up. I wish you best of luck.
 
Justin said:
just curious, what are the birth weights of the bulls you used?
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Supposedly light birthweight bulls, between 70 and 85 pounds.

Big Muddy rancher said:
Hoping things straighten out for you guys. This weather sure isn't cooperating.

Are these Hfrs bred to the same bulls as Big Swede's?
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I couldn't have answered that question until just now I looked through the books. Big Swede is still safe. :wink:

Last summer we had 200 yearling heifers in with the bulls that Big Swede and I like to buy. From this bunch, we have only pulled four or five calves.

I had another 200 yearling heifers pastured at a different place. The bulls I put in with them were five yearling bulls and three 2-year-old bulls from another source held over from the year previous. The landowner where these heifers ran had 150 heifers that they were breeding. Early in the summer the fence got down and our two herds merged, so for most of the breeding season all 350 heifers ran together in a several section pasture with access to six windmills and a total of 16 bulls. Their bulls were also supposed to be low birthweight, but at the moment I am rather wondering. Another theory is that a two-year-old bull might throw bigger calves than those he sired as a yearling. It doesn't seem possible, but that could also be a factor. Outside of my five yearling bulls, the other eleven were two years old or older. The calves are big and good, but you'f better be on hand to make sure they arrive safely.

You can breathe a sigh of relief, Big Swede. I think "our" bulls are still producing small easily-born calves. :wink:
 
WyomingRancher said:
How in the world would the ranch function without Peach???... she gets my nomination for hardest working person of the year award! :D

Sorry to hear about your heifer calving troubles. Lets all hope they straighten out soon.
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The ranch wouldn't function without Peach. She is a very competent cowgirl.

WyomingRancher, I also highly admire your abilities and expertise. You also, are a top hand in my book. :)
 
Soapweed said:
WyomingRancher said:
How in the world would the ranch function without Peach???... she gets my nomination for hardest working person of the year award! :D

Sorry to hear about your heifer calving troubles. Lets all hope they straighten out soon.
Click to expand...

The ranch wouldn't function without Peach. She is a very competent cowgirl.

WyomingRancher, I also highly admire your abilities and expertise. You also, are a top hand in my book. :)
Click to expand...

I agree on both accounts. These two ladies are top hands in my book. By may this will all be an afterthought on the calveing that is.
 
There are a lot of ranches that would not run without the gals! Mine included.

Your cold weather and good feed theory is not to be ruled out. Maybe just the year.
 
Another theory is that a two-year-old bull might throw bigger calves than those he sired as a yearling.
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I guess I won't use some semen from a bull from the 1960's, if that theory is correct I might get 200 pound calves. :wink:
 
I once used a AI sire were we helped with every calf he sired that season. Thank god we only had 5 settle to him.

Soapweed I thought you were using some xbred bulls and that may account for some of the calving challenges. I swear some bulls offspring come harder regardless of the birthweight. It maybe the shape of the calf.

I uses about 6 feet of 3/8 inch chain saw starter rope with loops on either end to put on the legs. The rope is long enough to put behind my back and leaves my hands free for working the legs. It is amazing how much leverage/force you can put on the pulling rope with your body weight.
 
we always put the half hitch under the leg and always 2 half hitches below the knuckle and above the hoof. Had a hired man pull a calf with the knot on top and actually broke the calfs legs...both of them!! Heard it did it other places too :roll: Looks like you might have the stress spread out enough over the leg though where it wouldn't be too bad. I think everyone has perfected their own ways! :lol: You always have great pics though!!
 
PATB said:
I once used a AI sire were we helped with every calf he sired that season. Thank god we only had 5 settle to him.

Soapweed I thought you were using some xbred bulls and that may account for some of the calving challenges. I swear some bulls offspring come harder regardless of the birthweight. It maybe the shape of the calf.
Click to expand...

Well one wise soul made the observation that a cow can birth a 200 lb eel easier than an 8lb bowling ball . . .
 
for what it's worth--my rules---keep the mother on her feet ,if you can--half hitch on top of pastern--pull straight back--if backwards put one foot above the other so the hips will rotate a few degrees and keep pulling straight.

always has worked for me
 

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