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sack over the head

J

jodywy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
6,119
Location
Cabin Creek, Carlile,Wyoming
Think that the single biggest lost on a newborn calf is the sack still over the head. found a some with it still over the head or nose , or feel the licked off dead calf might of had one that didn't get cleaned off fast enough. Just checking cows and ran over and broke a sack on a calf I was watching be born......
 
I think we lose way more that way than coming breech. I've saved less than I've lost. The golden 30 seconds makes all the difference. Tough loss when you find one and you know.
 
Sometimes it's like doing battle with a bear to save the calf. They're not immediately appreciative.
 
Pulled several off this year, haven't lost one yet to it this season thankfully. Like Traveler said though, sometimes it's a battle and there is never a thank you.
 
Once Mr. FH had a cow in the barn that he was watching. He went out and sat in this pickup, thinking it slows the cow down when a human is right there watching. He wasn't there long at all, went back in to check on the progress. The calf was aleady dead, sack over its head, cow licking the wrong end. :(
 
Regarding Travelers comment, true story, over and over. Be nice if they showed that enthusiasm cleaning off junior. Worst example this year wasn't a bear, but a prolapsed heifer. Sack over the whole front half of the calf. In 24 hours the heifer went on the same truck.
I almost prefer they get up as the calf passes the hips. Never worry about suffocation. Maybe I have seen three calves with a broken neck, 5 or 6 the cow killed, 25 or 30 of those I prevented. North of 50 I know suffocated, that many more I wondered about. Out of the last 1250-1500 ish. Some years that has been the only losses.
 
Yea it sucks when you go out in the morning and a calf is all licked off the cow claiming it and it's dead probably from the sack over the head. Everything that went right to get the calf then that happens.
 
Our neighbors were here shooting squirrels last week while we were at church. The boys wanted to go home but the parents didn't so they went to shoot in the calving lot for awhile...saw a cow calving and the calf had the sack on. Good thing they were here and knew what they were doing!
 
Debbie saved one yesterday. Made up for the one that died that way out of a heifer in the barn.

Yesterday was due date. We were 25% done when we started. Have had better years as far as losses go.

As FH said, "Next Year"........
 

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