February in Missouri is usually not a nice month. This year was no exception. Rain and cold temps is the worst weather combination for new calves. I would prefer snow and frozen ground instead of mud, endless mud!
When weather conditions are bad (35 degrees and under with precipitation or dry with temps in the teens or single digits) we check through the cows and heifers every four hours round the clock. Typically we check heifers more often because the birth process for a heifer takes longer, meaning a stressed calf, and heifers don’t do a good job licking the calf off. We have thermometers-simple 10 dollar Walmart thermometers – in our pockets and every new calf gets checked unless it is up and nursing. A calf’s temp should be 100 to 102 so anything lower than that comes inside to warm up. We have found out the hard way that waiting to see if the temp will come up does not work!
Cold calves are put in one of the plywood boxes in the warm garage with heat lamps on them. We give them replacement colostrum (115 IgG) with a stomach tube when they come in, we usually split it into two feedings a couple hours apart. We also dry them off with towels and a blow dryer. It can take a couple of hours or sometimes half a day for a calf’s temp to get back to 100. It all depends on the calf and what his temp was when he came in. Thermometers only register down to 89 degrees after that it reads L for low. That is not a good sign and we’ve had several of those this year. When the calf’s temp is up, he’s had colostrum, and he’s standing on his own he goes back to his mother.
We have learned how to pick up and return the calf so the cow takes the calf back every time. We let the cow lick the calf for at least 15 or 20 minutes then we slip in as calmly and quietly as possible, check his temp, pick him up if necessary and leave. Cows will stay at the spot where they last saw their calf. Sometimes they wander off, but they always come back to that spot. Taking the cow to the pen is usually a mistake because when the cow gets worked up it is hard to get her to take the calf back. Putting the calf down in the same spot will bring the cow running, especially if Mitch does his very convincing calf bawl.
I can only image what the cow is saying. Something along the line of, “Do you want to go to time out young man? I’m so glad you’re back! Don’t you ever run off with those two legged things again! Stranger danger! You’re grounded for the rest of your life!”
Or my favorite “I love you so much!”
Until next time.
Don’t forget to shut the gate!