Our calving season is ready to begin. We have been busy getting ready.
The warming boxes are ready. This one in the heated garage. Mitch built a small room in the working barn with a similar 5 x 5 box in it also. We carry cheap digital thermometers in our pockets. Usually a calf with a temp under 100 will come in. Hopefully, we won’t need to bring anything in, but it is wintertime in Missouri!
We tag our bull calves with blue tags and heifers with yellow. They are tagged with their dam’s number and their birth date. Each calf gets a dose of Optimizer gel. Optimizer contains antibodies for scour prevention, probiotics, and vitamins. We’ve used it for several years and haven’t had any outbreaks of scours. We do also vaccinate the cows with a scour prevention vaccine and use the Sand Hills Method for calving rotation. They also receive an inter-nasal dose of Inforce 3. Inforce 3 is a modified live vaccine for IBR, BRSV, and PI3.
It is extremely important that calves get colostrum in the first few hours. We make sure that a calf that is too cold or too weak to stand and nurse gets a full 2 quarts of 100+ IgG colostrum so that he has the best start possible under difficult circumstances.
We’re also ready for calving problems. Backwards, too big, leg back or any other issue that requires assistance. We keep a bucket with a set of chains and handles by the laundry room sink. With just a little soap and hot water we are ready to pull a calf. The J-Lube canister and the calf jack are setting beside the chute.
Wish us luck and good weather!
Until next time.
Don’t forget to shut the gate!