Well, it's only Thursday and I feel like it's been a fortnight..
Monday started with one of the dry cows, number 61, starting to calve mid-morning away up on the hill, which meant a phone call to get some help getting her into my yard. Achieved this mid-morning and kept an eye on her progress. Phil put his hand in her to check how she was doing and it was immediately obvious the calf wasn't presenting properly and that it was sadly already dead. 45 minutes later, after trying to attach ropes to the calf's feet etc, Phil gave up and we called the vet. Luckily, it was Piers (who must be about 6'4" and built like a brick shit house B) ) who arrived. After a minute or two, he announces that the cow had a complete uterine twist and that before we could get the calf out, we had to get the uterus turned.
The cow herself was being an absolute star through all this - in a lot of pain she didn't give us one ounce of trouble and so Piers was able to turn the uterus and we were able to put 61 into the barn and leave her to get on and start to calve 'naturally'. After a couple of hours, no calf due to the fact her cervix had shut down and wasn't opening up as it would have to do. Called Piers back to farm and two choices - c-section for the cow or cut the calf out of the cow. Economically, c-sections for dairy cows aren't usually an option, especially with a dead calf on board, as they never get back in calf and this cow was already getting on in years.
So, another two hours of effort by Piers and Phil for the hardest calving I've ever seen, with me running backwards and forwards with buckets and ropes and calving ratchet! By 7.30pm, the calf was out, one very shocked and sad cow, two shattered blokes and me. Bedded cow for the night and hoped for the best.
Next morning, while she was still very quiet, she was up and hopefully she'll continue to improve - she really deserves her chances.
So when number 94 starts to calve later that Tuesday evening, in my Nursery paddock behind the house, I am not particularly worried, as she was at term and has looked very well. Come 10 pm, I'm starting to get a little worried but knew that Phil had gone to bed really early because of the previous day and so I wasn't too keen on calling him. However, come 11.30pm, I knew it wasn't right, so called him out and, to our utter disbelief, when he put his hand in to check presentation, it was another uterine twist!!! Bear in mind, in the five years I've been doing the summer calving shifts, I've never seen one and must have had around 250 cows calve during that time here. Only a partial twist this time but again, no go and vet called directly.
However, 94 is a nutter of a cow and was in no way going to co-operate and the on-duty vet, Simon (who was due out to the farm to remove a cyst beneath one of my mare's eyes later that day on what was now Wednesday), had a much harder job than Piers in trying to correct the twist. At that point the calf was still alive. We had to raise a neighbouring farmer to add muscle in trying to completely roll-over the cow (who refused to stand which would have helped herself immensely).
The scene is now one totally prostrate vet on the floor with his hand in the cow, who is flat out also, trying to work out whether to roll said cow clockwise or anti-clockwise. And the three of us ready to heave the cow.
'Clockwise,' says Simon, so we heave away and manage to roll her through 360 degrees. Silence.... except for much puffing from us.
'Ooops, nope, anticlockwise' says Simon and so we have to roll her back over - twice.... to correct the twist.
Again, we had to then wait for her cervix to open and, while this time we were spared having to cut the calf out, it was still a horrendous calving. By 2.30 am, calf was out, sadly again dead and another very shocked and in pain cow. She was of course treated with drugs to reduce the pain, swelling and any infections, made as comfortable as we could and I crawled into bed at 3.00 am.
Back in yard at 7.00am, straight to her barn, only to find she's obviously had a massive heart attack probably only an hour or so after we'd left her, and was very, very dead. I just wanted to howl! Two dead calves and one cow in under 48 hours..
Anyway, Simon vet was also pissed off when he came out that afternoon to remove the cyst on Lolly - not a good result for all his efforts.
So onto this morning - off to check dry cows as usual and could see 77 had calved. As I had the dogs with me and could see she was up and the calf was moving having only just been dropped, I reported in and carried on exercising the dogs, thinking at least third time lucky.
So when Phil went to collect 77 and calf an hour ago, I get a phone call saying he knew that the calf has an open lesion on her spine (spina bifida) and completely deformed legs. How 77 calved that unassisted I don't know but sadly, the calf will have to be put down, so that's three dead calves and a dead cow in the last 72 hours.
Marvellous..
Monday started with one of the dry cows, number 61, starting to calve mid-morning away up on the hill, which meant a phone call to get some help getting her into my yard. Achieved this mid-morning and kept an eye on her progress. Phil put his hand in her to check how she was doing and it was immediately obvious the calf wasn't presenting properly and that it was sadly already dead. 45 minutes later, after trying to attach ropes to the calf's feet etc, Phil gave up and we called the vet. Luckily, it was Piers (who must be about 6'4" and built like a brick shit house B) ) who arrived. After a minute or two, he announces that the cow had a complete uterine twist and that before we could get the calf out, we had to get the uterus turned.
The cow herself was being an absolute star through all this - in a lot of pain she didn't give us one ounce of trouble and so Piers was able to turn the uterus and we were able to put 61 into the barn and leave her to get on and start to calve 'naturally'. After a couple of hours, no calf due to the fact her cervix had shut down and wasn't opening up as it would have to do. Called Piers back to farm and two choices - c-section for the cow or cut the calf out of the cow. Economically, c-sections for dairy cows aren't usually an option, especially with a dead calf on board, as they never get back in calf and this cow was already getting on in years.
So, another two hours of effort by Piers and Phil for the hardest calving I've ever seen, with me running backwards and forwards with buckets and ropes and calving ratchet! By 7.30pm, the calf was out, one very shocked and sad cow, two shattered blokes and me. Bedded cow for the night and hoped for the best.
Next morning, while she was still very quiet, she was up and hopefully she'll continue to improve - she really deserves her chances.
So when number 94 starts to calve later that Tuesday evening, in my Nursery paddock behind the house, I am not particularly worried, as she was at term and has looked very well. Come 10 pm, I'm starting to get a little worried but knew that Phil had gone to bed really early because of the previous day and so I wasn't too keen on calling him. However, come 11.30pm, I knew it wasn't right, so called him out and, to our utter disbelief, when he put his hand in to check presentation, it was another uterine twist!!! Bear in mind, in the five years I've been doing the summer calving shifts, I've never seen one and must have had around 250 cows calve during that time here. Only a partial twist this time but again, no go and vet called directly.
However, 94 is a nutter of a cow and was in no way going to co-operate and the on-duty vet, Simon (who was due out to the farm to remove a cyst beneath one of my mare's eyes later that day on what was now Wednesday), had a much harder job than Piers in trying to correct the twist. At that point the calf was still alive. We had to raise a neighbouring farmer to add muscle in trying to completely roll-over the cow (who refused to stand which would have helped herself immensely).
The scene is now one totally prostrate vet on the floor with his hand in the cow, who is flat out also, trying to work out whether to roll said cow clockwise or anti-clockwise. And the three of us ready to heave the cow.
'Clockwise,' says Simon, so we heave away and manage to roll her through 360 degrees. Silence.... except for much puffing from us.
'Ooops, nope, anticlockwise' says Simon and so we have to roll her back over - twice.... to correct the twist.
Again, we had to then wait for her cervix to open and, while this time we were spared having to cut the calf out, it was still a horrendous calving. By 2.30 am, calf was out, sadly again dead and another very shocked and in pain cow. She was of course treated with drugs to reduce the pain, swelling and any infections, made as comfortable as we could and I crawled into bed at 3.00 am.
Back in yard at 7.00am, straight to her barn, only to find she's obviously had a massive heart attack probably only an hour or so after we'd left her, and was very, very dead. I just wanted to howl! Two dead calves and one cow in under 48 hours..
Anyway, Simon vet was also pissed off when he came out that afternoon to remove the cyst on Lolly - not a good result for all his efforts.
So onto this morning - off to check dry cows as usual and could see 77 had calved. As I had the dogs with me and could see she was up and the calf was moving having only just been dropped, I reported in and carried on exercising the dogs, thinking at least third time lucky.
So when Phil went to collect 77 and calf an hour ago, I get a phone call saying he knew that the calf has an open lesion on her spine (spina bifida) and completely deformed legs. How 77 calved that unassisted I don't know but sadly, the calf will have to be put down, so that's three dead calves and a dead cow in the last 72 hours.
Marvellous..
