Apparently, cows can be too small to give birth.
#1 was born in September of 2021. At 2 1/2 years old, she should be able to have a calf, so I had her breed with the neighbor’s bull back in April of 2023. The bull isn’t a big bull, and quite small in fact, which is something I wanted for my herd.
#1 was the first calf I ever tagged. I didn’t know much about raising cattle at the time, and the drought that happened that year was the worst in recorded history (150 years). I ended up feeding hay and some supplements to my animals, but without even understanding how to interpret body condition, my animals did not do very well. Eventually I was able to find the right balance and my cattle did better, but I can’t help but think that my mismanagement had something to do with her growing up smaller than normal.
Of course, 2022 and 2023 both had severe droughts, with 2022 having a bigger impact on my operation than either 2021 or 2023. I had to feed the bulk feed in the autumn and winter of 2022 as hay prices were ridiculous. Even then, I tried to feed them enough to stay alive, not get fat.
The spring of 2023 was very good, and our summer was long but not too hot. After about August of 2023 grass became scarce and I ran out of the stockpile I had kept, and so I started feeding hay, this time more aware of their food requirements and feeding them protein supplement as their manure started to firm up.
It was probably too little too late, though. #1 went in to labor on Saturday 2/10/2024. I saw that she had a “booger” hanging out of her butt, so I expected to see a new calf on Sunday. When I came to the field on Sunday, though, all I saw was a tiny hoof sticking out of her rear.
A quick call to friends and neighbors confirmed that I had to pull this calf out. No matter how hard I pulled it wouldn’t budge. I reached in and found the nose and was convinced that everything was lined up, but no movement. My neighbor brought a calf-pulling chain and we tugged as hard as we could but it still wouldn’t budge. My neighbor called in his friend and they used a winch to pull on the chain and still nothing, He threw in the hat and said you need a vet.
The vet came shortly after and tried to pull out the calf to no avail either. This was a case where the birth canal wasn’t big enough for the calf, and the calf wasn’t a big one. Since it was already dead, he cut the forelegs out carefully, and was just barely able to pull the carcass out of the birth canal, exerting a tremendous amount of force use mechanical leverage.
After the birth, #1 was pooped. She lay down in a pile of hay and from what I could see she probably would never get up.
On Monday, though, I came to the field and saw the hay pile empty. #1 was walking around, skinnier, weak, but alive.
Unfortunately this is the end of the road for #1. I’ll fatten her up a bit on the new spring grass, hay and protein supplements. Then I’ll take her to the sale barn. Maybe she’ll end up in a stocker operation to spend her last months of life. Maybe she’ll just be turned into hamburger. Or maybe someone knows how to manage a cow like her and can get a decade’s worth of healthy calves out of her. Either way, I don’t have a space for her in my operation.
In the meantime, I have to wonder if other calves are going to suffer the same problem. “Trouble comes in threes” is the saying around her. I’ll certainly be more vigilant and reactive when it comes to calving. “Wait and see” is a good way to end up more bones for the boneyard.