Question for experienced cattle people

[Katy]

Quote:
Unfortunately it is possible for coyotes to drag one off.

When ours calve in the pasture they'll be a long distance away......at least 1/2 mile sometimes. When we have a cow lose a calf they'll holler for it for days.

How does her belly look? Sometimes ours have very little discharge, especially if they cleaned right calving.

I don't know what else to tell you other than taking her in to be checked by the vet. She ought to bringing it out of hiding soon if that's what is going on.

 

[joedie]

Okay, I'll just keep on watching her. This weekend will be a week so maybe if it's still here, she'll bring it out. I'm kind of feeling like it's gone, but will keep hoping.

The other Dexter that is due will be kept up in the barn area when I see her bagged up.

Thanks all for the input!

 

[brian21]

If she was that bagged up and then it went down in size something most likely is nursing on her. what else do you have running in the pasture with her? When a cow dries up after losing a calf it will take at least 3 weeks for the swelling to go down. And probably bawling for it for at least 3 days.

 

[glenolam]

I

too for you.

Did your husband say he could hear her bellowing at all while you were gone? If she happen to calve right after you left and lost it right away, she could have gotten over the bellowing by the time you returned.

I hope you smacked him for not paying attention!

 

[joedie]

Quote:
She's running with 7 other cows and 3 mammoth donkeys. There's been no bawling from her. I hardly see any bag at all today. I just can't magine a baby being hidden that good but I'll just keep watching over the weekend! Thanks

 

[joedie]

Quote:
He said he didn't hear her and he was outside all weekend tilling the garden and his "honey do" list.

 

[brian21]

When are you supposed to be starting to calf? From when the cow was exposed to the bull to calving is 283 days. I have to wonder if she didn't shuck the calf before her due date and it wasn't fully developed, and that being said maybe a week or two before you noticed her. I've been around cattle all my life and every calving season usually has some surprises that baffle me. I would have to agree with Katy if you want to know for sure if she still has a calf in her have her preg. checked. Maybe she has a dead calf in her. Heck I have had a cow shuck a calf and still had a calf ends up she had twins and something went wrong with the one that died.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

Her bag would not be smaller if something had not drank the milk. I think she has it hid out and you are not finding it. 40 acres is quite a bit of place to find a calf I would look for it better. Try checking them first thing in morning at first light to see if you see it by her. If her bag is not great big and blowing up something is nursing. I would look at her bag more closely see if one tit looks like is has been sucked and isn't as full as others.

 

[joedie]

I bought her already bred, was told she would be due late March/early April. She was pasture bred. There is about 20 acres next to the pasture that I fenced off last year. Its wooded pasture and there would be lots of places in there to hide but the calf would have to go under the hotwire which as I said before is 24" off the ground. I guess thats feasible but would it really come and go under that wire?

I turned it off just in case since they probably still think its hot.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Yes they'll come and go under the wire. We have a shelter belt to the north side of our cow lot here at home. The calves go thru and under a five strand barbed wire fence to hide in the trees all the time.