![]() An alternative to systemic pesticide is to confine the animal, and its mother, in the buildings. A calf born during a hot period must be supervised for the first two or three weeks of its life. A systemic pesticide, applied at birth offers a good guarantee against this danger, even if it is not completely foolproof. Two or three days are enough for the calf to be sufficiently infested to cause death. The larvae develop quickly and literally eat the calf. The fly larvae develop quickly by feeding on the skin and soft tissue around the anus, the vulva, the navel area and the inside section of the upper leg. All Highland breeders have had or will face an exceptional situation: worms!!! A calf covered with placenta, even if licked clean by its mother, becomes a breeding ground for flies that lay their eggs on the hair, particularly in the areas hidden or soiled by the calf’s feces. It is preferable to have a shelter for winter calving, at least in Quebec. There is the risk of hypothermia and there is also the risk of serious frostbite to the ears, tail and muzzle. A calf born at -30 C, or even at a more moderate temperature, without dry shelter is at risk. Intense cold, during winter calving is problematic. ![]() They approached the newborn calves and pecked out their eyes with their beaks. Certain breeders in my area have had problems with crows. Wandering dogs can, to a lesser extent, cause damage to a herd. A calf that has strayed under the fence should be brought back to the herd. Therefore, we should make sure the calves remain near the other members of the herd. In spring, the bears are famished and can constitute a danger. ![]() If by chance, it goes under a fence, it finds itself isolated and neither its mother nor other animals in the herd can provide protection. A small calf also has a tendency, after birth and the first nursing, to walk a little and to lie down. A cow almost always has a tendency to isolate herself from the herd when she is ready to calve. The same situation can occur when a cow calves close to water (even a shallow puddle) and the calf falls into this water.Ī good way of checking if the calf is suffering from hypothermia is to insert a hand in the mouth of the calf: if it is cold, the calf is in danger.Īnother danger that awaits a calf is the presence of predators. It should not be forgotten that our small calf is newborn and has not nursed, so it does not have the benefit of having received colostrum (even if a newborn calf can be a little fatty, depending on the mother’s nutritional level). A soaked animal loses its heat quickly, even in a moderate environment. Once the calf is warm, it is important to dry it with a hair-drier. Some breeders have told me to immerse a hypothermic calf in a tepid water bath (at body temperature) to warm it up quickly. What a joy, upon my return in the evening, to find the calf upright, dry and inspecting every corner of the basement. I settled the calf on straw, started the furnace and left the house for my day job. Personally, I have had to carry two calves into my basement (a country house from the beginning of the last century with a basement that is used for storage of firewood and a wood furnace). The best way to proceed is to dry it out and provide heat. If we discover a calf that is not dry yet and is lying full out on its side, we must act quickly. It is thus necessary, during the calving period, and particularly in times of bad weather, to visit the herd often. Unable to warm up, staggering around on soggy ground and offering a great surface area of their body to the cold weather and the rain, it does not take much time and the survival of the calf is compromised. A calf that comes into the world during a cold rain or freezing rain, typical of the Québécois spring, can quickly suffer from hypothermia. During this period in Témiscamingue, we can expect various climatic situations that constitute a danger to the calf. The calving period on our farm generally begins in early April and can stretch until the beginning of June. After 17 calving seasons, I have had to face such a situation several times, and I would like to share my experiences with other breeders, in hopes that the information will be useful to you. How heartbreaking to visit the herd in the morning to find a calf, that was born alive, is now dead and it is all the more disturbing when we realize that the calf was the victim of a situation that could have been avoided. Whether you are a producer with ambitions of trade or a hobbyist, all of us just want our calves to remain alive and healthy. What a pleasure to see these youngsters gambol in the meadows a few days after their birth. Every day brings surprises a male calf when a female would have been preferred? Who cares, the calf is healthy and that is all that counts. The calving season… what a beautiful time of the year. Ghislain Falardeau, Ferme du Geai Bleu, Guigues, QC.
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