Calving in the cold

We have another round of embryo calves hitting the ground this week.  Calving is always a nerve-racking time.  Especially when it is cold and wet outside.  We have gone through a great deal of planning to be prepared for this.  We have a heated barn with stalls to support up to 8 cow/calf sets.  Right behind the calving barn is the working facility when we can doing any pulling or vet work on the cow if need be.  When it is cold you want to ensure you get the calf dry, and is eating as soon as possible. 

Once they are dry then we get involved with our tools.  We have a very strict regiment that we follow that includes vaccinations, weighing, tagging, and dipping the navel in 6-way iodine solution.  We also continue to spray the navel for the next few days with more iodine.  When the calve hits the ground we ensure they are eating properly and regularly.  I have found you can never be too careful to keep your calves alive and healthy.  During the first few month’s calves are the most prone to illness and anything you can to do to keep them moooving is worth it.  Stay tuned, soon we will be doing an educational video on how we stay prepared for our calves.