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(upbeat music)
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- As we approach this
spring's calving season,
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I think it's a good idea to
put together what I call a
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calving kit.
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All the equipment that we're
going to need in the situation
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where we first find that
first two year old heifer that
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needs some help this spring.
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Part of that calving kit,
I think should be a calving
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protocol, a plan, if you will,
for your family, neighbors,
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hired hands that might be around
that will be helping when a
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particular cow or heifer
needs some assistance.
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On that protocol, I think it's
very, very important that we
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have phone numbers for the
large animal veterinarian in our
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area, perhaps his cell phone
number, numbers of relatives
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and neighbors that might
be willing to help us
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during the calving season.
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As I put together my calving
kit, I'm going to start with a
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plastic bucket, or perhaps
even a stainless steel pail
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something that I can put all
of these important pieces of
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equipment in one spot.
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And I'm going to locate that
bucket in an area that everyone
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in the family knows where
it is and can reach it.
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In the bucket, of course, we're
going to put our obstetrical
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chains and I like to use chains
rather than straps because
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we can get those things
clean and disinfected.
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And we want to do that in between
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each time that we use them.
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And of course, those
chains need the handles.
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So make sure you've got those located
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and have them in your calving kit.
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Obstetrical sleeves, plastic
disposable sleeves are very,
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very handy so that you can get
try to keep yourself as well
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as the cow from getting infected.
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Making sure that as you use
these things each time when
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you're held In a cow or
heifer that you replenish that
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supply.
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So that they're you're ready
the next time is very, very
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important.
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Have a bottle of the tincture of iodine.
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This is what's going to be
necessary to dip the navel of
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that maybe calf and spread
around the the navel area so that
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he has a less likely chance
of getting an infection
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due to that naval opening.
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A lubricant is always important
whenever you're working with
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a cow or a heifer in the case
of delivering the calf, right.
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So same situation with
artificial insemination or preg
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Checking.
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You can buy commercial
lubricants, but quite frankly one
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that works just as well as
a non detergent dish soap.
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You can buy these at any of
the local grocery stores.
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That bottle cost me less than
$2 and will go a long way
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towards getting through this
calving season as a lubricant.
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It'll really work well.
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And of course, you probably
want to including several old
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towels bath towels that have
already been used up around the
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house.
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And if your spouse doesn't
like that particular idea, go
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ahead and get a roll of paper
towels and stick in so that
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you can clean that area around
the back end of the cow or
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the heifer before you start
to do the examination,
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reduce the likelihood of
introducing some pathogens
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into her reproductive tract.
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Some simple things that you
probably want to also keep in
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mind is to have a flashlight
included in your calving kit.
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A good one, one that you can
find that cow or heifer out in
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a lot that's down in the throws of labor.
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And can because you're probably
going to do quite a little
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bit of this at night.
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And of course, spare batteries
are very, very important
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because you don't want to go
out there at 2am and find out
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that the batteries are getting
weak and you have to go back
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to the house to try to locate
some new batteries in order to
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go and search for that cow or
heifer that need your help.
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Last on our list is something
that one of the popular press
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magazines last year, called
one of the six most important
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items to include in our calving kit
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for ranchers all across America.
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And that was a publication
that we wrote here at
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Oklahoma State University called
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"Calving Time Management
for Beef Cows and Heifers",
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and everyone in your
operation should review it
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before the calving season begins.
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I think if you'll do that, you
can help improve the chances
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of saving more calves this
spring and helping that bottom
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line as we take those
valuable calves to town
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the following fall.
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You can go to the Sun Up website
that's sunup.okstate.edu,
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look under show links, and
you'll find the link to download
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this very important document.
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Well, I hope this gives you
some idea of what I might
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include in a calving kit.
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And that way that you'll
be ready for this upcoming
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calving season.
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(upbeat music)