10 tips for a trouble-free calving season

Anita Varga for Progressive Cattleman

Calving time is quickly
approaching, and hopefully all
cattlemen are having a trouble-free
season. However, you want to be
prepared for the challenges associated
with calving. Most calving diculties
are observed in heifers versus cows.
Economic losses from dicult
calvings are associated with several
factors: an increased risk of calf
and cow mortality, longer calving
intervals, decreased conception
rates, reduced weaning weight
and increased veterinary and
pharmaceutical costs.
Through proper planning and
management, you can help prevent
these problems before they occur. The
following 10 tips for proper breeding
and feeding management will help
you to produce a healthy and strong
calf crop.

Choose the right bull for

your herd

Proper bull selection is one of

the major keys for preventing calving
diculties. To avoid any problems,
use first-calf heifers for a bull with
an expected progeny dierence
(EPD) for low birthweights. That bull
should have a breed average or lower
birthweight EPDs. If you are using a
young unproven bull, use his EPDs
and compare it against the breed
average for bulls in his own birth-year
group. Even if its too late for this
years calf crop, you can choose
the right bull for the next breeding
season.

Shorten the calving season

The shorter the calving season,

the easier (and less labor-intensive)
it is to manage. The calving season
should be 60 to 90 days. This time
frame will reduce costs associated
with hired labor and the time you
have to observe your cattle. Calve
your heifers four weeks earlier
than your cows. This management

procedure gives you time to focus

only on the heifers. Furthermore, the
heifers might need two heat cycles to
breed back but will be in synch with
the cows when the bull will be turned
out.

Observe body condition

The desired body condition

score in the last trimester should be
4.5 to 5.5 for cows and 6 for heifers.
Remember, heifers not only need to
have adequate nutrition for the fetus,
but they are still growing themselves.
A reduced feed intake can have a
negative impact on the overall health
of the animal and the calf. A higher
body condition score ensures easier
calving and better quality colostrum,
leading to a healthier newborn calf
that has better protection from
diseases. Reducing feeding prior
to calving is not an eective or
advised method for reducing calving
diculties.

Feeding management

The time of day the herd is

getting fed can influence the time
calves are born. Feeding your heifers
in the late evening will result in a
decrease of births overnight. Start
four weeks prior to calving season
with this regimen. The likelihood
of an observed daytime calving
is increased, which makes earlier
intervention more likely.

Frequency of observations

It is recommended to check on
cows and heifers every three hours
during calving season. Large cow-calf
operations often provide full-time
observation; however, in smaller
operations the level of monitoring
must be modified to be economically
feasible and practical. In smaller
operations, check your heifers as
often as possible to come close to
the recommendation. The more you
observe your herd, the fewer your

Make sure to observe if the calf shows proper suckle reflex, or you
may need a colostrum replacer. Photos by Paul Marchant.

38

September 2014

Progressive Cattleman

losses will be.

Be prepared for trouble

Check your calving box ahead

of time to ensure you have all the
necessary equipment to assist a
calving and to take care of the
calf if necessary. Make sure all of
your equipment has been cleaned
appropriately since the last use.
Also, ensure that your pens, chutes
and calving stalls are in good shape
and functioning properly. There is
nothing worse than trying to work in
a dysfunctional chute in the middle of
the night.
The following essentials should be in
your calving box:

Obstetrical sleeves
One 60-inch or two 30-inch

obstetrical chains

Two obstetrical handles

Obstetrical lube if not available,

use soap and water

Pail
Non-irritating disinfectant, such as

chlorhexidine (Nolvasan)

Antibiotics Check with your

veterinarian which antibiotic would
be appropriate for your setting.
Other helpful supplies include:

Towels
Paper towels
Functioning flashlight and batteries
For the calf:

7 percent iodine tincture, for navel

treatment if not available, use

chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) solution (1

part chlorhexidine to 3 parts water)

Colostrum replacer, in case you

lose the dam or you have a weak calf
with a decreased suckle reflex

Take your time

Be clean, be gentle use lots

of lube

Generally, first-calf heifers need

more assistance than cows. However,
cows can occasionally run into
calving diculties and should also
be frequently observed.
Providing timely assistance to
a heifer or cow that has a dicult
calving is crucial for survival of
the calf and dam. If assistance is
provided early, you will be able to
decrease your losses and improve
rebreeding performance.
The challenging aspect is to
know when to intervene. Signs of
early labor can include restlessness
and separation from the herd. Once
the animal is in active labor, you
will see her straining and you may
observe breaking of the water bag.
After the water bag breaks, a
cow should be delivering her calf
within 30 minutes. A heifer may
take up to an hour. If you do not see
any progression after 30 minutes
(cow) or 60 minutes (heifer), you
should examine the animal to see if
assistance is necessary. Prolonged
labor can produce weaker calves
and a greater risk of losing the calf.
If you are unable to deliver the calf
safely yourself, call your veterinarian
immediately.

Take time to thoroughly wash o

the cow or heifers anus, vulva and
surrounding skin with warm water
and soap. If you have an assistant,
ask that person to hold the tail to
the side. If you are by yourself, tie
the tail with a long rope around the
neck of the cow. Never tie the tail to

Smaller operations may have fewer opportunities to monitor calves

before they take to their mother.

Providing timely assistance to a heifer or cow that

has a difficult calving is crucial for survival of the calf
and dam. If assistance is provided early, you will be
able to decrease your losses and improve rebreeding
performance.

the chute. If you forget to remove the

rope and you release the animal, it
can cause severe injury to the tail.
Use your obstetrical, shoulderlength sleeves to cover your hands
and arms or wash your bare hands
and arms with water and soap before
you place them into the birth canal.
By wearing disposable obstetrical
sleeves, you help protect yourself
from zoonotic diseases (diseases that
can spread from animals to humans)
such as brucellosis.
Remember that the cleaner you
work, the less likely it is that the
dam will develop a uterine infection.
Generously apply obstetrical
lubricant to make entrance easier
and more comfortable for the
animal. Enter the lubricated hand
slowly into the vagina. Do not break
the water bag if its still intact and
the cervix is not completely dilated.

Pull carefully

In order to successfully pull

a calf, it needs to be in anterior
(forward) presentation and normal
position meaning that the head
comes first with both forelimbs
extended into the pelvic canal. The
spine of the calf should be up against
the dams spine. Any other position,
such as leg or head being back, is
abnormal and needs to be corrected
before pulling the calf out. If the
calf is backwards or sideways (or
the calf is very large or the heifers
hips are too small for the calf to
pass through), it is best to call your
veterinarian for help.
If you were able to correct any
abnormal position yourself, place the
obstetrical chains around the feet.
Proper placement of the obstetrical
chains is very important and will
avoid injuries to the calfs legs,
such as fractures, that can have
devastating consequences. The first
loop of the chain should be above the
fetlock joint, then make a half hitch
below the joint above the foot.
Once you are ready to pull the
calf, remember that no more than
the force of two adult men should
be necessary or allowed to extract
a calf. Excessive force will injure
the dam and calf. Always pull with
the contractions of the dam. Use
plenty of lubricant it will make
the assisted calving process much
easier. Apply tension to the chains
to pull on the calf. Once the chest
of the calf is through the birth
canal, change the angle of pull to be
more downward toward the hind
legs of the dam. While pulling,

re-check multiple times that you

have enough space and that the calf
is coming through the pelvis easily.
Any intervention requires skill and
patience.

10

Know your limits

Before assisting a calving,

ask yourself how much experience
you or your assistant has, and with
what type of calving situations you
are comfortable. Establish calving
protocols that define when to call a
veterinarian for assistance.
Contact your veterinarian prior
to calving season to help with the
establishment of these protocols.
Place your veterinarians phone
number somewhere accessible to
everyone in your family. Remember
that even the best veterinarian
cannot correct mistakes you have
made while assisting a cow. One
of the most common problems
veterinarians see is that a decision
to call for help was delayed, which,
in return, resulted in a negative
outcome for both the calf and cow.
It is advised to call your veterinarian
earlier than later.
Call your veterinarian if you
encounter the following situations:

The dam has a uterine torsion do

not pull the calf.
While there is no magic solution
to trouble-free calving, following these
10 tips will help your cows and heifers
to have the most ideal birth possible.
Remember, youre not alone in this
process. Dont hesitate to call your
veterinarian if any situation with which
you are not comfortable arises. Best of
luck with your calving season.

e
Nationwid

Anita Varga
Gold Coast Veterinary
Service and Consulting
anitavargadvm@gmail.com

y services
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Financin
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You know the problem and how to

solve it but are unable to handle it.

You know the problem and how

to solve it, but have not made any

progress in a 30-minute period.
Manipulation for a longer period of
time and waiting too long can place
the calf in a dangerous situation.

You are unfamiliar with what you

feel.
Examples of when you need
veterinary help include (but are not
limited to):

The calf is too large to pass

through the pelvic canal.

The heifer is too small to allow the

calf to pass.

The calf is in an upside down,

forward or backward presentation

(the abdomen of the calf faces the
spine of the dam). These can be
dicult to manage if you have never
experienced this problem.

The cervix has not dilated enough.

True breech (you only feel the tail).

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