Calving the cow and care of the calf

Gerard McGovern has a large animal practice based in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, and most clients are suckler farmers producing weanlings for sale.

What can I do in advance of calving to prevent problems?

Choosing an easy-calving sire, especially on heifers, is critical. While some breeds may be harder-calving than others, there is often as much variation within breed, so study the calving difficulty carefully when choosing sires and more importantly the reliability figure.

It will be very hard to get a young bull with high reliability so you need to have a look at the bloodlines to see if calving difficulty has been an issue in previous generations.

It can come down to bull and cow matching and avoiding certain bulls on certain cows, etc. It also comes down to the expertise available; some farmers are very good at calving cows while others who may be working should opt more on the easy side.

Equally as important as bull selection is the body condition of the cow. Aim for 2.5 to 3 on a five-point scale, with 1 being very thin and 5 being very fat. It is important to introduce dietary changes such as straw slowly and well in advance of calving.

Supplementing with minerals is of vital importance in the final two months of pregnancy and will avoid having weak or drowsy calves, which can be a severe drag on labour during the busy calving period.

Have appropriate facilities

In the past 10 years, facilities have improved considerably on suckler farms. However, with some herds expanding in recent years, calving pens can sometimes be at a premium.

Ideally, there will be one calving pen for every 20 cows on the farm and more if the calving spread is very tight. Gerard said: “Calving pens should be clean, well-bedded, within easy access of the main yard and have adequate lighting.”

A restraining gate is also very useful, especially if a caesarean section is required. These are especially important where a farmer is working alone, as a cow can be locked in the gate without entering the pen.

“I would always rather see animals moved to the calving unit before calving starts, as movement during the calving process can hinder progress and prolong the situation.”

Intervention - when is the right time?

“Basically, after the onset of sickness, tail raised, restless, etc, if nothing has happened after six hours, ie no water bag or feet appearing, the cow should be examined using gloves to determine position and whether the calf is malpresented.

“If everything is OK and the cow is open, you can either give her more time or take the calf using a jack. If legs are down, you can correct and monitor progress or if the calf is very large, calf coming backwards, twisted womb or you just are not happy, ring the vet.

“It’s important to give us a call in time before too much pulling or manipulation has been tried as this can be very stressful on the calf. Sometimes it’s a tough call to make, whether to pull or not to pull, but calving history, bull used, etc, will usually help form an opinion.

“If I can get my hand in around the calf’s shoulders and across the back of the head and there is lots of room, I will pull; if not, we need to look at the C-section option.

“Farmers can learn a lot from veterinary interventions and I always try to explain what I’m doing so the farmer can take these tips on board for the next calving case. At intervention time, it’s really important that all equipment is clean and gloves are worn at all times to protect both the operator and animal.”

Using the calving jack

It must be remembered that the calving jack is a calving aid and when used in the wrong hands can lead to a lot of problems with broken legs and cow paralysis.

A second pair of hands can really reduce the stress in a calving intervention and is also much safer. Before you take the calf, make sure that lots of lubrication gel is used around the calf and over the crown of the calf’s head. Place ropes above the fetlock making sure the knots are on the underside of the legs.

Make sure to only pull when the cow presses and also use the jack as a lever, taking off the slack by ratcheting the jack until pressure comes on. If at the initial stages the calf is very tight or you think it won’t come, call for veterinary assistance.

Calf care

Once the calf has safely landed, check that it’s breathing. If not, a quick swing for 20 seconds can help vacate the airways of any fluid. This can be difficult with a 70kg calf, so the alternative is to pour a little cold water over the calf’s ear and stick a piece of straw up its nostrils to stimulate a reaction and get the lungs going. Place the calf sitting upright on its chest. To prevent navel ill, dress the navel with a 10% iodine solution and make sure the area is well-bedded to prevent infection.

Safety at calving

Four people were fatally injured in livestock accidents in 2015 and there have been 13 deaths involving cows/heifers on farms from 2006 to 2015. Attacks by recently calved cows are one of the most common accidents. When handling the newborn calf, exercise extreme caution and never turn your back to the cow.

Try to keep a latched gate between yourself and the cow at all times when tending to the calf. If the cow is restrained during calving, tend to the calf before the cow is released so you don’t have to enter the pen again.

Colostrum

Feeding adequate colostrum is essential in achieving maximum calf immunity. Remember, if you have vaccinated for scour, the calf will need to receive the cow’s colostrum to achieve cover from the vaccine. Aim to feed a minimum of 2l within two hours of birth – aim for 3l if calves are 50kg-plus.

Gerard commented: “I tell farmers to try to feed the mothers’ colostrum if possible, but for the 3am calving, artificial colostrum is fine and is certainly better than leaving the calf with nothing until the next morning.”

With more and more information becoming available on Johne’s disease, suckler farmers need to be careful around sourcing colostrum from dairy herds. If you are sourcing from a neighbouring dairy farm, check out the Johne’s status of the herd to make sure you are not introducing it to your herd.

If feeding frozen colostrum, thaw out slowly, as overheating can damage the quality and affect the absorption by the calf.

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Special focus: sucklers