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While general advice can be offered to farmers in this area, no advice will outweigh experience. Many farmers, and indeed vets, who are confident and able when calving have developed this through experience.
Often many vets will be aware when they are called to particular farms to assist a calving that a caesarian section will be likely since the farmer is very experienced. Equally it has to be said some farms are not so good, with veterinary assistance being sought when it is too late (injured cows, calf stuck at hips, etc).
With help on farms at a premium, the availability of the calving aid (Calving Jack) has been an extremely useful development. owever, it should be remembered that only an experienced person should use the jack. The traction one person can generate using a jack is more than enough to kill a calf or injure a cow.
Dos and don'ts
Outlined below are some veterinary dos and don’ts of calving cows and using a jack. Remember, a Calving Jack requires skill to operate safely. The points below are general guidelines. Farmers should always call in their vet if they are in doubt. Do not proceed if you are inexperienced or in doubt. Using a calving aid is not for everyone.
Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene – you would be amazed the number of farms calving cows with dirty equipment and dirty hands. Always use full-length gloves.
Always use clean, soft calving ropes. When placing knots on new ropes always place them towards the ends to enable the loop to be opened wide enough to slide the ropes further up the legs if required during the calving. A simple tip which can save a lot of time.
Breech births (calves coming backwards) are a job for the vet. Often, one or both legs may be down and will need to be brought up. This requires patience and skill in order not to damage the cow.
A head rope is invaluable. This should be placed around the back of the head below the ears and used by pulling on both ends. Never use a head rope in any other way. Do not attach to the lower jaw.
Never attach the head rope to the jack. If it requires that amount of force it is too tight. One man pulling both ends of the rope is the maximum.
Attach the leg ropes above the fetlock (wrist joint). Always use properly designed, heavy calving ropes. They should be placed on the legs with no twists, since this will damage the leg. Thin, hard ropes will damage legs.
When attaching ropes to the jack, make sure the tension on each rope is roughly equal. If this is not the case, a leg can easily fracture since all the force is directed onto one leg. Failure to do this is the most common reason for damaging legs.
Before starting to jack, remember: one ounce of lubrication is equal to one tonne of pressure. Always use proper veterinary lubrication. Household soaps and washing up liquid can be irritant to both the cow and calf. Farmers often forget to lubricate the birth canal and the crown of the calf’s head.
Ensure both legs and head are fully engaged in the birth canal before beginning to apply pressure. Never assume that by applying pressure everything will come into place. Often the head will twist back. As a good rule of thumb, if you cannot get both legs and head into the birth canal without using the jack, it is too tight and you should stop.
When applying pressure with the calving aid, do so in a controlled fashion. The jack should be used more as a lever rather than to jack the calf out. Jack until pressure is encountered and then depending on whether the cow is standing or lying, gently lever the jack by pushing it down or sideways.
Remember, trying to apply pressure by continuously jacking does not work. This is how legs are broken.
Only one person should be working the jack. Often at critical points during the procedure, eg when the head appears, the calving aid can become like the winning lotto ticket, everybody wants it.
With larger calves, shoulders and hips can be problems. This is where the use of a calving aid as a lever is important. If a calf is very tight or stuck, you will not release it by increasing the pressure by jacking. By using the calving aid as a lever and gently bringing it around or downwards, you will free the calf by gently causing the calf’s back to bend. This I would say is the biggest failure of inexperienced users of a calving aid.
This stage of the procedure is the point when most farmers realise the calving aid needs replacing (if it does). A worn bar or teeth will cause the jack to slip and in this instance it is worse than useless. Always check your jack and if it does begin to slip, replace immediately. Do not use again as this may be costly.
Only with experience will you know when things are not right and when an appropriate amount of force is reached. This is the key to successful use of the calving aid.
Key points
A calving aid is not for everyone.
Only use if you feel comfortable and experienced.
Do not use in a confined space (never use in a cattle crush/shoot).
Use it as a lever rather than a jack.
Do not overestimate your ability. If in doubt seek veterinary help.
While general advice can be offered to farmers in this area, no advice will outweigh experience. Many farmers, and indeed vets, who are confident and able when calving have developed this through experience.
Often many vets will be aware when they are called to particular farms to assist a calving that a caesarian section will be likely since the farmer is very experienced. Equally it has to be said some farms are not so good, with veterinary assistance being sought when it is too late (injured cows, calf stuck at hips, etc).
With help on farms at a premium, the availability of the calving aid (Calving Jack) has been an extremely useful development. owever, it should be remembered that only an experienced person should use the jack. The traction one person can generate using a jack is more than enough to kill a calf or injure a cow.
Dos and don'ts
Outlined below are some veterinary dos and don’ts of calving cows and using a jack. Remember, a Calving Jack requires skill to operate safely. The points below are general guidelines. Farmers should always call in their vet if they are in doubt. Do not proceed if you are inexperienced or in doubt. Using a calving aid is not for everyone.
Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene – you would be amazed the number of farms calving cows with dirty equipment and dirty hands. Always use full-length gloves.
Always use clean, soft calving ropes. When placing knots on new ropes always place them towards the ends to enable the loop to be opened wide enough to slide the ropes further up the legs if required during the calving. A simple tip which can save a lot of time.
Breech births (calves coming backwards) are a job for the vet. Often, one or both legs may be down and will need to be brought up. This requires patience and skill in order not to damage the cow.
A head rope is invaluable. This should be placed around the back of the head below the ears and used by pulling on both ends. Never use a head rope in any other way. Do not attach to the lower jaw.
Never attach the head rope to the jack. If it requires that amount of force it is too tight. One man pulling both ends of the rope is the maximum.
Attach the leg ropes above the fetlock (wrist joint). Always use properly designed, heavy calving ropes. They should be placed on the legs with no twists, since this will damage the leg. Thin, hard ropes will damage legs.
When attaching ropes to the jack, make sure the tension on each rope is roughly equal. If this is not the case, a leg can easily fracture since all the force is directed onto one leg. Failure to do this is the most common reason for damaging legs.
Before starting to jack, remember: one ounce of lubrication is equal to one tonne of pressure. Always use proper veterinary lubrication. Household soaps and washing up liquid can be irritant to both the cow and calf. Farmers often forget to lubricate the birth canal and the crown of the calf’s head.
Ensure both legs and head are fully engaged in the birth canal before beginning to apply pressure. Never assume that by applying pressure everything will come into place. Often the head will twist back. As a good rule of thumb, if you cannot get both legs and head into the birth canal without using the jack, it is too tight and you should stop.
When applying pressure with the calving aid, do so in a controlled fashion. The jack should be used more as a lever rather than to jack the calf out. Jack until pressure is encountered and then depending on whether the cow is standing or lying, gently lever the jack by pushing it down or sideways.
Remember, trying to apply pressure by continuously jacking does not work. This is how legs are broken.
Only one person should be working the jack. Often at critical points during the procedure, eg when the head appears, the calving aid can become like the winning lotto ticket, everybody wants it.
With larger calves, shoulders and hips can be problems. This is where the use of a calving aid as a lever is important. If a calf is very tight or stuck, you will not release it by increasing the pressure by jacking. By using the calving aid as a lever and gently bringing it around or downwards, you will free the calf by gently causing the calf’s back to bend. This I would say is the biggest failure of inexperienced users of a calving aid.
This stage of the procedure is the point when most farmers realise the calving aid needs replacing (if it does). A worn bar or teeth will cause the jack to slip and in this instance it is worse than useless. Always check your jack and if it does begin to slip, replace immediately. Do not use again as this may be costly.
Only with experience will you know when things are not right and when an appropriate amount of force is reached. This is the key to successful use of the calving aid.
Key points
A calving aid is not for everyone.
Only use if you feel comfortable and experienced.
Do not use in a confined space (never use in a cattle crush/shoot).
Use it as a lever rather than a jack.
Do not overestimate your ability. If in doubt seek veterinary help.
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