Where cows experience difficulty during labour, there is a higher chance that the new-born calf will require assistance in the early hours of life.
This can vary from clearing airways, stimulating breathing and assisting the calf with its first feed.
Experienced farmers will have a wealth of tips to get calves up on their feet. Some of the more common ones are outlined as follows.
1. Clear the calf’s airways and sit the calf upright
Once the calf is born, most farmers will automatically check the animal’s airways are clear of any fluid. However, many will forget to sit the calf upright to open the animal’s lungs.
Open the mouth and remove anything that could obstruct breathing, then clear the nose by moving the hand in a squeezing motion to expel fluid. Sticking a piece of straw up the nose should stimulate the calf's breathing.
Sitting the calf upright with legs tucked under the body will help to open the animal's lungs, thereby making it easier for the calf to breathe. Do not leave the calf lying on its side.
Next, sit the calf in an upright position with its legs folded below the body. The front legs should be positioned either side of the chest. This will help open the calf’s airways and ease breathing.
Do not leave the calf lying on its side as this will constrict the animal’s lungs, thereby making breathing more difficult.
2. Stimulating a weak calf's breathing
If the calf is struggling to breathe, sit the calf in the upright position outlined and rub both sides of the rib cage by hand.
Splashing cold water in the calf’s ears can also help the calf to “wake up”, shake their head and breathe. However, only splash small amounts of cold water by hand.
Pouring cold water directly on the calf will quickly reduce its core body temperature. After a difficult calving, the cow may be slower to lick the calf, so a calf soaked with cold water becomes more prone to hypothermia.
3. Don’t go swinging calves or hang on gates
Never swing a calf by the hind legs or hang it over a gate. This is a common approach farmers take to expel fluid from lungs, especially after a difficult calving.
When you hang the calf over the gate with its head facing downward, the animal’s internal organs will press on the lungs.
This only increases the pressure on the lungs, making it harder for the calf to breathe. Swinging the calf has a similar effect.
If the calf has fluid in the lungs, leave the animal on the floor and raise its back legs by hand. Lift the calf’s legs no more than a couple of feet above ground level.
After 30 seconds, lower the calf’s legs and sit the animal upright. Some farmers will use the jack to raise the back legs, freeing their hands to rub the ribs.
Getting colostrum into the calf at the earliest opportunity improves the chance of survival, as it provides much needed energy for the newborn.
If the cow can be milked, stomach tube colostrum into the calf. It may be easier to use frozen colostrum or a substitute to speed the process up.
Calf jackets are a great tool to help a weak calf get on its feet and feed unassisted. The jacket will raise the calf’s core body temperature, meaning it is burning less energy in its efforts to stay warm. Allow the cow to lick the calf dry before putting a jacket on a newborn animal.
Read more
Five tips for using calving aids
Watch: calving webinar – your questions answered
Where cows experience difficulty during labour, there is a higher chance that the new-born calf will require assistance in the early hours of life.
This can vary from clearing airways, stimulating breathing and assisting the calf with its first feed.
Experienced farmers will have a wealth of tips to get calves up on their feet. Some of the more common ones are outlined as follows.
1. Clear the calf’s airways and sit the calf upright
Once the calf is born, most farmers will automatically check the animal’s airways are clear of any fluid. However, many will forget to sit the calf upright to open the animal’s lungs.
Open the mouth and remove anything that could obstruct breathing, then clear the nose by moving the hand in a squeezing motion to expel fluid. Sticking a piece of straw up the nose should stimulate the calf's breathing.
Sitting the calf upright with legs tucked under the body will help to open the animal's lungs, thereby making it easier for the calf to breathe. Do not leave the calf lying on its side.
Next, sit the calf in an upright position with its legs folded below the body. The front legs should be positioned either side of the chest. This will help open the calf’s airways and ease breathing.
Do not leave the calf lying on its side as this will constrict the animal’s lungs, thereby making breathing more difficult.
2. Stimulating a weak calf's breathing
If the calf is struggling to breathe, sit the calf in the upright position outlined and rub both sides of the rib cage by hand.
Splashing cold water in the calf’s ears can also help the calf to “wake up”, shake their head and breathe. However, only splash small amounts of cold water by hand.
Pouring cold water directly on the calf will quickly reduce its core body temperature. After a difficult calving, the cow may be slower to lick the calf, so a calf soaked with cold water becomes more prone to hypothermia.
3. Don’t go swinging calves or hang on gates
Never swing a calf by the hind legs or hang it over a gate. This is a common approach farmers take to expel fluid from lungs, especially after a difficult calving.
When you hang the calf over the gate with its head facing downward, the animal’s internal organs will press on the lungs.
This only increases the pressure on the lungs, making it harder for the calf to breathe. Swinging the calf has a similar effect.
If the calf has fluid in the lungs, leave the animal on the floor and raise its back legs by hand. Lift the calf’s legs no more than a couple of feet above ground level.
After 30 seconds, lower the calf’s legs and sit the animal upright. Some farmers will use the jack to raise the back legs, freeing their hands to rub the ribs.
Getting colostrum into the calf at the earliest opportunity improves the chance of survival, as it provides much needed energy for the newborn.
If the cow can be milked, stomach tube colostrum into the calf. It may be easier to use frozen colostrum or a substitute to speed the process up.
Calf jackets are a great tool to help a weak calf get on its feet and feed unassisted. The jacket will raise the calf’s core body temperature, meaning it is burning less energy in its efforts to stay warm. Allow the cow to lick the calf dry before putting a jacket on a newborn animal.
Read more
Five tips for using calving aids
Watch: calving webinar – your questions answered
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: