Calving tips: if in doubt, don't try to pull it out

Safety first

The first thing in any calving is good restraint of the cow. You should have a good calving gate against a wall with her left side facing out in case a caesarean section is required. It is important to have a quick-release gate in case the cow goes down.

Remember at the start of calving hormones are flying and even quiet cows can become unpredictable, making good restraint a priority. Also ensure you have clean working equipment and disinfect between calvings. The calving jack exerts the pressure of three to four men, so use it correctly.

Know the normal

It is so important when we talk about cows calving that we know the normal and know when to intervene and when to call for help. Ideally we want most cows and heifers to calve on their own.

A lot of calves that die around calving are due to trauma or lack of oxygen. Knowing what to do is critical to making sure difficult cases go well.

Remember also the cow is harder to get back in calf after a hard calving.

So we should aim to intervene very little, have the calf standing after five minutes and sucking after 15 minutes.

Cow factors can cause problems, with heavy fat cows having too much fat in the pelvis. Also, low blood calcium can affect muscle tone, speed of calving and dilation of the cervix. This is why we put so much emphasis on managing calcium at calving. The key thing to get right here is enough magnesium (0.4% of DMI) in the pre-calving diet.

Sometimes we can get more cows to calve during the day when we feed once daily at night time. This needs to be carefully managed to avoid affecting the cow after calving. It should only be done with a close-up group.

The stages

Stage 1: the last two to eight hours, where they will often seek isolation, be restless,will have more liquid discharges and have the tail up. About 24 hours before calving the pin bones will drop or soften.

Stage 2: This is where the cervix fully opens and the calf enters the pelvis. It can vary but it usually lasts from half an hour to four hours. At this point the water sac appears and we may see the calf’s legs. This also stimulates oxytocin release which is when contractions begin and we can see the cow starting to force. This is the calving process itself.

Stage 3: is expulsion of the placenta after calving which should take 15-30 minutes.

When to intervene?

It is important to remember the stages of calving as we often intervene at stage 1, which is too early. When we see a cow forcing she is in stage 2 and should be making progress. If she is not, we can intervene.

We need to pay closer attention with heifers or cows carrying twins. The colour of the water sac should be white/yellow and when we see forcing for greater than 30 minutes to one hour with no progress it is worth investigating.

Cows can take breaks from forcing but they should only last five to 10 minutes; if any longer, we may need to intervene. If we can see the calf’s tongue is swollen, it is time to get involved.

If putting hands in, use plenty of lube and wear long gloves.

Burst the water sac only when you are going to handle the cow. Introduce your hand slowly, feel the canal and the cervix, and look for normal position of the calf. You should feel two front legs and a head. There should be space around the head in the pelvis.

To find out if the calf is alive, look for a leg moving or pinch its tongue to see if there is movement. Once you have the correct position, it is important to look at the size of the calf. Front legs crossing indicates big shoulders. We should be able to pass our hands over the head in the pelvis. If the calf is struggling a lot, it can be a sign of acidosis.

By knowing what is normal you can then make decisions about calling for help. When a cow is forcing and no calf is present, you should to be concerned. Things such as uterine torsions or twisted wombs can also feel different. It is important to identify back and front legs, and apply thick calving ropes above the fetlocks.

Apply traction usually one leg at a time to guide the shoulders into the canal. When head and shoulders are out, pull down – always remember we calve the cow in an arc. Pull the calf up, then pull out to shoulders and then start traction downwards slowly. Always work with the cow applying pressure when she forces.

Sometimes when worried about a big pelvis, rotating the calf helps pop the hips through.

Any hard calving is painful. Antibiotics may need to be given, but a long-acting painkiller is a must for a cow.

When the calf’s head is out, the navel cord is pinched and oxygen supply is cut off, some people recommend pausing and letting the calf take a breath when no pressure is applied. Speed at this time is often not required and constant pressure won’t let calf expand its chest.

Difficult presentations

When you can’t feel front legs, head etc, stop and feel what you can and decide if help from your vet is required.

A calf coming backwards the angle of the jack keeps it horizontal for longer. When calves are coming backwards the navel cord is compressed for longer meaning more urgency is required and slow steady jacking to remove the calf is best.

Resuscitating the calf

Make sure airway is clear and then sit the calf on its chest. Use a straw up the nose, cold water in the ear along with rubbing the chest. A calf should be breathing straight away. Calves can be held upside down for 60 seconds max to drain fluid from the lungs using the jack.

Acidosis occurs when calves have too much CO2. Affected calves breathe heavily and are very lethargic. They can be dopey, with poor suck reflex. A healthy calf is most likely to suck at 15 minutes after birth. The best process I found to address this is a bicarbonate solution in the vein. The next best option may be feeding bicarbonate with colostrum – two table spoons of bread soda with colostrum tubed.

These calves also can benefit from oral glucose for the first two feeds.

Always go back to the cow and check for another calf and any damage after calving. Remember, getting painkillers into the cow is a must after any hard calving. She is more likely to eat, attend to the calf and have fewer fertility issues. All cows that have had a hard calving should be vet checked before breeding and handled one week after to make sure no womb infections or metritis.

Key lessons