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Firstly, give cows time and only intervene when necessary. By all means handle a cow at calving to make sure everything is in order, and if it is then let nature take its course. Attempting to pull a calf before the cow is fully ready isn’t good for the cow or the calf. Hygiene is important. Always wear gloves when handling cows to help reduce the risk of the cow picking up a womb infection later.
Some farmers increase the rate of magnesium up to 40g per day to the cows in the final few weeks before calving and they find that it greatly reduces the incidences of retained cleanings and milk fever. Keep records of hard calvings and twins and give them a washout. The view from vets is that washouts with a Metricure-type product are more effective a few weeks after calving rather than a few days after calving.
Have a thermometer handy to check the temperature of cows that look a bit off form and get the vet out if necessary. Cows that are off feed are a sure sign that something is wrong, so keep an eye out for cows that don’t eat the meal in the parlour.
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