CALVING AND

POST-PARTUM

MANAGEMENT Nick Schneider, DVM

Town and Country Veterinary Clinic

Platteville, CO

Contents

• Calving Supplies

• Normal Calving

• Dystocia

• Identifying

• When to intervene/call veterinarian

• Calf Supplies

• Newborn Calf Care

• Cow post-partum disease/problems

Calving Supplies

• Place to assist calving (Chute, alleyway, gate)

• Important to have a plan!

• Bucket for Water

• Source of warm water

• Disinfectant (I suggest Nolvasan; Iodine products also work)

• OB Sleeves

• OB Lubricant (I do not suggest “J-Lube” for producers)

• Horrible if we need to do a C-Section

• OB Chains and Handles

• +/- Fetal Extractor

• AKA Calf Jack

• Veterinarian contact information

• Antibiotics (Penicillin and/or Oxytetracycline at minimum)

OB Sleeves

OB Lubricant

Calf Chains and Handles

Calf Chains: Applied Correctly and Safely

Fetal Extractor (aka Calf Jack)

Calving

• Normal Gestation Length= 283 days

• +/- 10 Days

• Easy calving bull= calf born earlier!

• Calf born at 275 days traditionally smaller than 285 days

• Charolais, Simmental, Limousin typically longer

• Larger calves!

• Benefit of AI/Early Pregnancy Diagnosis

• Accurate determination of calving date

• Rectal palpation accurate to 34 days; loses accuracy after 75-90 days

• Ultrasound down to 26 days; also loses accuracy after 75-90 days

• Able to plan accordingly based on tentative calving dates

Signs of Calving (2 weeks to 12 hours before calving)

• Very variable!

• Development of the udder

• Much more noticeable in 1st calf heifers

• Highly animal dependent

• Some will just “bag up overnight”

• Swelling of the vulva

• Some will swell up weeks in advance; others will not until day before

• Mucous Discharge from vulva

• Most noticeable when laying down

• Very unpredictable

• Behavior changes

• Some cows will look for a place to “nest”

• If on pasture, will wander and find a clean and safe place

• Older, experienced cows will do this more

Calving-Udder Development

Engorged Udder

Engorged Teats

Calving-Vulva Swelling/Mucous Discharge

Swollen Vulva

Mucous Discharge

Normal Calving (Stage 1)

• Characterized by dilation of cervix

• Can also see marked discomfort/frequent urination/separation from herd

• Typically lasts 2-24 hours • Experienced cows (2-6 hours)

• Heifers (6+)

• Stage ends when “water bag” passes

• Not usually where problems occur.

Normal Calving (Stage 1)

Image Courtesy of: Colorado State; Integrated Livestock Management

Normal Calving (Stage 2-most important)

• Characterized by delivery of calf

• Starts with passage of “water bag” (amniotic sac)

• Cows: 1-2 Hours

• Heifers: 2-4 Hours

• These numbers are to be used as a guideline!!

• Normal calf presentation based on presentation, position,

and posture.

• Presentation: Front feet first or back feet first

• Position: How calf is positioned in relation to cow

• Posture: Position of limbs and head

Normal Calving: Presentation

Normal (95% of time)

Backwards (5% of time)

Normal Calving: Position and Posture

• Position based upon relation to cow

• Normal is “dorso-sacral position”

• Means the calves dorsum (spine) is against the cows spine and sacrum

• Posture based upon position of limbs and head

• Normal is head forward and limbs extended

• Should see two front legs followed by head or two back legs

Normal Calving: Position and Posture

Head extended and over front

limbs

Front limbs

extended

Dystocia: Identifying

• Rules of Thumb

• Pay attention to time

• Time slows down when you are waiting!

• Record time of progress

• Water bag breaks at 8:00 AM

• Feet visible at 9:00 AM

• Nose Visible 9:20 AM

• If something does not seem right; investigate or call your

veterinarian

• Remember, heifers always tend to have more problems than cows

• Remember that cows have calved without intervention for

thousands of years! Sometimes the best treatment is time.

Dystocia: Identifying

• “Water bag broke two hours ago, front feet appeared an

hour and a half ago and no further progress has been

made since. Cow has actively been straining.”

• “Water bag broke three hours ago, and I have seen no

progress whatsoever! Cow is down, straining, and

bellowing.”

• “Two feet are peaking out, but they look upside down.”

• “I came home from work and noticed a first-calf heifer

down with feet sticking out. I haven’t seen progress in 30

minutes, and do not know how long she has been in labor

for.”

Dystocia: What are causes?

• Calf is too big for the cow

• More typical in heifers

• Fetal malpresentation

• Calf is not coming normally.

• Cow related causes (uterine torsions, pelvic abscess,

pelvic lymphoma)

Dystocia: What to do?

• Option 1: Call your veterinarian • If you do not feel comfortable with situation; they can walk you

through what to do/come to help.

• It is our job and large animal veterinarians typically put special emphasis on calvings!

• Option 2: Investigate yourself • Ensure the cow is properly restrained!!

• Clean the area around the vulva with warm water and disinfectant

• Put on a OB glove, lubricate your glove and put arm in the vagina

• Feel for: (and match to your visual picture)

• Cervical dilation (is calf fitting)

• Presentation of calf (backwards or forwards?)

• Position of calf

• Posture of calf (is leg/head retained?)

Dystocia: What to do?

• A whole class could be taught on correcting dystocias, but some quick tips without getting into too much depth: • Correcting a dystocia is as easy as getting calf back to normal

position: Forward or backward

• Often much easier said than done

• Some situations are incredibly difficult to correct

• Use plenty of lubricant!! Cannot use too much!

• When manipulating calves limbs, always cup foot so it does not tear uterus.

• If the calf cannot be pulled with the force of two adults or a calf jack; do not proceed!

• After a calf is pulled, always check for a twin.

• Never hesitate to call your veterinarian for help!

• The best way to teach new producers on handling difficult calvings is to work side-by-side with them.

Calf is born! Now what?

Calf Supplies for first 24 hours

• Old Towels

• 7% Iodine Solution

• Bottle (2 Qt.) and Nipples

• Do not cut nipples!

• Esophageal Feeder

• Colostrum replacer/supplement

• Wire whisk to mix replacer

• +/- Ear tag and applicators

• +/- Callicrate Bander

• CDT Vaccine if banded

Calf Supplies

Bottle and Nipple (2 Qt.)

Esophageal Feeder

Calf is born! Now what (First 24 Hours)?

• Depends on environment and management style

• Allow mom/calf to bond!

• Cow should start licking calf off almost immediately

• If cow is slow to bond, put together in small space to facilitate bonding

• Heifers more often need this than experienced cows.

• Watch cow to make sure she is not bullying calf.

• If cold, towel off calf (but watch out for mom!)

• If severely cold, calves can be placed in warming box, warm room,

garage, house, bathtub, oven, etc. (anyplace warm and dry).

• Provide clean/dry bedding to help keep the newborn calf warm

• Ensure calf is able/strong enough to rise

• Critical to be able to rise so it can nurse

• Dip navel with 7% Iodine

• Especially if kept inside in moist/dirty environments

Importance of nursing and colostrum • The first milk produced called colostrum

• Colostrum begins to dilute after 12-24 hours.

• Persists as “transition milk” up to 72 hours after calving

• Calf is born with naïve immune system • Colostrum contains the antibodies and immune cells the calf will need to fight off disease for the

first few weeks of life and prepare its immune system for the rest of its life

• Also contains essential vitamins and minerals

• Calf should get at least 1 gallon of colostrum (10% BW) within first 24 hours • The sooner the better! This is why getting the calf up is so critical.

• Calves are unable to absorb the antibodies in colostrum as well after 12 hours and not at all after 24 hours

• My rule of thumb, if calf has not risen in 4 hours: tube/bottle feed colostrum replacer. Oftentimes, difficult calvings fall into this category (dummy calves).

• If concerned about nursing, tube or bottle feed with colostrum replacer • Getting colostrum from local dairy is common, but beware of disease pathogens.

• Calves that receive inadequate colostrum are more likely to get calfhood disease. • Scours/Respiratory disease

• Your veterinarian can test calves from 24 hours-7 days old to determine adequacy of colostrum intake.

Post-partum cow management: Retained Placenta

• There is a stage 3 of

calving!

• Characterized by passing

of placenta

• Placenta should pass by

12 hours after calving

• Considered “Retained”

after 12-24 hours

• Can persist up to 7 days

• Predisposes to metritis

• Uterine infection

Retained Placenta: Treatment

• Do not manually remove!

• Can damage uterus.

• No need for infusion of antibiotics into uterus!

• Not proven effective

• Treat with systemic antibiotics as prevention/treatment for

metritis (consult your veterinarian for dosages and

antibiotics that fit your management style best!)

• Typically, beef cows respond very well to treatment.

Post-partum cow management: Metritis

• Metritis= uterine infection

• Characterized by a cow that is acting “off”, usually 2-10

days after calving

• The cow will usually go off-feed, spike a fever, and feel

very poor overall.

• Antibiotics typically work well.

Post-partum cow management: Uterine Prolapse

• Notice shortly after calving

• Associated with low blood calcium

• Call your veterinarian • If wait too long, tissue

becomes necrotic

• If fixed properly, cow will rebreed and calve normally the following year

Conclusion

• Calving cows is a continual learning experience.

• You can go to all the talks in the world, but experience/

mistakes are the best teacher.

• Work with your veterinarian on all parts of your operation.

We are here to help you and want to teach you.

Questions:

• Thank you all for coming!

• If questions, contact me at:

Dr. Nick Schneider, DVM

Town and Country Veterinary Clinic

Platteville, CO

970-785-2284

nick@tcvc.net