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Difficult calving can be problematic for mamma, the calf and the cattle owner |
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By MANDY JOHN | Central Texas Edition |
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September 12, 2002 -- Farmers from around Central Texas were given an educational lesson on taking care of their beef cattle during the Beef Cattle Herd Health Seminar held Sept. 5, 2002 at the Marlin Men's Civic Association Building in Marlin. One of the topics discussed was assisting with difficult calving. "There could be different reasons why you need to assist with a difficult calving," said Buddy Faries, Extension veterinarian for Texas A&M University. "It could be that the heifer is too small to have the calf or that the calf is too big." He stated that these two reasons were the most common in needing to assist in calving. Faries pointed out that sometimes it's not the genetics of the heifer that can cause them to be too small, but it's that they didn't get enough nutrition beyond weaning. Another scenario, he said, is when both the heifer is too small and the calf is too big. "When this happens you should not try to pull. The only way to get the calf out when this situation occurs is to have your veterinarian perform a C-section." This is something that a farmer has to determine early on to ensure that both the heifer and calf are safely taken care of. "If the calf is fine and the heifer is not too small, it might be that she is too weak to have the calf. She might not have enough strength because she is too thin." Faries said that another problem that could arise is that the calf might be coming out the wrong way, such as coming out upside down or on their side. "If you can tell that this might be the problem and you know you can't handle it yourself, stop and call the vet." "The main sign in the early stages of labor is that the heifer is passing mucus. This means she should start having her calf in about two weeks, although it could be up to three to five weeks." Faries says that the farmer should leave her alone during those two weeks. "When the heifer is in stage one of labor she will become uncomfortable and will start to show signs of this by sitting, walking and laying down. This stage will last approximately eight hours. Then she will go into stage two and she will try to have the calf." Faries added that if the heifer won't go into stage two the farmer must call the vet. "In stage two she will start straining to have the calf. During this time she will break water and gallons of water will rush out. You can always tell if a heifer has broken water when you see a mud hole right beside her or if just her rear is wet." Faries advised that a farmer should monitor her for no more than two hours before intervening. "If she is making progress then leave her alone and check on her every hour or so. If she is not making progress then you need to intervene until she does make progress on her own." Once it's decided that a farmer needs to intervene, certain steps must be taken. "First you need to restrain the heifer and pull her tail toward the front. Remember that the tail is full of germs and can cause infection if you touch it and then go inside the heifer. You also need to clean up her rear end to avoid infection. It's also very important that you must clean both your hands and arms. You must take time to do all of this." "It's important to use the: up, up, up, down, down, down method to help move calf to get it out. If you don't use this method, you can end up hurting either the heifer or the calf." Faries stated in order to get a calf breathing the farmer must rub along their body and clean their nose. "You should keep doing this until the calf starts breathing." Faries also said that the calf is in two sacks. "The first sack is called the placenta or after-birth and it is attached to the lining in the uterus. It has got to come out of the uterus on its own. Just leave it alone. The second sack is called the fetal membrane and it is a real thin transparent membrane that comes out when the calf comes out." |
