How to Have a Successful Calving Season + Guide to Recommended Calving Practices
Ah, calving season. It’s an exciting time on the ranch - but also a stressful one! We’ve collected recommendations from veterinarians, long-time ranchers, and calving experts to compile a guide for you so you can have the best calving season possible.
This will be especially helpful for those who are helping with calving for the first time, as well as those who are going through calving season with someone for the first time together. When it comes to calving, it usually takes a team to get through. This guide will help you make sure you are prepared with everything you need on hand, have a clear plan in place with your crew, and know the recommended practices so you can act with confidence.
Before Calving Season
To-Do List
Set up a calving chute and pen. This should include a calving pen, maternity area, headgate, and plenty of lights. The last thing you need is to try to be holding a flashlight in your mouth!
Have your vet’s number on hand. You probably have this already, but having it handily stored in your phone or written down somewhere easy to spot can save you precious time and stress.
Plan for calving checks and overnight shifts. Communicating clearly and staying up to date with who is responsible for checks will be sure no shifts are left uncovered and that no one gets overwhelmed by too many sleepless nights. (in theory at least!)
Back-up assistance plan. Who is available that you can call at a moment’s notice? Whether it’s a neighbor, hand, or family member, make sure they know they may be needed at any time and quickly so they have their muck boots ready!
Stock Up List
Medications
Antibiotics: Penicillin, LA oxytetracycline, Nuflor, Excede
Anti-inflammatories: Flunixin, Dexamethasone,
Stimulants: Dopram
Powdered colostrum, 50% dextrose, electrolytes
Heater
Warm clothes - don’t skimp here. There’s a good chance that something is going to get covered in amniotic fluid, and that can get pretty cold if you have to wear wet clothes for very long or can’t wait for something to be run through the washer.
Caffeine - whether it’s 5-hour energy, coffee, or your favorite fountain drink, having some extra help for the late nights and early mornings will make you more pleasant to be around!
Surveillance - we have heard great things about Cow Cams for watching and monitoring the situation from the warmth of the house. They don’t even need internet access or wifi! Another good option is Ranch Eye which has infrared and zoom features.
Calving Kit - You may find it helpful to pack all of these items in a handy box or bag so it stays together and can be easily transported from vehicle to side-by-side.
Palpation/ob gloves
Mild liquid soap
OB lube
Disinfectant (chlorhexidine)
Iodine diluted to the color of tea
2 buckets
Paper towels
Calving chains
Chain handles
Calf jack/puller
Flashlight
Tube feeder and calf bottle
Colostrum replacer
Funnel
Curved horse sweat scraper (clean vulva, yourself from manure)
Calving record book
Ear tags and tagger
Vet’s number - yes, again. It’s important!
Guide to the Birth Process
The first step in knowing how to best support a cow in the calving process is understanding the stages of calving.
Signs of Calving
These are signs that a cow will be going into labor soon
Udder fills with colostrum (up to six weeks prior to calving)
Sinking between tail head to pins (peaks 12-14 hours before calving)
Vulva enlarges and softens, mucus string is visible
Stage II Calving
This is from the beginning of active labor to the expulsion of the calf. It should last no more than two hours.
Stage III Expulsion of the placenta
This should occur within 30 minutes to 12 hours of the calf being born. Expulsion of the placenta should not be done manually because this can cause infection for the cow. Research has shown removing the placenta manually delays estrus by 20 days or more which will affect your breeding period later on.
Complications
A word you might hear often when talking about complications in the calving process is dystocia. Dystocia is the technical term for when a cow is experiencing delayed or difficult parturition (birth). Dystocia can be harmful to cows and to calves because of the potential health risks and stress on the animal. It is more common in heifers than cows that have calved before but can be experienced by any cow, no matter how experienced, if the circumstances present themselves.
Dystocia affects more than 15% of heifers and approximately 3% of cows. It can have a greater impact on your ranch than just one calf though. Problems with dystocia can lead to increased ranch labor requirements, mortality and morbidity in your herd, and decreased future fertility. The best way to prevent dystocia is to use calving ease bulls and monitor your maternal genetic selection in your herd’s cows. Some traits that can cause dystocia are:
Fetal-maternal size is not a match - ie, the calf is too large for the cow to naturally deliver
Fetal malpresentation - the calf is not positioned in the uterus in a way that will lead to an easy delivery
Maternal originating issues. Traits like a small or angled pelvis can be genetic.
Issues >15% of heifers and 3% of cows = potential genetic selection issue
Increased ranch labor, mortality and morbidity, low future fertility
Providing Assistance During and After Calving
When to Assist
One of the most difficult things can be knowing what to watch for at each stage of the calving process and when you should or shouldn’t intervene. This is something that comes best with experience. Here are some tips on what to watch for to know if it’s time to help out:
Cow has been actively pushing for 30 minutes without progress
Nothing of the calf is visible but the tail
Cow starts and then quits - no calf showing
Legs and feet of the calf are visible with no further progress
Calf has not been delivered after two hours of Stage II
How to Assist
After you recognize that the cow needs assistance for a successful birth, it’s time to take action.
If you can get the head, front legs to elbows if the calf is forward-facing, or the calf’s stifle/hips if backward facing into the cow’s pelvis with two people pulling you can pull the calf mechanically without hurting the calf. It’s important to check for this first because pulling a calf mechanically when the calf is NOT presented in this way can do just as much harm as to the calf as not acting at all.
For repositioning the calf:
Repositioning is best practiced on a standing cow. If the cow goes down, don’t try to get her in a squeeze chute to get her back up. Instead, put her on her chest and frog leg her hind legs wide behind her so you can reposition the calf. If you need to check if the unborn calf is alive you can perform a quick test by pinching the calcanean tendon and grabbing the calf’s hock. If the calf is alive it will kick in response to this.
When you are repositioning the calf for pulling, chains should go over or under the leg, not down the side of the leg. Going down the side of the leg can cause a fracture. Remember to use a half hitch so that you don’t break a leg. When applying pressure to pull, pull in a straight back direction until the cow pushes, then pull in a downward direction.
When pulling, follow the 15 minute rule. The 15 minute rule means that every time you make good progress repositioning a calf, you have 15 minutes of time to allow the cow to push and make her own progress again. If you don’t make any progress in two 15 minute periods after repositioning the calf’s presentation, you need a new plan.
If you need to perform a C-section to assist the cow, remember to wash up first to help prevent infections and promote a speedy recovery. A C-Section is necessary if all you can feel of the calf is its back.
Preventing Sick or Weak Calves
Another time to provide assistance is after the calf has successfully been delivered.
Check ABCs- This stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. This can be done by clearing the nasal passages, checking for respirations, and observing the calf for signs of alertness.
Calves should receive colostrum 2-4 hours after birth. If they do not receive this from the mother, you can supplement it.
Watch for frostbite caused flesh wounds. If you see signs of frostbite get the calf warmed up.
In most cases, it is best to not interfere with the calf and mother directly after birth. This is the time the cow and calf should mother up and the cow should ingest the placental membrane. Bothering the pair during this time can prevent this important step that helps the cow recover and the calf receive colostrum.
What to Do After Calving with Complications
If you have just assisted during a difficult birth, it’s now time to take steps to set the cow and calf up to avoid further complications. You can do this by:
Providing a pint of colostrum with 50% dextrose or electrolytes to correct any potential hypoglycemia and acidosis
Check for umbilical hernia in the calf. If this is found you will need to provide treatment
Keep the calf warm. This will help correct the calf’s pH and absorb colostrum better
Check the dam for the following:
Twins and triplets. After pulling a calf it’s important to be sure the complications weren’t caused by an additional calf that also needs assistance.
Check for and treat prolapses
Check for and treat uterus and birth canal tears
Give oxytocin and consider antibiotics for an infection
And lastly, take care of yourself too. Assisting during calving can be a very labor-intensive task. Make sure to get enough sleep when possible and have snacks and drinks on hand.
After Calving Season
Time to clean and pack things away so they are ready for next year. Taking time to properly store the items in your calving kit will make the preparation for next season easier and prevent you from having to replace things in your kit that you have misplaced or can’t remember how much stock you have on hand.
Last but not least - Celebrate! On the ranch, there’s always something on the to-do list. But don’t just move on to the next thing without taking a moment to celebrate this calving season. This season is the signal of a new phase on the ranch and is a trying time for both you and anyone who helped you get through. Taking a moment to pause and celebrate the work you did with a steak dinner or just some time to recognize another season in the books. This is also a good time to evaluate what did or didn’t go well so you can prepare for an even better calving season in the future.
Calving Season Giveaway!
We’re celebrating calving season this year with a fun giveaway! You can join us by using our Calving Bingo Card! Simply download the card or screenshot it so you can fill it out during your calving season. We’ll be giving away a Cattle VacBox to the first person who gets a blackout on their Bingo card for their calving season and sends it to us. You can submit your card by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.