Calving Season - Cows

Points to Remember

• The above average milking cow will need about 33 pounds of hay per day.
• Successful nutrition management requires analysis of feed resources.
• Best feeding management is attained by separating cows that have calved from those that have not.
• Ration balancing using the animal's nutrient requirements and the nutrient composition of the feed resource should be used to determine the appropriate ration.
• Animals have specific nutrient requirements
• Moisture content of feeds must be known to assure accurate ration formulation, particularly silages.
• Correct nutritional decisions can be made if composition of the feed resources are known.
• The mineral needs of a cow increase rapidly after she calves.
• Extra nutrients are required 90 days post-calving to assure a cow that will produce maximum milk and rebreed efficiently.
• Injuries and diseases of beef cattle at calving include some common and acute conditions that generally respond rapidly to treatment with little effect on the subsequent breeding period.
• Several conditions may occur during calving or soon after. Because of their chronic nature these diseases have a decided effect on the breeding history of the affected cows.
• Calving losses in heifers are often high and most of these deaths are a result of calving difficulties.
• The rancher must use good judgement in his decisions as to which calving problems require professional help.
• Traction on the calf in the early stages should be exerted upward in the direction of the tail head and not downward. Once the calf is in the pelvic cavity, traction should be straight backward and then downward; thus the calf passes through the birth canal in the form of an arch.
• Many calving difficulties could be eliminated by proper development of replacement heifers or breeding first-calf heifers to bulls that will sire calves with below average birth weights.
• Even though calf weight is the most important single cause of calving difficulty, size of the pelvic opening of the cow is also related to calving difficulty.

• As cows calve they should be separated from cows that have not calved so both can be fed to their requirements and scours may be prevented.
• Heifers calving for the first time should be separated from older cows so they can be watched more closely for calving problems.
• The chances of calving problems with heifers are 5 times greater than with mature cows.
• Provide cows a salt-phosphorus mixture with trace minerals added. Any special minerals should be added.
• The hospital pen should be dry, sheltered and convenient to work in. Also easy to bring cattle into.
• Be sure the cow is allowing the calf to nurse. Signs: wet or curled hair around the teat and a shiny appearance to the teat. Calves should receive 5% of their birth weight in colostrum before they are 12 hours old, for a 75 pound calf this would be 3 pints.

• Review principles of female and male reproduction
• Review vaccination program for cows and calves and have blackleg vaccine on hand.
• Examine and treat eye problems that might become worse on the range.
• Be sure cows, and especially first-calf heifers are receiving enough feed for milk production and preparation for the breeding season.

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