Calving is one of the most critical times for producers. While most births go smoothly, complications can arise during this process.
First-calf heifers are the most likely to have a problem when birthing, as less than 2% of calving difficulties occur in mature cows.
Of the calves that are lost at birth, approximately 80% are anatomically normal. That means 80% of these deaths may be avoided by practicing good animal welfare. Most of these deaths are due to injury or suffocation resulting from calving or delayed calving.
Knowing if, and when, to assist a cow in calving is important for all producers to understand.
HOW PAIN MANAGEMENT HELPS
Producers should only attempt to assist a cow in calving if no progress has been made after 30 minutes. Significant damage can be caused by interfering too soon in the process.
The area in which the cow is giving birth should be clean and well-bedded, and any equipment used to help should be clean and well maintained.
Intervention can be required for a number of reasons:
- The position of the fetus is abnormal
- The calf is too large
- The calf is in breach (rear feet first)
- The calf is hip locked
- The calving is not progressing
In these situations, professional intervention may be needed. It is important to discuss limit point interventions with your veterinarian.
According to research conducted at the University of Calgary, cows and calves might benefit from pain relief after calving. Dr. Jennifer Pearson says, “calves that experience a difficult birth have higher trauma biomarkers, and those with higher trauma biomarkers are less vigorous after birth,” noting that calving is painful to both mother and calf.
The use of NSAIDs can help the cow recover quicker from the birth, enabling them to start eating and gaining weight sooner after delivery than those not treated. NSAIDs can also help calves recover from a difficult birth. Treated calves have been found to suckle sooner and more vigorously after birth than calves that did not receive pain medication.
The Beef Cattle Code of Practice requires an environment that is safe and clean for calving, regardless of the time of year. They also recommend monitoring cows and calves to identify calving difficulties early.
If a caesarean section is to be performed, it must be done by a veterinarian using local anesthesia and post-operative pain control.
CANADIAN CALVING TRENDS
Typically, the calving season for Canadian beef producers starts in February and lasts roughly 80 days. However, there has been a recent trend towards a later calving season that runs from April–June. Research shows that most May-June calving cows give birth without assistance. A later calving season also has the added benefit of warmer temperatures.
FUTURE RESEARCH
More research should be done to determine how painful calving is, and the best way to mitigate that pain for cows. The quicker they are able to recover, the more productive they’ll be in your herd.
