The Backyard Cow by Sue Weaver

Author:Sue Weaver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2012-05-10T04:00:00+00:00

Dealing with Difficult Births

Any presentations that are not front-feet-first normal or posterior normal (as described above) are considered dystocia (difficult birth). If the calf is positioned so that it can’t be born, it will die after 3 to 12 hours of active labor. If a vet is not available, you need to know how to determine what configuration a “stuck” calf is in and theoretically how to correct it. If the birth is dystocia, don’t act prematurely. You can’t reposition or pull the calf until the cow’s cervix is dilated.

Before examining the cow internally, make sure your fingernails are short and remove your watch and rings. Wash her vulva using warm water and mild soap or a product like Betadine Scrub. Pull on an OB glove if you have one (only one hand will be going in); if you don’t, scrub your hand and forearm with whatever you used to clean the cow and then liberally coat the glove or your hand and arm with lube. Pinch your fingers together and gently work your hand into the vulva.

The cow will be doing her best to push the calf out and late labor contractions are extremely forceful. When contractions hit, hold still and ride them out; when they let up, work quickly but carefully until the next one occurs.

Determine which parts of the calf are present in the birth canal. If the calf’s toes point upward and the big joints above them bend away from the direction the toe is pointing, they’re forelegs. If the toes point down and the major joint bends in the same direction, they’re hind legs. Follow each leg to the shoulder or groin, making sure the parts you’re feeling belong to the same calf. If you’re certain they do and if you can manipulate the calf into a normal birthing position, do so.

The inside of a cow is extremely fragile and if you or the calf tears her internally, your cow will likely die. When repositioning the calf, cup your hand over sharp extremities like hooves and work carefully and deliberately.

After you have repositioned the calf, give the cow time to deliver a properly positioned but seemingly stuck calf. If she’s making some progress (within a few hard contractions), that’s enough. The exception: If the calf is coming in the posterior presentation with his hind feet first and he’s coming very slowly, help by pulling (see above, page 116). And if she isn’t making progress after a few hard contractions, help her.

Facts About Dystocia (Difficult Birth)

• According to the Oregon State University Calving School Handbook by Bill Zollinger and Don Hansen (see Resources), more than 3.5 million calves per year in the United States die during or shortly after birth; 45 percent of these losses are due to dystocia (slow or difficult labor), and most are due to the calf being too large for the cow to give birth to.

• The higher the birth weight, the greater the chance of dystocia. Birth weight is influenced by both heredity and gestation length.

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