For cow-calf or dairy producers, the goal of calving is to wind up with a healthy, thriving calf and a healthy, intact cow. Given the stratospheric prices for both cattle and calves, that goal becomes doubly important.

The Purdue University Extension in Elkhart County sponsored a presentation on calving difficulties, including lecture and hands-on exercises. Presenters were Drs. Bethany Funnell of the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine and Tim Stohlman, a large-animal veterinarian from Columbia City, Ind.

Here are useful tips for difficult calvings:

Be prepared with equipment. Make sure your equipment and supplies are ready to go well before calves are due. That list should include a stainless-steel bucket, warm water and a 16-ounce cup for washing; Vaseline; soap; lubricant; two short, 75-centimeter OB chains; one long, 150-centimeter OB chain; two handles for the chains; and a stomach pump and tube for colostrum feeding. Optional equipment would include shoulder-length obstetrical sleeves, nitrile gloves and a hemostat for holding the sleeve in place.

Be well versed in procedures. An excellent place to brush up on techniques is “The Visual Guide to Bovine Reproduction: Calving Problems” by the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. This resource includes a wealth of images and narratives about calving, including normal calving, difficult deliveries and much more.

Related:Prepare your calving kit

TVs in the barn. Funnell says having TVs in the calving barn has become a popular practice. “If you’re coming in every 15 minutes to check on the cow, it really kind of spooks her and slows down the birth process,” Funnell adds.

Make gravity your friend. If possible, helping a cow during a difficult delivery goes much better if the cow is standing, “making gravity your friend.” However, if the traction is applied, in most cases, the cow will lay down. If she does, try to make sure she winds up on her side and in a spot where you have room to work.

Have help on hand. Have assistance available for difficult calving situations. For vaginal exams, Funnell suggests having someone else assist you. For pulling a calf, she says to have “two strong men.”

Use vinyl sleeves. Using single-use vinyl sleeves not only keeps your hands and arms from getting messy but also can protect you from getting infections. The hand portion of long sleeves is usually “excessively roomy,” and slipping a snug-fitting regular vinyl glove over your sleeved hand will make things much easier. Also, a hemostat or other device to connect the upper part of the sleeve to your shirt will keep it from constantly slipping down. For any who opt to “go sleeveless,” Stohlman says to remove watches and rings.

PAY ATTENTION: Your first-calf heifers may need additional time or help when they begin calving, so it will be key to monitor them as that time nears.

Be ready to help first-calf heifers. First-calf heifers will require more scrutiny, readiness for intervention and patience than mature cows. “First-calf heifers just don’t get it,” Funnell says. “They don’t know what’s going on nor why they’re uncomfortable. They’re smaller animals, their birth canal has never been dilated before, and they’re probably going to take more time to deliver.” For mature cows, Funnel says you should be able to see progress every 15 minutes, while for heifers, it’s more like 30 minutes. 

Do a “calf jack drill.” If you don’t have “two strong men” available, a calf extractor, aka a calf jack, is a good substitute. “These can work really nicely if you use them right or [be] more of a torture device if you don’t,” Funnell says. She stresses to not just “jack the calf out,” but rather to work with the cow, giving her breaks as needed. Funnell also advises practicing with the calf jack beforehand. “Trying to learn as you’re doing it is not a good idea,” she says.

Know when to call the vet. If you’re experienced and confident in performing a vaginal exam, give yourself a 20-minute window to figure out what’s going on inside the cow. If you can’t get a handle on it, call for assistance. Also, if you’re new or inexperienced in handling dystocias and suspect the calf will not be able to be delivered vaginally, call sooner rather than later.

Haul to Purdue, if necessary. If you can’t get a vet to come in time, have the truck and livestock trailer hitched and ready for a quick trip to Purdue’s Farm Animal Hospital. They’re on call 24 hours a day at 765-494-8548, and their rates are reasonable. Approximate costs are $200 to $500 for dystocias, $600 to $800 for an uncomplicated C-section and $800 to $2,000 for a complicated C-section.

Have colostrum ready. Calves that experience dystocias are more lethargic and less likely to get adequate colostrum. Be ready to supplement with frozen colostrum from another cow or a commercial colostrum supplement.

Plan ahead. Both Funnell and Stohlman emphasize that there are steps producers can take to minimize dystocia rates in the future. Funnell says that the most common cause of dystocias in cattle is the fetal-dam disparity, where the calf is too large for the mother. She says that using calving-ease bulls can significantly reduce that problem.

Stohlman concurs, saying: “Dystocia rates are highly management dependent. I’ve been on farms where they only have a dystocia maybe every five years. And then there are farms where they’re much more common. Factors like calving ease, genetics, age of the mother and body condition make a big difference.”