Whether you are an 'old-hand' or brand new to the northeast calving season, there is a lot to consider when March rolls around. We have listed a few items that we think are most important as your animals reach the end of pregnancy. Preparing now will help ensure your animals’ health and well-being as well as your sanity.
Take a look at the recommendations below and reach out to us at 908-625-6300 with any questions about calving product purchase, herd assessments, individual wellness exams, or emergency services.
Cows and Heifers
- Record the body condition score (1-5) of your cows at least 2 months pre-calving
- Although this is always important, an animal's conditioning is an important predictor of her calving, production, and ability as a dam/mother. The last 60 days of a pregnancy is when the calf is growing at the greatest rate and it is important that the dam is provided with enough quality nutrients to meet these demands. Unfortunately in the Northeast, the last 60 days are when the dam is the in the coldest environment and forage has often dropped in quality. Keeping a close eye on the herd, intervene and change when needed, and you will notice a positive effect change this season.
- Ask us about : Body condition scoring, pasture management, forage quality and testing, mineral needs and supplementation.
- Assess handling facilities/equipment, or......if you have one cow or a hundred, you NEED a headgate and chute. Why doc? So a cow calving, with the feet out for an hour, no progress, or she's pushing and the breeding book says she's not due for 6 weeks. Time to find out what's going on! And tying to a tree is not the answer, but a handy headgate with a calving gate makes this a breeze. For everybody. Thus our favorite motto at the practice, whether you have one cow or a hundred, you have to have a headgate. Having that with a chute is the best, easiest, safest way for an animal to be examined and treated. Full stop. However if this is not feasible there are always ways to work with the setup you have to make a practical variation and we're happy to help point out the ways that can work - we've seen them all! (ask Jon - his variation on this is "Rodeo's are supposed to be only on Saturday nights!"). At the very least, you can make an area available that's accessible, clean and where the calving cow in question can be contained and worked with a halter/rope.
- Ask us about - how to build an acceptable headgate/chute at home and importantly WHEN to call for help. Remember, it doesn't need to be fancy, just functional.
- Vaccinate for Scours
- Calves are very susceptible to diarrheal/scour diseases and you can start your prevention scheme before they hit the ground. There are vaccines available, (i.e. Scourgard), given 2 then 1 month(only once if previously vaccinated) prior to calving. Catching animals up for vaccination is a great opportunity to assess their body condition and make necessary changes in time for calving.
Calves - once they're coming - get them out!
- Pay special attention to cows due to calve; scanning the group at least 3-4 times daily.
- So, when do they need our help? They go in stages - here's a quick reminder
- Stage 1 labor -
- 2-4 hours - This is characterized by the cow or heifer seeming restless, often getting up and down, then starting contractions - getting down to business
- Stage 2 Labor -
- Once you see fetal membranes/sac/calf parts
- Cow: Maximum 1 hour - making progress
- Heifer - Maximum 1.5 hour - making progress always key.
Rule of thumb: once you notice Stage 2, count 30 minutes. If she has not made considerable progress, give us a head's up call/text, and we will either make recommendations or head over to assist! Proper intervention at the right time results in more live calves.
- Stage 3
- Passing of the placenta should take no longer than 24 hours. It's not the end of the world if she is retained at 1+ days, but watch her for eating, consider taking temperature, and realize for late calvers, there are more issues with cows that don't clean(metritis)when the weather is warmer/hot.
- Beef Magazine's article is useful
- - "How soon should you help?"
- Calories
- The calf should be up and suckling within 2 hours of birth. If they do not begin suckling, the clock has started. Colostrum, or first milk, is arguably the most important determinant of a calf’s ability to thrive in this world. 12 hours after birth, the calf’s ability to take advantage of this starts to dwindle. If the calf has not suckled in the first 24 hours, it is assumed they did not receive any colostrum and the calf’s immune system is extremely inadequate, making them susceptible to infections of the joints, navel, and lungs, and gastointestinal system as well as septicemia(death often)in coming days.
- What to have on hand
- Colostrum replacer
- Feeding tube
- Bottles
- Ask us about: Colostrum administration and preparation, how to tube calves safely and easily.
- Warmth
- Imagine being born outside in March. It's chilly! Calves are incredibly durable, but occasionally a calf is due on a freezing, wet night and they may need a little help to thrive. Before you’re in a pinch, identify your closest access to hot water and have some blankets ready to go in the case of a poor-doer. Hair-dryer to dry off works nicely as does the passenger seat foot well in the pickup on some towels with heater on...Calves should be between 100.0 and 102.5 F. If lower, the body will not be performing optimally and energy from the food will go straight to keeping the calf warm rather than growth and energy to nurse.
- And some extra TLC ideas:
- To support a healthy immune system and set your calves up for success, we recommend selenium supplementation (call us if you have questions about BoSe or Multimin). Our region of the country is one notoriously low in selenium, a mineral that supports growth, immune function, and reproductive health. We often recommend an injection of selenium at birth, at dipping/tagging time to assure the calf is starting out on the right foot.
- Passive Vaccination - There are products available that provide immunity to major diarrhea pathogens like E. coli when given to the calf at birth. This protection is a supplement to the gold standard - good quality, timely, colostrum, but it may be an interest to your and your herd if you’ve struggled with scours in the past
- Navel dipping
- It is always a good idea to get iodine dip on a calf navel at birth. This is easier in a dairy setting, but really important for beef calves born in environments that may be more of a challenge. It's a easy entryway for bacteria that can cause septicemia, navel and joint ill. Simple fix. Dip'em!
Call us if you need any of these supplies or help preparing - Specials are available on our website at www.acornfarmvets.com and open the MyPharmstore link - featured products are on front
