Labor and Delivery
Impending labor is marked by…
⭐ Isolating from the rest of the herd. This is not always the first sign however. I’ve seen more than one cow deliver a calf surrounded by her herd mates.
⭐ Pacing, appearing uneasy, looking at her sides.
⭐ Tail raising occasionally.
Active labor begins…
⭐ Clear, thin vaginal discharge.
⭐ Discharge changes to blood tinged.
⭐ Active contractions become evident, characterized by a rise and fall of her sides. Tail stays up.
⭐ She may continue to get up, lay down, and pace.
⭐ Water breaks.
⭐ In a normal presentation front feet become visible. Head rests on top of them. You should see the nose within 4 to 6 inches of the tips of the hooves.
⭐ Contractions should remain heavy at this point. You want to see progress.
⭐ Delivery of calf.
⭐ Expulsion of placenta.
What are the signs of calving dystocia?
⭐ Soles up (backwards).
⭐ Front feet presenting, no nose evident (head back).
⭐ Heavy labor, no feet, only tail (breech).
⭐ One foot presenting only (leg back to any varying degree).
⭐ Active labor, no water bag evident (uterine torsion).
There are more “bad scenarios” but I’ll stop with the more common issues.
Labor is not a one size fits all. Again, what you’re looking for is progress. Watch for rapid breathing, heavy salivation etc.
Older cows are more predisposed to pre calving milk fever. Check body temp if she has heavy vaginal discharge, dull dark eyes, and is appearing weak. Normal body temp is 101.9 to 102.1, although in warmer weather it can go higher. Milk fever presents as a temp around 100.3 or lower. In this case I go directly to IV calcium. Remember that calcium deficiency to a large degree fuels contractions.
Check for a twin if the calf is smaller than normal.
Hot weather, assisted births, or milk fever inevitably lead into a cow that fails to expel placenta completely. It may LOOK like she’s cleaned, but residual is left behind. This results in metritis and often, subsequent ketosis.
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