Reserve your spot today!
For cattle producers expecting calves to come soon, it is time to prepare. Get your supplies gathered. Straighten up your herd records. Make sure you are current with your veterinary client patient relationship. And . . .
Join OSU Extension for an evening of education on preparing for calving season from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, February 20 at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station- 16870 Bond Ridge Rd. Caldwell, OH 43724 (pending weather- backup location is the Extension Operations Building- 16714 Wolf Run Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724).
At this event, class participants will have the opportunity to pull a calf from the simulator cow while learning about common calving challenges and solutions. Speakers will include OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist – Garth Ruff, Noble County ANR Educator – Christine Gelley, and Eastern Agricultural Research Station Staff. RSVPs are required by February 18. Email gelley.2@osu.edu or call 740-732-5681 to RSVP. The event is free to attend and includes a beef dinner. Seating is limited, so call in ASAP!
Some of the information we will cover that evening includes knowing and monitoring the stages of labor. There are three stages. Stage two is the one that gains the most attention, but all three are important!
Stage one includes:
- Udder fill
- Cervical dilation
- Mucus plug release
- Contractions begin
- Restlessness
- Isolation
- Time: 2-12 hours
Stage two includes:
- Full dilation
- Fetus moves into birth canal
- Water bag is expelled
- Active labor/straining
- Calf delivery
- Time: 30 mins- 2 hours
Stage three includes:
- Placenta expulsion (within 4 days)
These are the normal activities in the process of birth. When abnormalities arise, it is time to help. Most births will proceed without issue and without assistance but knowing when to help and how to help with appropriate actions can save a cow, a calf, or both. If you have a cow in stage two of labor that isn’t making progress after 30 minutes, she probably needs help. Often the vet is more than 30 minutes away and the cattle handler will need to step in.
Do you know how to help? The steps are as follows:
- Secure the animal in a safe location.
- Gather supplies.
- Gloves & Sleeves
- Clean Clothes
- Soap & Water
- Lubricant
- OB Chains/Head Snare
- Another Person
- Safely restrain the animal and tail.
- Clean the perineal area & vulva with mild soap and water.
- Check calf size/position and cervical dilation.
- Check calf responsiveness.
- Correct malpresentation if possible.
- If possible, pull the calf with care for all parties (you, the cow, the calf).
Correcting malpresentation takes practice and patience. Join us at the program to learn more about how to feel for malpresentation, how to determine if correction is possible, and how to gradually work to reposition malpresentations before pulling a calf.
If you don’t have a veterinarian already, now is the time to get one. Even with confidence and skill, there may be times when a cow or calf needs help beyond what you can provide on your own. You don’t want the first time you call the vet to be an emergency. So, plan ahead by establishing a good relationship and creating plans for how to react if an emergency arises.
We hope you will take advantage of the learning opportunity ahead to prepare for a successful season full of healthy and happy cow-calf pairs.