Do you have a cow or heifer that is ready to give birth? If so, she may need help giving birth to the unborn baby. Here you will find instructions to properly assist her during childbirth.
Note: If you can't get the calf out or don't know how to move, call the large animal veterinarian near you for help. Some abnormal fetal positions, such as anterior or posterior presentation, cannot be corrected with manual maneuvers and, therefore, a caesarean section is required
Steps
Step 1. Find the cow or heifer
Usually, the laboring cow chooses a secluded spot away from the rest of the cattle to give birth. Be sure to keep all pregnant cows close together during the breeding season so that neither you nor they have to travel long distances in case they need assistance.
Step 2. Look at what stage of delivery she is at
A female who is in the early stages of childbirth paces back and forth, gets up and down repeatedly. When the time of birth approaches, you will see a water sac hanging from the vulva: it is a yellowish spherical sac. Usually, immediately after this pouch, the front legs appear followed immediately by the nose. A calf in a normal position has the ends of its legs pointed towards the ground. If, on the other hand, they are facing upwards, then it will be in the breech position.
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If the mother has been in the same position for the past two hours and has not shown any progress, it means that it is time to use a cattle head restraint to help her deliver.
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 3 Step 3. Lock it, if necessary
If she is lying on the ground and is tame enough to allow you to be close to her during delivery, then you can assist her directly on the spot. Otherwise, if you have a cattle head lock, let it go in to get the calf out more easily and quickly. If you don't have this tool, use a gate (preferably 3m or more) to block it. However, the head restraint is better and safer for pregnant cows in labor as it prevents them from backing away from you should they panic.
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 4 Step 4. Wash your hands and arms from the shoulders down
If you have a pair of long gloves available, it is advisable to wear them. After sprinkling them with lubricant, go inside the cow or heifer (through the vagina or the uterine canal, not the anus) to see how the calf is positioned.
- If you are in a backward position, don't fidget trying to turn the calf. Use the chain delivery aid (with handles) or a minion rope and pull it out as soon as possible. Only intervene in this way if the hind legs are out first.
- If it is in the breech position (with the tail towards the exit), you should bring your hind legs forward so that they are positioned in the uterine canal. To do this, push the calf forward into the uterus as long as you can. Then push the flexed hock outwards (of the calf) and swing the hoof (of the foot) inwards. Keep the hock and hoof joints well bent as you balance the hock and foot at the pelvis position (i.e. towards you) in the direction of the uterine canal. Repeat the maneuver with the other paw. Finally, put the childbirth aid on the chain or the minion rope and start pulling.
- If your head is turned down or back, push the calf forward into the uterine cavity, place one hand in a concave shape around the nose and, holding it still with the other, bring the head into the correct position. If you can't reach the head completely, you can hook your fingers in the corner of the mouth and turn the muzzle. Finally, turn your head as well as just explained.
- If it has its front legs pointing downwards, push the calf forward into the uterine cavity, grab the top of the leg and pull it until the knee is forward. Then, keep your knee flexed and pull it towards you. With the knee well bent, place one hand in a concave shape around the hoof and gently but without delay bring it into the correct position.
- If your hoof is bent or your knee is jammed, you will have to push the calf in order to reposition them. In the first case, pushing the calf inwards can help correct the abnormal position. In the second case, when you have to push the calf forward into the uterine canal, grab the leg that is further back than the other and pull it towards you. Once the position is correct, the calf will come out easily.
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 5 Step 5. If the calf is in a normal position or in a position where it can be pulled, fix the calf aids with chain or rope (not the string, as it is too thin and sharp to be used with a calf.) on the front legs
Use a double half knot to tie the chain: one loop on the hoof, the other just below the knee. Pull out and down when the cow strains and release when it doesn't stop. If you have a calf extractor, use it, but be careful with the extraction speed, because you could easily cause some damage if you don't handle it correctly.
L' calf extractor should have a reinforced U-shaped part for the cow's butt, a chain attached to this part that goes to the back of the tail, the chains for the calf grip that attach to the legs and the mechanism for the extraction that drag the animal out. Tighten the chains and, once their tension is established, slowly adjust it according to the contractions. When there is the right traction that facilitates the release of the calf, move the extractor downwards and then back and forth in order to increase the tension again. Repeat until it is no longer needed (ie until the calf has come out), then quickly release the chains from the extractor and continue manually.
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 6 Step 6. Once the calf is born, you should try to get it to breathe right away
Clean your nose with your fingers, removing all amniotic fluid. Tickle it with a straw or clean hay, put a little water in your ears so that it shakes its head or, if necessary, you can give it artificial respiration to animate it. She should start breathing within 30-60 seconds after birth.
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 7 Step 7. Once he begins to breathe, giving the first signs of life, carry or drag him to a pen set up with clean straw and let the mother rejoin her baby
Help a Cow Give Birth Step 8 Step 8. Leave the cow and calf alone for a while
In this way, you will allow her to interact with the baby, clean it and stimulate breastfeeding. Make sure there is enough water and hay to keep the mother quiet as she gets to know the new baby.
Advice
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The chain birthing aid is the best tool for giving birth to a calf. The rope and hands are fine too. Twine is not recommended, as some types are too thin to be used when giving birth to a calf. They can detach and cut the animal's leg during the extraction maneuver. The rope with a diameter of 1.30 cm, on the other hand, is well suited to carry out this maneuver. The chain birth aid is also made to be used during childbirth, and can be provided to you by the veterinarian in your vicinity.
- Make sure that the equipment to be used is clean and disinfected. Wash the rope or chains and immediately wipe with detergent and hot water after using them. Dry them in the open air. Keep them in a dry place until you need them again. Do the same with the extractor, in case of use.
- A half double knot on both legs of the calf reduces the risk of injury and also prevents the rope and chains from cutting them, leaving the hooves intact. The first knot must be tied above the hooves, and the second directly below the knee. By doing so, the applied traction will be widespread and the risk of injury less.
- If there is a cow trying to give birth to a calf on the ground that needs to be repositioned, pull the hind legs back and have a friend pull the tail up towards the back. This maneuver will make it easier to enter and reposition the calf without subjecting the cow to additional strain.
- Placing your hand in front of the calf's nose or hooves helps prevent tearing and scraping of the uterine wall, where infections could occur after delivery.
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By pulling out and down, the natural movement of the cow during labor is respected. The pelvis (not to mention gravity!) Forces the calf to go down and out during the expulsion. Pulling in this way facilitates the pressure that the mother exerts with the pelvis and, therefore, the birth.
If the cow stands upright during labor, you will need to sit on the ground while you take the calf out
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Always keep an eye on the cow when it is preparing to give birth, so you know where to find it easily if it needs assistance.
Do not wait a day or two after the cow has shown signs of labor. If she has started and is not making progress in at least two or four hours, then move her to a spot where you can assist her.
- Calves that are too large to pass through the uterine canal, especially heifers that conceived too early, need to be born with a caesarean section.
- When you enter the uterine canal to push the calf back, it is normal for the cow to exert adverse pressure which makes it more difficult to push the animal into the correct position.
- Calves that have all four hooves in the uterine canal or the back facing the canal are the most difficult to reposition and, therefore, it is necessary to intervene with a caesarean section.
Warnings
- Beware of angry cows. Sometimes a cow's hormone levels are so strange that she may choose you as an outlet for her frustration, rather than allowing you to help her. It happens especially after childbirth.
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If you are absolutely sure that you will not be able to help the cow on your own, then call the vet, if available, or a neighbor who can come to your aid right away.
Cesarean delivery is best performed by a person who knows what he is doing (ie, the veterinarian) to prevent infections and injuries in the animal
- It may happen that the cow suddenly decides to get up (if it was on the ground before), while you are still trying to reposition the calf with your hands. Follow it and, if possible, extract it as soon as possible.
- When you assist the cow during calving, it is likely that you will be crushed to the ground by the calf which, on escaping, falls on you.
