Volume 103
Sept 2015
~Dairy Details~
Produced by Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center
900 N Wabasha, Plainview, MN 55964
(507) 534-4356 or 1-888-534-4026
[email protected]
Tips For Managing Difficult Calvings (Part 3 of 4)
This is the third of a four part series about difficult calvings. The first and second parts, discussing the
normal calving process and when to intervene in a calving, can be found on our website. The third
and fourth parts will discuss common causes of difficult calvings and some tips for managing them.
Big Calf:
Dystocias due to large calves are especially common in first calf heifers when the dam’s pelvis is too
small for the entire calf to fit through. Adapted from bovine reproduction expert Dr. Maarten Drost,
here are some guidelines to help you determine if the calf can be delivered vaginally.
If the calf is coming forwards, the entire head (resting on the knees) and both feet must be presented
into the birth canal. Place a calving chain around each foot with a double half hitch: one loop above
the fetlock joint (above the declaws) and one loop below the fetlock joint (below the declaws). (See
picture below). Placing the chains on the calf this way will reduce the risk of injuring the calf.
If both front legs can be pulled at least six inches past the lips of the vulva, both shoulders of the calf
will have entered the pelvis. Because the diameter of the calf is greatest at the points of the
shoulders, once they have entered the pelvis you should be able to deliver the calf vaginally.
About 10 to 15 percent of calves are born backwards. If the rear end is coming first, this presents two
problems: 1) The shape of the hindquarters is not as effective at dilating the birth canal as the cone
shaped head and neck, & 2) The umbilical cord is compressed against the pelvis while the head is still
inside the dam, decreasing blood and oxygen to the calf.
In a backwards presentation chains are looped around each foot with a double half hitch (same as for
front feet). If two people pulling together can get both hocks to appear at the lips of the vulva, then it
will be possible to deliver the calf vaginally.
If the calf becomes hiplocked and will not budge, quit pulling!
Try to rotate the calf ~45 degrees (see picture), and try to pull
again. Whether pulling calves by hand or with a calf jack, use
only a moderate amount of force to avoid vaginal tearing in
the cow and injury to the calf. If the above criteria cannot be
met, the calf may need to be delivered by c-section.
Back leg versus front leg:
Before you start pulling a calf, it is important to determine the calf’s position, or you could make the
delivery even more difficult and lengthy. It is only possible to deliver a calf in a forwards presentation
with both front feet and the head coming at the same time, or a backwards presentation with both
back feet coming first.
The first step in determining the calf’s position is to figure out whether the calf is coming in the
normal forward position, or if it is coming backwards. If the calf’s head is not felt, it can be difficult to
tell the front from the back. It is very easy to mistake a hock for an elbow or vice versa. Below are
some tips to use for differentiating a front leg from a rear leg.
If you’re feeling a front leg, the first two joints above the foot (fetlock & carpus/knee) will flex (bend)
the same direction. The elbow joint will flex the opposite direction from the first two joints.
You’re feeling a rear leg if the first joint (fetlock) flexes backwards and the second joint (hock) flexes
forwards. In other words, the first two joints bend the same direction on the front leg, but bend
opposite directions on the rear legs.
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