Should Be Done with All Calves After Calving
The following should be done with all calves, especially
those that have experienced dystocia:
- Place the calf on its sternum, to make chest
movement and thus breathing easier.
- Remove any mucous from the calf's mouth and nose
with your clean fingers.
- Elevate the calf's neck, with the nose and mouth
pointing down towards the floor to allow fluid to drain from the
nose and mouth. DO NOT hang the calf upside down. Fluid in the
lower airways will not drain this way and these fluids
will be absorbed from the lungs anyway. More important is to get
the calf breathing vigorously.
- If the calf is not breathing very well, you can
stimulate a response by tickling the inside of the nose with a
clean straw or small rubber tube. When the calf responds it will
breathe more vigorously and it will clear some of the fluid from
the upper respiratory tact allowing the calf to inflate the lungs
better. If this does not help the calf you will have to be a little
more aggressive. Please see Calf
- Vigorously rub and dry the calf with warm towels.
A hair dryer is an inexpensive and great means to help dry the
calf and fluff up the haircoat.
- Lift the calf and help it stand. To encourage
walking, pinch the calf along its back in front of the hips.
- Feed the calf approx. 3 liters (3 quarts) of
colostrum within 30 minutes of birth. If the calf does not have
a suckle response you will need to tube feed the calf.
- If the calf does not suckle all of the 3 quarts
of colostrum by 2 hours of age, the remainder should be given
by tubing. It is very important to get this much colostrum to
the calf as soon as possible and not later than 2 hours
- More colostrum should be given before the calf
is 6 to 12 hours old. The second feeding should again be 2 to
3 quarts. All calves should have a minimum of 4 quarts of colostrum
before 12 hours, but sooner is better again, the first feeding
should be done by 2 hours or less.
Monitor the calf's rectal temperature
at birth and at 30 minutes after birth. The calf's temperature
should be around 102-103 degrees at birth and then fall to 101-102
degrees 30 minutes after birth. The calf should then maintain
its temperature at 101-102 degrees. If the calf has a low temperature
or is in a cold environment, calf jackets are available to help
keep the calf warm.
- Keep the calf in a sheltered environment out
of severe weather and wind.
- Dip the calf's navel in iodine. It is sufficient
to just dip the outside of the navel in the iodine. Dipping the
navel will not replace a clean environment or good hygiene.
- Check for any trauma - i.e. broken legs, broken