Calving Emergencies in Beef Cattle: Identification and Prevention

Calving difficulty, technically called dystocia, is a major cause of death loss in cow-calf herds. CHAPA (Cow-calf Health and Productivity Audit) studies indicate that dystocia is responsible for 33 percent of all calf losses and 15.4 percent of beef cattle breeding losses. Dystocia can have a large economic impact on producers due to calf death, veterinary costs, decreased rebreeding efficiency , and injury or death to the cow. In three different studies, dystocia was the highest veterinary cost to cow-calf operations in Colorado, California, and Tennessee. (Salma et al., April and May 1991) Dystocia is also the number one cause of calf mortality in the first 96 hours of life. (Patterson et al.) Pregnancy rates for the dam after losing a calf are lower than for dams that have not lost a calf. (Patterson et al.) Studies also indicate that animals experiencing dystocia while delivering a live calf may have decreased rebreeding rates. Therefore, a sound management program to reduce dystocia and rapidly identify cattle experiencing dystocia is critical to cattle welfare and farm profitability. General The average length of gestation for cattle is 280 days, with a normal range of 273 to 296 days. A twin pregnancy will average 3 to 6 days less. There are three stages of labor in normal calving: 1. First stage: The first stage of labor is when the cervix is dilating. This stage can last between 1 and 24 hours, but usually it is between 2 to 6 hours. Cows will often separate from the herd, and may be restless. They will not eat or drink and can have a vaginal discharge. 2. Second stage: The second stage begins when the cow starts contracting and continues until the calf is delivered. The amniotic sac, or water bag, will appear at the vulva. The fetus starts to enter the birth canal which then stimulates contractions that can be seen as abdominal press. A general rule is that delivery should be complete within 2 hours after the amniotic sac appears. 3. Third stage: The third stage is when the placenta (afterbirth) is delivered. The placenta usually passes within the first 8 hours after birth. It is considered " retained " at 12 to 24 hours, but manually removing the afterbirth is not recommended. Dystocia is when it becomes difficult or impossible for the cow to deliver the calf without assistance. It can occur in the …