Once a year, the cow brings the calf to the owner. Most often, labor is good, but complications are possible in some cases. Veterinarians recommend owners to be the nurse during calving. If the process is going right, then you should not intervene in it. If the birth is pathological, it is urgent to call a veterinarian.
Launch and calving calendar
The cow will give birth at the moment when its body is completely ready for them. But the owner should know the approximate date, so you need to keep a special calendar. After covering, the owner records the time of insemination. If the next hunt has not occurred, then the cow is considered conditionally covered. In order to accurately determine the pregnancy at the nurse, you need to invite a doctor in a few months. A veterinarian will perform a rectal examination and find out if the burenka has covered.
If the answer is yes, then the owner makes a note of successful insemination in the calving calendar of the cow. From this date, he should count 285 days, this will be the expected day of the baby's appearance. This does not mean that the cow will inconspicuously give birth on this date, the event can occur a little earlier or a little later. Also, the owner must calculate the day of launch, it occurs 60 days before the expected day of calving.
Preparing for calving
The cow must give birth in a clean room. The owner needs to clean up the stall at the Burenka in advance. If possible, it is advisable to whiten all the walls in the room before calving. The litter must be replaced with a clean one. If shavings are poured on the floor in the barn, then it should be large. If only small sawdust is available, then it is advisable to replace them with hay or straw.
About a week before giving birth, the nurse is no longer driven into the herd. This is done for several reasons. First, a cow can be calved directly in the field, where timely veterinary care is not always possible. Secondly, eating fresh grass enhances postpartum edema. In addition, other animals in the herd can harm the cow, which is in the last stages of pregnancy.
Signs of a fast calving
The closer the day of the expected birth, the more attentive the owner should become to the cow. Thanks to the observations, the owner will be able to understand that the process will begin soon. A sign of calving in cows is filling the udder with colostrum. But in all animals, this process occurs at different times. In one cow, the udder begins to fill 3 weeks before calving, in others - in 3 hours.
In the cows, the abdomen descends, the bones of the spine begin to be clearly visible. A few days before the birth, the ligaments near the tail relax at the nurse. The external genital organs swell in the cow before calving, and characteristic discharge appears from them. The animal looks restless, jerks its ears, examines its stomach. A cow often raises its tail and licks its sides. At the moment of labor, a wave passes through the belly of the nurse, which means that childbirth begins.
How is normal calving?
In most cases, cows give birth without complications. Veterinarians do not recommend interfering with them for no particular reason. It matters how many calving the cow already had, if 6-7 or more, then the likelihood of complications increases. Also, unpredictably, the first birth of a Burenka can pass.
Calving in a cow is divided into 3 stages. In the first of them, the cervix opens. The nurse begins to worry, beats her hoof, looks back at her stomach. On her sides, waves of contractions are noticeable, she often defecates and moans plaintively. This stage in cows takes about 3-6 hours, in heifers - up to 10. At the end of this phase, the fetal bladder is shown. The owner should observe the nurse, but not interfere with the process.
In the second stage, the fetal bladder bursts. The outflow of water. If the owner has the opportunity, then they need to be collected and drunk by the cow. Contractions become more frequent, the nurse is breathing heavily, the calf's head is shown from the vagina. Soon the cow begins to push, pushing the baby out of his body. The birth of the fetus occurs. The second stage lasts 1-2 hours, for heifers - 2-4.
Then comes the expulsion of the afterbirth. This is the third, final stage. Usually, the placenta leaves within 8-12 hours after birth. Sometimes it may linger. After its separation, calving at the cow ends. It is better not to feed the last burenka, as it can cause diarrhea.
Calf Reception
The baby is born, and he needs to be met correctly. Reception of the calf is carried out only on a clean cloth or sheet. He cleans the nose and eyes of mucus. You can entrust this work to the cow, but the first calfs are sometimes scared and do not know what to do with the child. Tie the baby's umbilical cord with sterile thread and cut the remaining edge with scissors. Treat the wound with any antiseptic, such as hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.
If calving at the cow went well, then she usually manages herself. If the birth was difficult, then the nurse often does not have the strength to take care of her baby. In this case, milk the cow and feed the calf colostrum. This must be done no later than 60 minutes after its birth. After the calf is put in a separate paddock or left under the cow.
Possible complications
If the calving time has come for the cow, but it does not show any signs, then this should alert the owner. You can invite a veterinarian who will determine the reasons for the lack of labor. If calving has already occurred, then after it sometimes complications arise. Most of them require the advice of a veterinarian.
Complications may be related to the age of the nurse. It has long been noticed that age-old cows are harder to calve and they often later have problems. Young cows are also often difficult to give birth. The main reason for the appearance of pathologies is the improper preparation of the animal for calving. At risk, emaciated and obese cows, as well as cows with gynecological problems.
Retention of the placenta
Calving at the cow ended safely, the calf is healthy and fed, but it is too early for the owner to relax. Within a maximum of 10-12 hours, the placenta should be separated, only after that the birth is considered to be completely completed. If this does not happen, then the owners should call a veterinarian.
The reasons for the delay of the placenta may be:
- unbalanced feeding during pregnancy;
- lack of vitamins;
- lack of exercise;
- stresses.
Before the arrival of the doctor, the owners can water the cow with sweet water. If it was possible to collect amniotic fluid, then you can give them. The veterinarian must examine the cow and deliver the medication to it. If all these actions have not yielded results, then the last are separated manually.
Uterine prolapse
Sometimes cows have complications at the hotel. After childbirth, the uterus in some cases begins to go out. This is very dangerous and can lead to the death of the nurse. Uterine prolapse occurs due to too strong attempts that expel not only the fetus. Sometimes this pathology is caused by improper delivery, for example, when the calf is roughly pulled out.
The treatment of uterine prolapse consists in repositioning and suturing. This procedure must be performed by a veterinarian. The doctor also usually prescribes a course of drugs. At the next calving, it is better to arrange with the veterinarian in advance, as uterine prolapse can occur again.
Postpartum paresis
This pathology is most often found in age-related cows. Usually, a postpartum cut begins during the first 3 days after calving. First, the cud disappears in the cow, then trembling begins in the limbs. Soon, the burenka falls on its side and does not get up anymore. The disease begins suddenly, the owner should get through to the veterinarian as soon as possible and bring him to the farm.
Without treatment, the cow dies in a couple of days. The doctor examines the cows and prescribes drugs. Droppers with glucose and calcium are usually used. In the scheme with these drugs, additional drugs can be used. In some cases, the doctor inflates the udder along Evers.
Veterinarian's advice
A cow needs to be properly fed during pregnancy. You can not keep it only on hay or grass. This is especially true for highly productive cows, for example, Holstein breed. By the time of calving, the cow should have average fatness. You can’t feed her, but also bring to exhaustion is also undesirable.
After calving, the cow needs to drink a couple of buckets of warm water. You can add sugar to one of them. Now, some companies produce a special composition for postpartum feeding. You just need to dilute it with water and offer the cow.