How to Avoid and Handle Difficult Calvings

Difficult calvings can be due to legs back, breech and head back which are, to some degree, unavoidable, but over fat cows and oversized calves are usually avoidable. Obviously being over fatn can be avoided through good nutrition.

We also sell a Pelvi-measure to assess the area inside a heifers pelvis, so at least you can remove small pelvises from your breeding program.

A good dry cow diet should contain high levels of straw and dry cow specific minerals. Calves too large for the cow or heifer is a more complex genetic matter, but breed choice and choice of a bull within a breed are important.

Most breeding companys now measure ease of calving as well as size of calf. theses companys will help you decided on the right bull for you. Calving complications can have both long and short term effects on the the cow as well as costing extra time and money.

Difficult calvings can result in infertility, lack of production, taking longer to get going due to not eating and drinking, milk fever or in worse cases culling. Three things to remember; goo pelvis size, "fit not fat" and choice of bull. If you require any further infomation please ring 01772 690131