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You don’t have to be a veterinarian to determine when a cow is calving. Every cattle owner should know the signs of an approaching birth. It is difficult not to notice them, because the behavior of the animal changes greatly, and outwardly the cow looks different.
What is calving in a cow
In a cow, calving is not only the moment of birth of a calf, but also the last period of pregnancy. It lasts a certain number of days, usually about 14. During this time, the owner must prepare the conditions for the birth to take place in a comfortable environment. In addition, during this period, you need to carefully monitor the cattle in order to understand that the cow will soon calve. If necessary, the animal will have to help.
What are the signs before calving in a cow
Pregnancy in cows lasts about 285 days. However, the calving may be delayed for various reasons, but not more than 15 days. In this case, you cannot do without a veterinarian, otherwise you can lose the animal and the calf. Usually, a month before the approaching date of birth, the cow is still calm.
What does a cow do before calving?
Changes in her behavior can be noticed a week before calving. The first heifer becomes irritable, beats his tail, gets nervous. When these signs appear, after a few days the cow loses her appetite. It speaks of an upcoming birth.
The day before calving, the udder of the heifer is filled with milk, which is a characteristic sign of an early birth. It may leak from the nipples. From the genital tract of the animal, transparent mucous discharge is observed – this is a variant of the norm.
When the cow has signs of early calving, you need to prepare warm boiled water, clean sterile towels, iodine, laundry soap and manganese solution. All this will come in handy when the calf comes out.
What does a cow look like before calving?
From the external signs a week before calving, the following changes can be observed in a cow:
- labia swell, acquire a bright red color;
- liquid mucous discharge of a transparent color appears;
- the udder swells, milk flows out of it;
- pelvic bones diverge;
- belly drops noticeably.
A cow just before calving shows slightly different signs. The animal does not stand well on its feet, constantly lies on its side, drawlingly mooing.
If the birth is very soon, then the contractions become strong, unbearable. The uterus opens up. The contents of the fetal bladder may flow out of the genital tract if it burst on its own.
How is calving in a cow
Before calving, you need to prepare the cow and the room. The litter is replaced with fresh, straw is placed under the head. The genital tract and anus are washed with clean water and soap.
If the cattle is not calving for the first time, then she will do everything on her own. However, there are times when a cow needs help. That is why it is necessary to determine in time that she will calve soon and know how the calving goes.
When the contractions intensify, a gray fetal bladder appears from the vagina. If it does not burst on its own, then it must be torn apart by hand to free the calf’s head.
Normally, the fetus moves with its front legs, and its hooves point to the ground. There may be a situation when he walks with his hind legs, but then the hooves should be pointing up. In such positions, the calf will be able to get out on its own, it will not need outside help.
The newborn is laid on a clean cloth, after which the umbilical cord is cut off, stepping back 15 cm from the body. All instruments must be sterile. The end is tied, having previously lubricated it with iodine. Immediately after this, the calf is brought to the mother so that she licks off the lubricant from it. If the calving was difficult, then she may refuse. In this case, the owner will have to wipe the calf himself with a damp warm cloth.
What to do with a cow after calving
Immediately after calving, especially if it was the first one, the cow is given the opportunity to lie down for about 30-40 minutes. During this time, the placenta should come out, and the uterus should be cleansed. Gradually, strength returns to the animal. To make this happen faster, they give a drink of a saline solution.
After the placenta has passed, the litter is completely changed. It’s time for the first milking. First, the udder is washed with warm water, and the nipples are massaged. All expressed colostrum is given to the calf. It can be difficult to milk a firstborn, but in the future it will have a good effect on its productivity.
Problems after calving
Most often, calving passes on its own and does not require human intervention. But with difficult births, this is indispensable. In the following days, the cow should be well cared for, especially if there have been uterine ruptures and other problems. This will avoid complications in the postpartum period.
The most common problem after calving is thrush. Its signs can be noticed even before childbirth. A white creamy liquid is secreted from the genital tract, there is no mucous secretion. It is necessary to treat the animal immediately so that at the time of calving there is no infection of the calf.
There are times when the afterbirth does not come out completely. Its parts remain in the uterus, which leads to inflammation. From external signs you can observe:
- prolonged bleeding;
- upset stool;
- remnants of the placenta in the vagina.
The animal remains lying on its side, does not get up. It is difficult to determine the situation on your own, it is better to call a veterinarian who will conduct an examination.
In the first few days after calving, udder edema may be observed. Most often it occurs due to improper diet – not enough straw. You can determine this condition by swelling, dense structure and bluish color of the udder. The disease requires consultation with a veterinarian.
Tips and Tricks
To reduce the risk of complications after calving, during pregnancy, you need to properly care for the animal. At 7,5 months, the cow is transferred to a separate room and the diet is changed. 14 days before calving, the food should be of especially high quality. All concentrated feeds are removed or reduced to once a day. To exclude puffiness in a cow, with the first signs of an approaching birth, succulent feed is removed. In the last days of pregnancy, the diet is as follows:
- 60% cereals;
- 24% concentrated feed;
- 16% roughage.
Also, hay should be present in the diet, at least 10 kg per head. If not, then you need to give vitamin complexes.
The nutrition of a pregnant cow plays a big role and is one of the reasons why the animal walks. Cattle should eat and drink at least three times a day. With the advent of harbingers of early calving, fiber is introduced into the diet, but calcium intake is reduced. He delays childbirth.
In addition, experienced cattle owners recommend walking a pregnant cow on a pasture, but not more than three hours. When the time comes, the animal will reduce activity on its own. Cows that are constantly kept in a stall give birth to non-viable offspring.
Conclusion
You can determine when a cow calves on your own, but the timing will be very arbitrary. More precisely, at a late stage of pregnancy, only a veterinarian can tell about this after a thorough examination of the uterus.
