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The pregnancy period has a fairly wide range, however, if the cow calved before the 240th day, we are talking about premature calving. An early birth can result in a viable calf or a weak or dead calf.
Can a cow calve prematurely?
The period of pregnancy of a cow lasts an average of 285 days. The appearance of a calf before the deadline, but not earlier than on the 240th day of pregnancy, is not a pathology. The gestation period largely depends on the conditions of keeping and feeding, the precocity of the animal, the sex and weight of the fetus.
If the signs of labor in a cow appear earlier than on the 240th day of pregnancy, in this case the birth is considered premature and requires immediate action, the intervention of a veterinarian.
Causes of premature calving in cows
Causes of premature calving:
- injuries of the abdominal wall resulting from a fall, impact, sudden movements or jumps;
- careless rectal or vaginal examination;
- feeding the animal poor quality, moldy, frozen food;
- watering a pregnant cow with too cold water at a temperature below + 10-12 ° C;
- non-compliance with the temperature regime in the room;
- the use of drugs that caused uterine contractions;
- infectious diseases;
- stress or severe fright of the animal.
Also, premature births are often observed in multiple pregnancies and in the bearing of a large fetus.
Harbingers of early calving in a cow
Harbingers of early calving are usually absent. Premature contractions in preterm labor in cows may appear 3-4 weeks before the onset of labor. Attempts and contractions can last from several hours to 3 days. In this case, the pelvic ligaments of the animal do not relax, and the cervix does not open.
Preterm labor usually begins unexpectedly and rapidly. Contractions in early pathological childbirth are very painful and frequent. Prolonged contractions are exhausting, deprive the animal of strength and can end in an abortion.
Signs of premature calving:
- change in behavior, anxiety of the animal;
- refusal to feed;
- increased body temperature;
- increased heart rate and respiration;
- contraction of the abdominal muscles;
- sometimes there is a slight dilatation of the cervix;
- during rectal examination, successive contractions and relaxation of the uterus are noted.
To reduce the intensity of attempts, it is necessary to place the animal in a darkened warm room with a sloping floor. You can also make a careful short-term posting of the animal without sudden movements. On the sacrum and lower back of a pregnant animal, you need to put a warm compress – bags of warm sand, you can also make hot poultices from hay dust or straw.
If labor does not stop, the veterinarian performs sacral epidural anesthesia between the last sacral and first caudal vertebrae (or between the first and second caudal vertebrae), injects a 1% novocaine solution at a dosage of 10-20 ml. You can also apply intramuscular administration of the drug “Hanegif”, as a uterine relaxant, at a dosage of 10 ml.
What to do if the cow calves prematurely
If signs of early calving appear, namely changes in the physiological state and behavior of the animal, first of all, you should seek the help of a veterinarian. It is necessary to provide special conditions for a favorable calving or the further course of pregnancy (if signs appear in the early stages of pregnancy).
Premature calving provokes the birth of a weak calf with little chance of survival. If there are no pathological changes in the body of a premature calf, there is a sucking reflex, the entire surface of the body is covered with hair, then there is a chance to leave the calf. A newborn animal should be dried, wrapped in a warm blanket, overlaid with heating pads and placed in a warm room with a temperature of at least + 25-30 ° C. Often in animals after calving prematurely or abortions with the expulsion of the premature baby, there is a lack of colostrum. In this case, the calf urgently needs to look for a nurse or transfer to artificial feeding.
What is the danger of calving a cow ahead of time
Calving before the minimum period is considered a pathology. The result of premature birth can be both the birth of a premature weak calf and the death of the fetus from asphyxia, followed by maceration (liquefaction of the soft tissues of the fetus, swelling), and after mummification (drying and calcification of the fetus) and putrefaction (emphysematous fetus).
With multiple pregnancies, premature contractions and premature attempts can lead to the expulsion of one fetus – miscarriage or premature birth. With an incomplete abortion, often the second fetus continues to develop normally in the womb and is born at the scheduled time. In this case, careful monitoring of the course of pregnancy and the development of the second fetus is required, since often in pathological childbirth the placental connection is disturbed and pregnancy ends in abortion.
A pregnant animal, especially heifers, needs daily supervision. If the first heifer calved prematurely, it is necessary to find out the reason for this phenomenon, since often subsequent periods of pregnancy in such cows also end in premature birth. In order to exclude the cause of preterm birth 60 days before the expected date of calving, it is necessary to isolate pregnant animals in a separate room, ensure proper feeding and care. To exclude the possibility of injury, it is necessary to keep the animal on a leash, not forgetting about daily exercise for 2-3 hours a day.
Conclusion
If the cow calves prematurely, the owner must take a set of measures to nurse the premature calf and monitor the health of his mother. Early calving in cows occurs for various reasons, most often as a result of injury, improper maintenance or feeding poor quality feed.
