By Dayna Locitzer, DVM
Cows like to be left alone when they are calving. I was counseling an over attentive farmer who was concerned about her cow calving and I told her if she really wanted to be close by, she could hide behind a post in the barn and poke her head out every couple minutes to see how it was going. In general, cows should calve on their own and like to, but it is important to know when they need help because a cow that is having trouble calving, also known as a dystocia, is a serious situation. You won’t be right 100% of the time, but hopefully this article will clarify when it is appropriate to intervene and when it’s time to call the veterinarian.
First off, it is helpful to know what is normal in order to know what is abnormal. Calving is considered to have three stages. Stage one starts when the cervix dilates and ends with the rupture of the allantois (aka the water breaking). This stage takes anywhere from 4-24 hours and is marked by loosening of the ligaments around the tail, inability to settle, holding her tail up, and self-isolating. Stage two starts with the water breaking, proceeds with contractions, and ends with the delivery of the calf. This should take no more than two hours and is often where most of the trouble happens. Stage three is the expulsion of the placenta. A placenta is considered retained if it is still visible from her vulva 18 hours after calving.
The simplest way of expressing when intervention is warranted is if the cow is not making appropriate progress through the three stages of calving. During stage one, if it appears she has not made progress in over 12 hours or she made progress then stopped or if placenta is visible with no contractions or calf, these are all signs to intervene. Intervention is warranted during stage two if she is not making progress every 20 minutes (i.e. feet, then head, then torso) or it has been over two hours from the start of visible contractions and there is no calf on the ground yet. And it is always important to intervene and check that everything is ok before leaving a calving cow for the night.
Now that you have decided to intervene, what is next? First make sure you have the supplies you need: a bucket of warm soapy water, lubrication, clean obstetric sleeves, and stainless steel chains. One of the risks of intervening is introducing bacteria into the uterus. This can be avoided with good hygiene practices. Make sure the cow is restrained, clean off her vulva, apply lube to your sleeve and enter her vulva gently. You are going to feel for the position of the calf and the size of the cervix. The correct position is two front feet and a nose, it is also ok if you feel two back feet, but most importantly it is essential that you know if you are feeling back or front hooves.
To differentiate between the two sets of legs, check for a tail or nose for a quick answer. If you can’t feel either of those parts, search for the nobbly feeling of the hock. You can also check the direction the legs bend. The first two joints of the front legs bend in the same direction. The first two joints of the rear legs bend in opposite directions. A common mistake is thinking you have back feet because you don’t feel a head but actually you are feeling front feet and the head of the calf is bent backwards. Folks will then pull on those limbs thinking they are back feet and not make progress. This becomes one of the hardest calving situations to fix because now you have pulled hard and exacerbated the head back position of the calf. Do not pull on legs unless you are positive you have the head in the correct position and through the cervix or you are positive you have the back legs.
Other common malpositions are: one or both legs stuck behind the pelvis, only a tail is palpable and both legs are extended forward (aka true breech), the calf is upside down indicating a possible uterine torsion. Correcting any of these malpositions will depend on your comfort level, but do not spend more than 20 minutes trying. If you are unsuccessful in making progress, it’s time to call for help. When you confront a situation you do not feel comfortable correcting, call your veterinarian sooner rather than later.
Calling the veterinarian is a valuable tool in managing a difficult calving and when to call them will depend on your own experience level. I think I speak for many veterinarians when I say that calling the veterinarian sooner rather than later is in the cow and your best interest and is appreciated by the veterinarian. In general, situations that warrant a call to the veterinarian are: when a cow started contractions then stopped, if a torsion is suspected, if you’ve tried to correct the position but were unsuccessful after about 20 minutes, if the cervix is not dilated enough, if the calf’s head is back, if the cow or the calf is in distress or any time you feel uncomfortable with the situation. The veterinarian will bring a different skill set to the dystocia. They can provide advice, an epidural, perform a fetotomy, and they might have tricks and tips that you are not aware of. They also can perform a c-section; keep in mind that antibiotics will likely be needed in that situation.
I hope this article is helpful in better understanding calving and when to intervene. Knowing the normal progression of events and the normal presentation will help determine when a calving is becoming a dystocia. It is better to intervene sooner rather than later so that the cow and calf can get the appropriate help they need, but remember to stay clean and safe. In the veterinary world, we say calving is a team sport, so know when it’s time to take a time out, come up with a new strategy or put in your pinch hitter.
Posted: to Organic Production on Fri, Mar 14, 2025
Updated: Sat, Mar 15, 2025
