In the dairy industry, where the primary revenue source is milk production and sale, calf delivery and newborn calf management are undervalued as areas of concern. The problem of dystocia has been almost ignored. Very few dairy producers incorporate breeding strategies to decrease dystocia occurrence, or have delivery management and newborn calf management protocols that specifically address the problem. Despite, or perhaps as a result of, the inattention the dairy industry has paid to calving difficulty, the rate of dystocia in dairy cattle animals is higher than in beef cattle. A national survey of dairies reported in 1994 that 18% of all deliveries of heifer calves required assistance, while the rate of dystocia delivery in first lactation animals was 32%. For comparison, the 1997 national survey of beef cow/calf operations reported that 17% of beef heifers and 3% of beef cows experienced dystocia. In a study performed here at Colorado State University by the Integrated Livestock Management program, local dairies were evaluated for the occurrence of dystocia and its effects on calves and dams. Dystocia rates on these dairies ranged from 30 to 40%, and more than 50% of first calf heifers required delivery assistance. Heifer calves born in dystocia had a 3 to 24 fold increased likelihood to die at birth, a 1.5 times greater likelihood to get sick before weaning, and an almost two fold greater death rate by the time of weaning.
The impacts of dystocia in dairy animals will logically include increased death and disease in calves, reduced productivity in the dams, increased disease in the dams, and the economic impacts that accrue from increased treatment costs, reduced calf performance, and reduced reproductive efficiency.
What is Dystocia?
Dystocia is defined as a difficult or delayed birth at any stage of labor. It is important to know the normal aspects of calving in order to determine if the cow/heifer is experiencing dystocia.
Causes of Dystocia
The causes of dystocia spring from many management choices ranging from breeding genetics and nutrition to management of the cow or heifer during delivery.
There are many things a producer can do prior to calving that will help decrease the amount of dystocia that he/she encounters during calving.
Preventive Measures to Decrease the Incidence of Dystocia
There are many causes of dystocia, some that can be prevented and others that cannot. Many times there may be multiple causes involved in an individual dystocia incident. Even with all preventative measures, dystocia will occur in some animals. However, the most effective means of preventing dystocia losses is to manage animals to decrease occurrence.
Dystocia in Heifers vs. Cows
The different causes of dystocia in the cow versus the heifer is due to the differences between the two animals. A heifer is still growing, so she will be smaller than a mature cow. Also a heifer has never had a calf before, so the tissues of the birth canal (cervix, vagina, and vulva) have not ever been dilated. Thus, dystocia in heifers is often due to the birth canal not dilating or stretching sufficiently. These dystocias can often be relieved by manually dilating the vagina and vulva.
When dystocia occurs in cows however, it is usually the result of a more serious problem. The size of their birth canal is less restrictive than that of a heifer so when dystocia occurs there may commonly be another disease process going on (i.e. Milk Fever), the calf is extremely large, or the calf is malformed or malpositioned. For these reasons even mild dystocia in a cow may increase the likelihood of a stillbirth and live calves may be more significantly compromised than those born to a heifer with dystocia.
Effects of Dystocia
Any dystocia will have some impact on the calf and dam but that impact typically becomes worse the more difficult the calving.
Due to year round calving on most dairies, it is important to keep good records to monitor the incidence of dystocia in order to determine if there is a problem.
Interesting Facts About Dystocia
Dystocia Scoring System
Dystocia is usually put into categories according to difficulty. This is helpful in record keeping and in the communication between personnel.
An example of a record keeping dystocia scoring system:
0 - no assistance required1 - easy pull - typically means a single person pulling2 - hard pull - typically means 2 people pulling3 - mechanical pull (calf jack used)4 - c-section
An alternative example:
1 - no assistance required2 - easy pull3 - hard pull, mechanical pull, or veterinary procedure required
It is important that you develop a scoring system that works for your operation. You may want to include information about whether the calf was malpositioned, whether the calf was alive or dead at the time of assistance, etc. The system should be simple enough for everyone to understand and easily fit into you record keeping system.
Calving is a continuous event but for explanation it is divided into three stages:
Stage 1
This stage, lasting 2-6 hours (can be a couple of hours longer in heifers), begins with initial labor and ends when the cervix is fully dilated and the calf has entered the birth canal. The end of stage 1 is marked by the observation of the water sac. The cow may show signs of discomfort by kicking at her belly, and becoming restless due to contractions. She may separate herself from the rest of the cows and urinate frequently. These signs are especially evident in heifers.
Stage 2
In this stage, that lasts 1-2 hours for cows and 2-4 hours for heifers, the cervix is fully dilated, the cow may lie down, contractions will increase and abdominal pushing is obvious. This stage ends with delivery of the calf.
Position refers to how the calf is positioned in relation to the cow. If the calf's back is up towards the cows back (spine) it is considered right-side up (dorsal). This is the only position that is considered normal. If the calf's back is down on the bottom of the pelvis it is upside down (ventral). The calf may also be on either of it's sides; right-side down or left-side down.
Posture refers to where the calf's limbs and head are in relation to it's body. The limbs and head should be extended into the birth canal. If the head or one or both of the limbs is retained the calf is considered malpositioned and needs to be adjusted prior to delivery.
The most common delivery is when the calf is in a frontward presentation, a right-side up position, and with both front limbs and head extended into the birth canal.
You will observe that the cow will have strong abdominal presses while delivering the head and chest of the calf, after which she will usually take a short break (5-10 minutes or less). During this time the umbilical cord is being pinched off and you should notice the calf begin to breathe on it's own. After the short break, the hind limbs should be delivered uneventfully.
Determining if the Cow/Heifer Needs Your Help
Four decisions dramatically affect the outcome of delivery. They are:
The guidelines below are based on the stage of labor:
Stage 1 - Usually lasts 2-6 hours. If you do not notice any progression to stage 2 after 4 hours the cow/heifer should be examined to determine if there is a problem. Low blood calcium (milk fever), uterine torsion, or a calf in breech presentation can prevent the cow from going into Stage 2 of labor. (See the glossary for an explanation of these terms.)
Stage 2 - Intervention is needed if any of the following occur:If the water sac has been visible for 2 hours and you have not seen any progression (the cow is not trying).
Stage 3 - If the fetal membranes have not been passed within 12 hours after calving, intervention may be necessary. If they are retained, treatment may be indicated. In no instance should the membranes be manually removed. This may be detrimental to the cow's future reproductive performance.
It may be beneficial to cut the membranes close to the vulva in order to decrease the opportunity for contaminants (dirt, bacteria) to obtain entrance into the reproductive tract of the cow.
Be sure to consult with your veterinarian about proper treatment of retained fetal membranes in your dairy cows.
When to call for professional assistance:
Professional assistance may not always mean a veterinarian, it may just be someone with more experience then yourself. Call for assistance if:
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