Genetic selection for calving ease has reduced the incidence of dystocia in many beef herds, but there are still occasional situations when the producer might have to pull a calf.
Dr. Bill Lias of Interstate Vet Clinic, Brandon, SD, says during the years he’s been a veterinarian, he’s seen a change in some of the ways veterinarians and ranchers are taught to handle difficult calving.
“As I’ve gained experience, there are some things I do differently now, too. For instance, the option of doing a C-section is something veterinarians and producers today consider sooner (with a difficult birth) than they used to,” he said.
In the past, people tried harder and longer to get a calf out, before resorting to surgery, and sometimes those calves didn’t survive and/or the cow was irreparably injured.
“As technology and surgical methods improved, and educating veterinarians about the surgery, C-sections today are fairly straightforward and routine, and easier to do,” he said.
Cows have excellent recovery rate, and so do the calves if surgery is done early while the calf is still alive.
“I think back to earlier in my career when some of the dystocia we dealt with were horrible wrestling matches. When we got done, we wished we’d done a C-section,” said Lias.
“Producers should have no aversion to doing a C-section, because most veterinarians are very competent. Some producers who live in remote areas have learned to do the surgery themselves, and do a good job of it.”
Determining dystocia
It is important to take time to do a thorough exam and figure out why the cow is not having the calf. “Explore a bit and determine the presentation of the calf and how big it is. How big is the cow? Is it fetal oversize or a malposition? Then you can decide which route would be best, before you get into a wreck,” he said.
“If you’ve already applied a lot of traction, the calf is partway out and locked at the hips, it’s too late to do a C-section.”
One mistake some people make is excessive use of traction.
“Today, many vet schools are discouraging students from using a calf puller or mechanical calf jack. I am a little more old school and feel there is still a place for this (such as for a backward calf you must get out quickly, or when you are working by yourself). If you took my calf puller away there would be some calves I just couldn’t get, because I’m not as tough as I used to be!” said Lias. Some small people working alone may need the added traction provided by a calf puller. Judicious use of this device can be very helpful, and there is no reason to use excessive traction with a tractor or 4-wheeler.
Proper technique
It’s important to put chains on the calf correctly, using two loops on a leg—the first loop above the ankle joint and the next one a half hitch around the pastern. “This keeps the tension more in line with the long axis of the bone and less chance to injure the leg. Improper traction can fracture the bone or injure the growth plate,” said Lias.
Dr. Cody Creelman, a beef cattle consulting veterinarian and founder of Cow Boss, a digital continuing-education platform for cattle ranchers, says during a difficult birth, some calves are injured by improper pulling.
“When using a calf jack, remember that the amount of force you can apply is far greater than what can be applied by human strength.”
“Most ranchers know they should use a double half-hitch when placing chains on the calf’s legs, with one loop mid-cannon and the other below the fetlock joint, but some people don’t understand that the chain between those two points should be on the top of the leg, in the 12 o’clock position if the calf is coming normally,” he said.
This applies most of the force and stress along the strongest part and angle of the leg bone, which is better than having it underneath or to one side of the leg. “Having the chain on top of the leg provides the most leverage, and also is safest for the calf, to prevent injury,” said Creelman.
“Even if you can only get one loop around the leg when first applying chains—when the legs are still inside the cow and you don’t have much room to work—after the legs are coming into the birth canal you have more room to reposition the chains, before you put a lot of force on the calf. Always have the double half hitch before using a calf jack,” he said.
Make sure the calf’s elbows are through the pelvis before applying much pressure because they may hang up and make extraction difficult or impossible. “Pull on each leg individually until the elbow comes through,” said Creelman. “You often feel/hear a pop as it comes through and the leg is finally straight. Then you can put more equal pressure on both legs as you pull the calf,” he said. Head position is something else to keep track of. Make sure it’s actually starting through the birth canal and not turning off to one side.
“When using a calf jack, remember that the amount of force you can apply is far greater than what can be applied by human strength. A calf jack can easily apply as much force as four strong men pulling together and can cause a lot of damage to the cow and calf if not appropriately applied. We also hear horror stories of hooking a quad or tractor to those chains. If that much force is required, we needed a C-section or fetotomy (cutting the calf into pieces to bring out, if the calf is already dead),” Creelman said.
“If you’ve already applied a lot of traction, the calf is partway out and locked at the hips, it’s too late to do a C-section.”
“There is as much art as science in doing obstetrical work, and the knowledge that comes from experience,” said Lais. “You get a feel for whether a calf will fit through or not, keeping in mind that the largest part of the calf is the pelvis—which is why a hip lock can be a problem, or a large calf coming backward,” he said.
Timing is also important, being familiar with stages of labor, knowing when intervention should occur. Creelman said when the cow is in the secondstage of labor, with forced abdominal contractions, a rule of thumb is if she’s not progressing within an hour, assistance is needed. You may have to check to see if the calf is coming normally, or identify the problem and correct it.
It’s also important to know when to request help from your veterinarian. “If you are unable to make progress within 20 minutes, it may require a different intervention,” said Creelman. Don’t wait too long to call your veterinarian, especially if it may take a while for him/her to get to your place. The best success comes with early intervention.
An oversized calf is the most common cause of dystocia. “If the calf’s legs are crossing, this usually means he’s wide in the shoulders—maybe too wide to come out. If the head keeps going back or off to the side and not coming into the birth canal, this may also mean it is too large,” said Creelman.
If the head is starting to enter the birth canal and it stops and you can’t put your fingers over the forehead, between the forehead and the bony pelvis, it’s too large. When in doubt, have your veterinarian come—and possibly do a C-section—and end up with a live calf. — Heather Smith Thomas, WLJ correspondent
