Vet's vision with Phil Rennie Tauranga Vets

August means calving time on most farms. So here’s here some advice on how to approach a calving cow.

First, examine the vagina. Then examine the cervix – is it fully dilated? Then check – is the calf alive? If not and the cow is unwell, then call the vet.

Have a look at how is the calf presented – normal is two front legs and a head. Also, a tail and two back legs is okay.

Or is it head back, leg back, breech, with tail and no back legs; or are there twins – you may see a front and a back leg; or is the calf deformed?

Front legs have two flexible joints below the elbow that bend the same way, hind legs have one flexible joint below the hock that bends the opposite way to the hock.

If you can’t convert the abnormal to normal or have no progress in 10 minutes then call for help.

The 10-minute rule means calving paralysis is more likely to occur in longer calvings because pressure is placed on the nerves to the back legs as the calf goes through the cow’s pelvis.

If there is very little or slow progress in 10 minutes then it is probably best to call for help.

Then assess, will it fit through the pelvis? Usually, if the two front legs and head are engaged inside the pelvis the rest of the calf will fit through too. Sometimes it can be necessary to slightly rotate the calf to make it fit better through the widest part of the cow’s pelvis.

Lastly, use gentle traction to pull the calf out and plenty of lube. Lube can make a big difference, especially if the calf is not particularly fresh and all of the normal uterine fluids have been expelled. Good luck for the calving season!