Cows are beginning to calve and some newborns are certain to be cold stressed. Getting those calves back to normal body temperatures as soon as possible will save some calves and increase the vigor of others.
Despite our best efforts at bull selection and heifer development, cows or heifers occasionally need assistance at calving time. Here are recommendations on when to provide calving assistance for cows and heifers.
The most likely candidates for “inadequate” passive immunity are calves born to first calf two-year-old heifers. Calves with inadequate passive immunity remain at higher risk to illness prior to weaning.
Resistance to disease is greatly dependent on antibodies or immunoglobulins. Passive immunity gives temporary protection by transfer of certain immune substances from resistant individuals.
Ensuring calf health from day one spells success later – in performance and quality. Zoetis veterinarian Mark Alley shares why it's important to have a prevention and treatment plan ready.
Providing assistance to cows or first calf heifers generally concentrates on the survival and health of the calf. However, calving difficulty resulting in prolonged labor can have adverse effects on the cow as well.
It is imperative that the newborn calf begins to breathe as soon as possible. To stimulate the initiation of the respiratory process, here are a few ideas that may help.
If you are targeting selling your calves during one of this fall's value-added or preconditioned sales, be mindful some of the required weaning dates are only days away.
