Farmers are looking forward to the birth of the offspring. For a whole 9 months or so, they tirelessly take care of the pregnant cow, providing her with quality care and varied nutrition. Finally, it’s time for childbirth. This is a new stage, during which the animal needs even more attention and care. What to do when the cow has calved, how to care for her, what to feed her, what problems may arise in the post-calving period – it is important to find answers to these questions in advance in order to be able to take care of the cow and her offspring.
Cow after calving
After calving
When the most crucial moment was left behind – the calf was born, the cow and the newborn need help and care. What to do when a cow has calved:
- Bandage the umbilical cord and cut it, and treat the end with a solution of iodine.
- Cleanse the body of the newborn from mucus and amniotic fluid, paying special attention to the nose and mouth.
- Let the cow lick your baby.
- Wash the external genitalia from contamination.
- Tidy up the stall.
- Drink the animal.
- Give the calf a serving of colostrum.
All these actions are very important. Let us consider in detail what constitutes the care of a calving cow and her offspring.
Care
First you need to treat the genitals after calving, because the health of the cow depends on it. It is necessary to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) at a concentration of 0,5%. The water must be warm. With this remedy, the vulva is thoroughly washed immediately after calving, as well as the limbs, abdomen and tail. The procedure is repeated after separation of the placenta, which occurs 3-6 hours after the birth of the offspring.
Attention! If the placenta does not separate after 8 hours, the help of a veterinarian is needed. The placenta remaining inside will begin to decompose, and this is very dangerous for the life of the cow.
The cow should be given water to drink, because in the process of childbirth she lost a lot of fluid. She is given no more than 5 liters of water, adding 2 tablespoons of salt to it. You can mix the water with the amniotic fluid collected during childbirth. This will help restore the salt balance in her body and speed up the separation of the placenta. After an hour and a half, it is allowed to give clean water in unlimited quantities.
The cow needs to drink
Next is stall hygiene. The litter must be replaced with a clean one, as the old one is contaminated with secretions from the uterus. Mucus, blood – all this is a fertile ground for the reproduction of bacteria. A weakened animal and a newborn are susceptible to infections.
Another important point – the baby should drink colostrum in the first 2 hours of his life. This fluid, produced in the udder, contains a supply of antibodies that will help strengthen the immune system of the newborn. Particular attention should be paid to the nutrition of the calving cow.
Feeding
On the first day after the birth of the calf, the cow is offered good quality hay and a mash based on oatmeal. The cow’s diet is usually not changed, but left as it was during pregnancy for 2-4 days.
Attention! A sudden change in diet and abundant feeding with concentrates in the first few days after childbirth can provoke a number of diseases.
Starting from day 4, the cow is offered root crops – beets, potatoes, carrots, and then concentrated feed is gradually introduced. This will stimulate milk production. By about the 10th day, the active phase of milking begins, from that time on, the cow’s diet includes:
- 40% concentrates.
- 60% bulk feed.
Reference. If a cow brings a lot of milk so that she loses weight, the amount of concentrates is increased to 45-50%.
If a cow has udder edema, farmers are in no hurry to switch her to a full lactating diet until she is fully recovered.
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Feeding is a very important factor in animal care. The productivity of the cow will depend on the correctness of the actions of the farmer in the post-calving period. Already on the day of calving, it is necessary to start distributing the cow, although its udder still contains only colostrum for the calf. If this is not done, a stagnant process may develop, and then mastitis.
Very important manual milking
First-calf heifers are more difficult to milk, their udders often swell after birth, and the skin of the nipples is not very elastic. It is important to be careful and not frighten off the cow with unfamiliar actions. First, the udder is washed with warm water, wiped with a soft clean towel, then a short massage is done with the palms, moving from top to bottom. Such procedures are performed before each pumping 4-5 times a day with a time interval of 2,5-3 hours.
Around day 6, the milk becomes fatter and more nutritious, suitable for human consumption. At this time, you need to continue to actively milk the cow in order to increase its productivity.. In the future, they switch to a three-time milking mode.
Attention! After calving, the likelihood of developing mastitis is high. You need to be careful and note any changes in the well-being of the animal, evaluate the consistency of the milk and regularly inspect the udder for damage and lumps.
Possible problems
The condition of the cow must be monitored carefully, especially in the first 7 days after the birth of the calf. At this time, the animal’s body is weakened, so various health pathologies may occur. Consider the most common problems:
- Detention of the placenta. If within 8-10 hours the placenta has not separated, a consultation and examination by a veterinarian is needed.
- Vaginal lacerations. This happens if labor activity proceeded rapidly, and also if the fetus is very large. To avoid ruptures, qualified assistance is required in the adoption of the calf.
- Prolapse of the uterus is another pathology in which you can not do without the help of a veterinary service worker.
- Deposit. Often, after calving, the cow lies and does not rise to her feet. Such a symptom can accompany various ailments, so it is better to immediately invite a veterinarian to examine the animal.
- Mastitis – occurs in almost 30% of calving individuals. The development of this disease occurs due to improper feeding, poor conditions of detention (dampness, draft), poor-quality or irregular milking.
Attention! Experienced farmers recommend monitoring the temperature of a calving cow for 5-7 days. This is necessary in order to recognize the latent infections of the udder or uterus in time.
What symptoms should alert:
- Loss of appetite, refusal to eat and drink.
- Depressed look.
- Strange discharge from the vagina, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- An increase in the udder, its density, soreness.
- The cow doesn’t get up.
- Increase in body temperature up to 40-41 degrees.
Veterinarian examination
Having noticed such symptoms in a cow that has recently calved, you should not wait, you need to inform the veterinarian about this and invite him to examine the cow. Perhaps she has developed inflammation that is hidden, or there are postpartum complications.
The cow needs careful care after calving. The farmer must be attentive, observe her condition every day, so as not to lose sight of the alarming symptoms. It is important to organize proper nutrition, provide good living conditions, produce milk. In this case, the main thing is regularity and patience. It depends on the actions of the farmer how productive the cow will be.
