How to properly run a cow before calving. Signs of an upcoming birth

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Every experienced farmer knows that cattle must be run before calving. But novice livestock breeders do not pay due attention to this aspect, as a result of which the productivity of a cow subsequently decreases markedly. This is due to the fact that childbirth has a positive effect not only on the amount of milk yield, but also on the he alth of the animal as a whole. In addition, if you have another calf, then you can sell it or send it to slaughter after a certain time and provide yourself with meat. Let's try to figure out when and how to start a cow before calving, so that novice farmers can properly prepare the heifer and provide her with the right conditions.

Rules of care

Let's take a closer look at this. Breeding cattle is a profitable but rather troublesome process. In order for a cow to give a lot of quality milk, it is important for her to provide a complete balanced diet, as well as create goodliving conditions in the barn. Therefore, it is not enough just to have an idea of how to run a cow before calving. The rules of care are an equally important aspect that should be paid attention to. Among the main recommendations of experts are the following:

1. Shortly before the expected calving, the animal should be placed in a separate utility room located in a quiet and peaceful place to protect the female from any stressful situations.
2. The barn must be insulated, because even small drafts can make a cow sick. The floor is covered with a thick layer of straw, which is changed regularly. The room is periodically aired and cleaned.
3. In the warm season, the animal should spend as much time as possible outdoors.
4. Feeding is carried out twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, the rest of the time the heifer consumes young shoots of trees and fresh grass in the pasture. Fresh water is also required. How to start a cow before calving in winter? The process is practically no different from the similar one carried out in the summer, but some adjustments are made to the nutrition program. The diet should be more nutritious and balanced. An obligatory component is compound feed, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables and root crops.
5. Specialists in the field of animal husbandry say that it is better to transfer a pregnant cow to maintenance according to the daily routine. Eating, walking and milking should be strictly scheduled.
6. If a pregnant heifer belongs to high-yielding breeds, then she should not be milkedless than twice a day.

How to start a cow before calving so that the birth goes well and the productivity of the animal remains at a high level? S alt is added to the main food to normalize the water balance, and they are also given vitamin complexes to replenish the nutrient content in the body.

Preparatory period

So what do you need to know about this? Pregnancy in cows, like in humans, lasts 9 months. For this period to pass normally, every farmer must know how to properly start a cow before calving. Throughout the duration of the calf's gestation, the female requires constant care. The breeder must monitor the he alth of his ward. Preparation of the animal for childbirth begins approximately 15-20 days in advance. The same amount of time will be required for the female to recover from childbirth. It is during this period that the body of the cow is rebuilt and prepares for feeding the offspring with milk. For a high milk yield, a cow needs a quality ration.

What to do if the calving was unsuccessful

This aspect should be read first. When answering the question of how to start a cow before calving, it is very important to say a few words about an abscess. Very often, during childbirth, the animal has a rupture and damage to soft tissues, as a result of which a purulent process begins under the skin. In this case, you need to not only call the veterinarian, but also adjust the diet. Throughout the recovery period, the cow is given dryfeed, such as compound feed, and crushed cereal mixtures. Their daily norm is from 10 to 14 kg, depending on the type and individual characteristics of a particular cow. The amount of hay and straw is reduced to three kilograms. You can also give little by little silage, legumes and premix. Particular attention should be paid to foods rich in calcium. They need to be temporarily excluded from the daily diet, or at least minimized, since an overabundance of this element can lead to the development of various complications and he alth problems.

If you do not know how to start a cow before calving in winter, and have never been engaged in breeding livestock, then immediately mentally tune in to the fact that you will have to make a lot of effort. This is especially true for care and feeding. The thing is that the closer to childbirth, the worse the animal begins to eat. Therefore, you need to make sure that the food is always fresh and looks attractive.

Stop milking

So, how many months before calving should I start a cow? Specialists and experienced farmers say that childbirth takes a lot of strength from the female, so she needs to be given a little rest before them. Milking is stopped in about a month and a half. If this is not done, then the animal may develop various he alth problems, and the offspring will be born weak. In order for the body of the heifer to accumulate a supply of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, she needs to be given a little rest.

If you haven't had any beforefarms and you do not know how many days to start a cow before calving, it is better to first consult with qualified specialists in the field of cattle breeding. Different breeds have certain characteristics, so care may have some differences. For example, high-yielding animals need a longer rest before giving birth than representatives of beef breeds. This is due to the fact that the restructuring of their body takes longer.

Launch Varieties

Let's take a closer look at this aspect. You can prepare a heifer for the upcoming birth in different ways. If you have absolutely no idea how to properly start a dairy cow before calving, then you can simply use ready-made technologies. To date, there are two main ones:

• gradual;
• forced.

The first method is the most common and is best suited for beginner farmers as it is very simple. A gradual start begins with making changes to the daily diet of the animal. Juicy and concentrated feeds are excluded from the menu, and they begin to give more hay. So that the cow does not consume fresh meadow grass, her walking is stopped, and the daylight hours are reduced to several hours. To improve he alth, s alt and chalk are added to food, while the amount of liquid is reduced.

How to run a cow before calving? In addition to the diet, changes are alsomilking order. Milk is taken only once a day, taking into account the day of pregnancy according to the following scheme:

• on 1, 2, 5 and 8 - in the morning;
• on 3, 4 and 6 - in the evening;
• 7 is not milked.

This routine will speed up the process of restructuring the animal's body for the upcoming birth. At the same time, the size of the udder will noticeably decrease, as well as the amount of milk. If you notice these signs, then you did everything right, and the calving will be successful. When should a cow be run before calving according to this scheme? As a rule, training begins 1-2 months in advance, but, as mentioned earlier, it all depends on the specific breed.

As for the forced start, it is used in the case of young cows who have not yet calved. Also, the technique has shown its effectiveness in breeding highly productive breeds. It is based on the use of drugs. The most common are:

• "Mastometrin".
• "Nafpenzal DC".
• "Orbenin EDC".
• "Browmast".

If you plan to give any of the above funds, then the animal is transferred to solid dry food. This is very important, because without them, the launch may fail.

Cow placentation

What do you need to know about this? If the fertilization of the female was successful, then approximately on the 18-27th day they have a placenta. It acts as a link between mother and fetus. It is through it that oxygen and nutrients enter the embryo. Besides,the placenta also performs protective functions. If you know how to start a cow before calving, the preparation will not take much time and effort, and the placentation process will be faster. In most cases, it lasts 50 days, but if the animal is malnourished, it may take longer for the placenta to form, which will adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Hotel

To know when to start a cow before calving, a breeder must keep a special diary throughout the pregnancy. It records the date of the beginning of the dry period, which is the starting point, from which the beginning of the preparatory period is calculated. It will also allow you to determine approximately when the long-awaited day should come, on which the calf will be born.

As the fetus develops in the womb of the female, her appearance will change. The first months of any changes will not be noticeable, but in the later stages you can even guess about the upcoming birth with the naked eye. The animal will increase in size, as it will gain at least 50 kilograms in body weight. Because of this, the female will move less and lie down more, as well as get tired faster. In addition, her pelvic bones are expanding, which makes the heifer look like a barrel.

Signs of upcoming labor

This aspect should be given special attention. Above it was described how to run a cow before calving. The first signs of future childbirth will allow the animal to be prepared for this difficult process, thanks to which the birth will take place quickly andsimply. The owner must constantly monitor the ward, who will soon become a mother.

The following signs deserve special attention:

1. The female changes behavioral factors, she tries to keep apart from the rest of the livestock and does not let anyone near her.
2. The milk secret comes out of the udder.
3. The heifer rakes the straw under her to make it softer and more comfortable to lie on.
4. Vulva swells and becomes reddish.
5. Mucus of a thick and viscous consistency is secreted from the genitals.
6. Anal ligaments relax.
7. The back arches a little, and the cow constantly steps from one hind leg to the other and bellows.

If you began to notice all the signs listed above, this means that labor should begin soon. If you properly prepare the animal, everything will be fine. As with humans, as well as other animals, the physiological process begins with contractions. Next, the cervix opens and intense muscle contractions occur. With this, the body of the cow is trying to push out a fully mature and formed calf.

The female will not be able to calve on her own, she needs the help of a farmer. The entire process can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The calf comes out feet first, for which the owner must slightly pull it. As soon as the calving is over, the cow can rise to her feet on her own and lick her baby. A few hours later, the last comes out.

Caesarean section

The above was about how to run a cow before calving. If you adhere to the described technology, the process will proceed normally. However, in some cases, calving may not go as expected, so surgery may be required - a caesarean section. For example, such a need arises if the heifer has problems with the anatomical structure of the small pelvis, due to which the fetus cannot come out. Another common situation is a very large fruit size. Regardless of the reason, it is impossible to perform this surgical operation on your own, so it is best to call a veterinarian in advance, who will be present throughout the calving.

The specialist will fix the animal. If the cow cannot give birth on her own, an anesthetic is administered to her, after which an incision of the required size is made on her side and the fetus is taken out. When the birth is completed, the wound is disinfected and sutures are applied. A caesarean section does not pose any danger to the he alth and life of a cow, however, only a qualified specialist with extensive experience should perform the operation.

Care for the female after childbirth

You already know how to start a cow before calving and when to start the preparation process. But you also need to understand that childbirth is a very serious process that takes a lot of strength from the animal and leads to stretching and tearing of soft tissues, so after it the animal needs recovery, rest and careful care. For one month after calving, the cow is provideda balanced and high-quality diet rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It should be dominated by dry food, the amount of which is gradually reduced, and the cow is transferred to the usual nutrition program. This is necessary in order to maintain high milk yields. After about 7-10 days, the colostrum disappears, the cow begins to produce normal quality milk.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, calving is a complex process that requires a serious approach. How it passes depends not only on the condition and age of the animal, but also on the farmer himself. Pregnant cows need constant care and quality nutrition, since the developing fetus takes away almost all vitamins and nutrients from the mother. Therefore, in order for everything to go well, and the calf to be born strong and he althy, the female must be prepared in advance for calving. You already know how to start a cow correctly. Just stick to the general tips and tricks presented in this article and you will definitely succeed.