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Dystocia Prevention in Beef Cows

Dystocia is the word for a difficult birth. Most of the work of preventing it happens months before the cow ever goes into labor.

Where calving trouble comes from

Difficult births usually trace back to a mismatch between the calf and the cow. A calf that is too big for the pelvis of the dam, a heifer that was bred too young or too light, a calf in a bad position or a cow that is weak or overconditioned can all cause trouble.

Many of those causes can be managed. Breeding choices, heifer development and feeding programs all shape how easy the next calving will be.

Dystocia is also expensive in ways that do not always show up at first. Calves that are pulled are weaker, cows that are hurt breed back slowly, and the whole herd can slip behind.

Sire selection and calving ease

Expected progeny differences, or EPDs, are tools breed associations publish to help you compare sires. Calving ease and birth weight EPDs are the ones most closely tied to difficult births. The Beef Improvement Federation and your breed association explain how to read them.

Choose sires for first-calf heifers with extra care, and think about the whole package. A bull with very low birth weight may sacrifice growth, so ask your breed association or extension specialist how to balance your goals.

• Look at calving ease and birth weight EPDs together
• Pick proven calving-ease sires for heifers
• Check the sire's accuracy values, not just the number
• Keep your own records of calving problems by sire

Developing heifers well

Heifers need to reach a suitable size and condition before breeding. Ask your veterinarian or extension specialist about target weights and timing for your breed and operation, since they vary. A heifer bred too light has a small pelvis relative to her calf and may have trouble.

Keep growing heifers on a ration planned with a nutritionist. Underfeeding stunts growth, and overfeeding can cause fat deposits that crowd the birth canal.

Some veterinarians check pelvic size or reproductive tract score before breeding. Ask whether those checks make sense for your herd.

Cow condition at calving

Cows that are too thin lack strength, and cows that are too fat can have more trouble. Body condition on the 1-to-9 scale is the standard method, and a nutritionist or extension specialist can help set the target for your herd.

Late pregnancy is a bad time for sudden changes in feed. Plan the ration ahead, check hay quality with a test and adjust gradually.

Late-gestation feeding is a balance. Restricting feed in the hope of smaller calves can leave cows weak and slow to rebreed, so talk with your nutritionist before changing anything.

Calving management that helps

Calve heifers in a place where you can watch them without disturbing them. Good light, clean ground and easy access to working facilities all matter. Check heifers more often than mature cows.

Train everyone who helps. A calving clinic from a vet or extension office is worth the time. Have your veterinarian's number and an after-hours number posted, and call early when a birth is not progressing.

Keep a calving kit ready with clean towels, gloves, a bucket and a flashlight, and keep it in the same place every year so nobody is hunting for it in the dark.

Use your records

Write down calving ease for every birth, along with dam, sire, calf weight if available and any help given. Over several years you will see which sires and which cows cause trouble.

Cows that need help repeatedly are candidates for culling. Cows that calve easily and raise good calves are candidates for keeping and for producing replacements.

Common mistakes and what to ask your vet

Common mistakes include choosing a sire on a single trait, breeding heifers too light, overfeeding late in pregnancy and failing to record calving ease. Another is hesitating to call the vet.

Ask your veterinarian how to judge heifer readiness, when to call during labor and which cows to cull. Ask your breed association how to use EPDs for calving ease.

• Selecting a sire on one trait
• Breeding heifers too light
• Overfeeding late in pregnancy
• Not recording calving ease

More in Herd Health & Cattle Care

• Retained Placenta in Beef Cows
• Uterine Health After Calving
• Annual Herd Health Calendar
• Emergency Disease Outbreak Plan
• Common Beef Cattle Diseases and Early Warning Signs
• Cattle Health Checklist for Spring Calving