How can cattle get off to a good start in life? This question was the focus of two web seminars organised by the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture as part of the nationwide Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl project.

Correct assessment of the birth situation

In the first part, Dr Carola Fischer-Tenhagen from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) gave a presentation on obstetrics in cattle. In Germany, around 8% of calves are currently stillborn or die around the time of birth. This rate needs to be improved in the long term. The first step is to correctly assess the birth situation. Common signs are, for example, restlessness, mucus discharge, udder formation or the holding back of the tail. Although these are good indicators that a birth is imminent, they are too imprecise to answer the question of "when?". However, the exact time is essential because, according to the expert, the stillbirth rate can be reduced to 2% by recognising the birth in good time. A really reliable sign that the cow is in labour is when the calf becomes visible in the pubic area. From this point onwards, a normal birth takes about 1 - 2 hours. According to Dr Fischer-Tenhagen, patience is the best birth assistant and intervention should take place when...

• there is no progress in labour for 30 minutes,
• the colour of the amniotic fluid has changed,
• the fetlocks have been protruding from the vulva for more than 2 hours,
• the calf's vitality decreases.

3S rule for labour assistance

If intervention is required, the "3S rule" applies: clean, mucus, gentle. This means that the cow must first be washed in the pubic area and the hands and arms of the midwife up to the shoulder. The position of the calf must then be checked. In the front-end position, the calf may only be pulled if its back is up, both legs are stretched and the head is pointing forwards. For other positions, it is advisable to consult a vet if the malposition cannot be corrected on your own. The birth canal should be generously moistened with a lubricant. Last but not least, you can now actually pull. The expert advises that a maximum of two strong people should take it in turns to pull on one of the calf's front legs. She advises against using mechanical labour assistants, as they apply too much force and have been proven to seriously injure the cow and calf. If no progress has been made after 10 to 15 minutes of pulling, a vet should be consulted.

Once the calf has been born healthy and the cow has been cared for, it is important to manage the calf correctly. The first few days of life are particularly crucial here. Dr Caroline Esfandiary from the Cattle Health Service of the LWK Lower Saxony spoke about this in a second web seminar.

First steps in calf care

The vet began by explaining the first steps in caring for calves in the calving pen. The first step is to check whether the calf is breathing and to position it correctly. If it is not breathing, the calf should immediately be placed in the chest and stomach position, then it should be ensured that the upper airways are clear (do not pull the calf up by its hind legs!). If the airways are clear and the calf is still not breathing, a cold water pouring into the neck can help. Ventilating the calf with a calf rescuer and using essential oils are also useful. This can be followed by navel disinfection and, if necessary, vitality support with vitamins and minerals (so-called calf boosters). The speaker recommends leaving the calf with the cow for about 30 minutes for intensive licking before transporting it to an individual pen. It is well known that the most decisive factor for the development of a healthy calf is the timely intake of a sufficient amount of colostrum. Ideally, the expert recommends four litres in the first four hours of life. This must be closely monitored and calves with a low suckling reflex should be fed several times if necessary. As the small intestine is only permeable to the immunoglobulins from the colostrum for a few hours, drenching must be used in an emergency - e.g. for calves without a swallowing reflex. However, this should not become routine for all calves.

To conclude her presentation, Dr Esfandiary showed some practical examples of calf husbandry at the Echem Agricultural Training Centre. Particular attention was paid to the hygiene of the bedding, drinking troughs and feed. In addition, calves that are sick or do not drink well are marked so that good care can be provided despite frequent staff changes.

Author: Alexandra Koch, Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture