Great calving management has always been important for herd health, productivity, and profitability. Dr. Douglas Waterman of Virtus Nutrition recently wrote in Hoard's Dairyman that, "with today's economics­­—Angus Holstein calves selling for $900-$1200 and herd replacements hitting $3500-$4000—every single pregnancy matters more than ever." To protect these high-value animals and prevent costly vet visits or complications, producers should be able to identify and respond appropriately to each stage of calving.

Stages of Calving

              There are 3 stages to every calving. Stage 1 is the "signs". This is when her pelvic ligaments begin to relax, and her cervix will dilate. The cow's teats will also distend and often will be leaking milk. Stage 2 is the delivery of the calf; it begins when the placenta is visible. You should expect the cow to be making progress every 30 minutes. If no progress is made in 30-45 minutes, the cow may be experiencing dystocia. Dystocia is the term used for a difficult birth. Stage 3 is the expulsion of the placenta which is expected within 12 hours. If a cow has not delivered the placenta after 24 hours, it is considered a retained placenta. The key to navigating all three stages successfully is having consistent observation of your cows.

Understanding and Tracking Dystocia

              It's also important to be aware of risk factors that can increase dystocia incidence ahead of time, so you can better observe high-risk cows. Risk factors for dystocia include body condition score (>3.5), dry period length (<45 days or >60 days), lactation number, twins, genetics and previous dystocia. As always, recording when a cow does have a difficult calving is great for future reference and use in culling decisions. The best way to keep track of dystocia is with the calving ease score. University of Minnesota Extension defines the calving ease score on a scale of 1-5: 1-quick, easy birth with no assistance; 2-over two hours in labor, but no assistance; 3-minimum assistance, but no calving difficulty; 4-used obstetrical chains; 5-extremely difficult birth that required a mechanical puller. If a cow has been straining during Stage 2 of labor and has no visible progress, it is time to palpate the cow and assess the situation.

Safe Calving Assistance Techniques

              When palpating a cow experiencing a difficult birth, remember to be clean, gentle, and use lots of lubrication. Correct positioning and posture of the calf are needed for successful delivery. Ideally, the calf should present head-first, spine to spine with the cow, and both front legs extended. If the calf is in an abnormal position, don't attempt to pull. When correcting flexed body parts, protect the uterus by covering the calf's teeth with your hand when fixing the head, or covering the end of a hoof when moving a leg, as these sharp areas can cause severe injury. Once the calf is in a suitable position to pull, put on two half hitches per limb if using chains. This helps distribute the pressure across a calf's leg and prevent breaking anything. If you are unable to assist the cow successfully, call the veterinarian for additional medical interventions. Procedures may include epidural anesthesia, a cesarean section, or a fetotomy. Timely intervention during calving can help preserve the cow's life and her future in the herd.

To support farmers looking to strengthen and develop these critical skills, we are offering hands-on training opportunities. Keep an eye out for our hands-on transition cow management training, coming March 2026 in collaboration with Pro-Dairy. Our team also offers year-round on-farm training with a dystocia model to help you practice fixing different abnormal calf positions and delivering the calf with chains or a head snare. The training is only $25 to cover the maintenance of the model. Please reach out to Katie Callero at krc85@cornell.edu or 607-422-6788 to schedule an on-farm training.