Cow calving: how to find out when it will be, signs and how many hours contractions last

Cow's milk is produced to feed the calf. In order for lactation to proceed, the cow must calve and give birth to a baby. Therefore, all livestock owners need to know how the pregnancy goes, how the birth (calving) of the cow proceeds. The correct behavior of the owner, caring for the animal before and after the birth of the calf will ensure high milk yields, help avoid postpartum problems, and keep the cow and baby he althy.

What is a hotel

Pregnant cows are called pregnant (carrying a calf). The natural end of pregnancy is childbirth, which in an animal is called calving. The birth process proceeds according to the usual scheme:

• begins with contractions during which the cervix dilates;
• during attempts, the fetus leaves the body through the birth canal.

From the behavior of the cow, you can understand that calving is approaching. The animal looks anxious, prepares a place for itself. The contractions last for several hours, the period of attempts is about an hour. Calving time is affected by many factors:

• first births last longer than second ones;
• at the birth of twins, the process is delayed;
• small fruit comes out faster;
• weakened cows with problems during pregnancy calve longer.

Cows in most cases give birth on their own and do not need help. But experienced livestock breeders look after the woman in labor, track the time and features of calving. You should be worried if the calving is delayed:

• primiparous lasts more than 12 hours;
• other cows have more than 10 hours.

The animal may need the help of a veterinarian, it is better to invite him in advance. In some cows, calving lasts longer, but there are no pathologies, this is within the acceptable range, it is an individual feature of the animal.

How the fetus develops

With the intrauterine development of the calf, there is a constant increase in body weight, the development of organs and systems. The physiological norm at birth is considered to be a baby's weight of 30-40 kilograms, for large breeds - 50 kilograms.

Fetal weight gain chart:

1 gram26-7 3 4 5 35-402.5-4 kilos6 45-603.5- 6 kilos7 50-755-10 8 60-8512-209 80-10020-50 kilograms

Pregnancy term, month	Length fetus, centimeters
	40 grams
12-14	130- 150 grams
22-26	2 kilos

The bulk of the fetus is gaining in the last 2-3 months of pregnancy, the belly of the cow increases in front of her eyes, it becomes difficult for her to walk. In first-calf heifers and with twin pregnancies, fruits may develop more slowly. Twinned calves are often underweight and have to be nurtured and milked longer.

How many days does a cow walk to calving

A number of factors affect the duration and course of pregnancy. The average period is determined at 285 days, that is, 9 months. The norm is the deviation in time from these indicators in both directions, that is, 240-311 days.

The duration of pregnancy depends on the following circumstances:

• keeping conditions - feeding, care, launch;
• cow breed;
• what kind of calving - heifers wear longer.

According to statistics, heifers are born a day or two earlier than bulls. Often the exact date of conception is unknown, so the duration and duration of pregnancy is estimated.

Early calving occurs no more than 4-6% of the time. The following reasons can provoke early labor:

• bad care;
• large fruit;
• high loads;
• hormonal problems in a cow.

If the pregnancy lasted less than 140 days, the calf is born unviable, it is impossible to leave it. The case is considered a miscarriage.

To determine the calving date, a calendar is used, which shows the dates of birth with a known date of insemination and an average gestational age.

How long can a cow walk over

Protracted pregnancy is observed in cows in 10% of cases. Cows walk for various reasons:

• slow fetal development caused by hormonal abnormalities;
• body features;
• stress.

On large cattle farms, full-time specialists observe pregnant cows regularly. In households, a veterinarian is called after a delay of 10 days. The doctor will examine the animal to identify pathologies. If the pregnancy lasts 311 days or more, urgent specialist intervention is needed so as not to lose the cow and calf.

How to determine the date of calving

Finding out the date of the expected birth is important for the owner - you need to launch it in a timely manner, in the future this will help you find out if the cow is walking. To determine the time of calving, 2 methods are traditionally used - the above calendar and the calculation by the formula.

The calendar table is compiled with a 5-day interval. With its help, it is also convenient to determine the timing of the launch.

The date can be determined using the formula:

D=(H+11) (M-3), where

D - day of calving;

D - date of insemination (number);

M is the month of mating.

Let's look at how to do the calculations. The cow is covered on September 10 (10.09). H=10, M=9. We insert into the formula: D \u003d (10 + 11) (9-3), that is, 21.06. June 21 - the estimated date of calving. If the amount is more than the possible number of days in a month, subtract 30, and increase the month by 1.

If insemination occurred from January to March, 12 is added to the month number in the calculation.

How to understand that a cow is giving birth

The fact that calving will begin soon can be understood by the behavior of the cow and a number of external signs that are harbingers of childbirth. The room must be prepared in advance, as the formula and table use averages for the duration of pregnancy, which in reality can be shorter.

External signs of imminent calving:

1. Relaxed and supple cord (ligament) under the tail. Relaxation is sometimes observed even 2 weeks before delivery. Then the cord strengthens, but a few hours before calving it softens again, becomes mobile.
2. Puffiness, smoothing of the labia.
3. Belly drops noticeably.
4. The udder is filling up, getting bigger. Colostrum comes out of the nipples. A clear, viscous fluid begins to come out 2-3 days before birth, sometimes a few hours after calving.
5. The cork covering the cervix begins to dissolve, exit the vagina 1-2 days before delivery. Outwardly, it looks like sticky mucus, tourniquets, leashes hanging down.
6. Rectal examination reveals shortening of the cervix.

With the approach of childbirth, the cow becomes shy, behaves restlessly, fusses, constantly looks back at her butt. In the pasture, he tries to go aside, to find a secluded place. An animal is prepared with a stall measuring 3.5x3.5 meters, about 2 meters high. All surfaces and sawdust are pre-cleaned and treated with disinfectants.

In a normal birth, the animal does not need help. In anticipation of an early calving, the cow is washed with a solution of laundry soap. The mother usually lies on her side, although many animals that give birth many times prefer to calve while standing.

While the contractions last, the cow should not be frightened by constant presence, noise. Experienced livestock breeders visit the woman in labor once an hour to monitor the time and progress of calving, to understand the need for help.

The contractions become more frequent, the cervix fully opens, attempts begin. A bubble appears from the vagina, in it, putting the head on the front legs, there is a calf. If the bubble does not burst, it is cut with a sterile instrument.

If within half an hour after the water breaks, the fetus does not come out, the cow needs help. The veterinarian also helps if the calf walks on its hind legs or the cow has twins. 2 hours after calving, the cow has time to rest, the colostrum milked at this time is especially useful for the baby.

Important: the final stage of labor is the exit of the placenta. If the child seat does not come out, it is removed manually.

Rules for caring for a pregnant cow

In the first months of pregnancy, the embryo grows slowly, the cow does not need enhanced nutrition. The diet is not increased, they emphasize the usefulness and balance. For feeding use:

• roughage - hay, haylage, straw (30-60% of the diet);
• juicy - silage, root crops;
• concentrated - compound feed, cake, bran.

Additionally, the following top dressings are given daily:

• phosphorus (8 grams);
• calcium (10 grams);
• chalk (50 grams);
• table s alt (20-30 grams).

The diet is supplemented with glucose. Frozen and rotten food is excluded. Monitor compliance with the drinking regimen, drink 2-4 times a day. In winter, the diet is supplemented with coniferous flour and branches.

Reference: deficiency of vitamins, trace elements can provoke fetal pathologies and miscarriage.

In the summer, cows are kept on free pasture, choosing places where the animal can hide from the sun. They drive to the watering hole 2-3 times a day.

2 months before the calving date, cows are transferred to dry wood (launch), juicy and other feeds that stimulate milk production are excluded from the diet. In highly productive breeds, the number of milkings is gradually reduced (brought to 1), in unproductive species, milking is stopped altogether.

In the last weeks of pregnancy it is important:

• do not overfeed cows to avoid problems at calving;
• walk up to 3 hours a day so that there are no difficulties in labor activity;
• monitor the condition of the udder after launch to prevent mastitis.

Underfeeding and overfeeding pregnant cows is equally harmful - it leads to difficult calving, later becomes a cause of barrenness.

Possible problems

The most common hotel problems include:

1. Delaying labor - within an hour of cervical dilatation, the fetus should come out.
2. The child's place (afterbirth) does not come out. The woman in labor is pushing, but the placenta is not expelled. Human help is required. Then you need to decompose the placenta and check the integrity.
3. When the fetus is in breech presentation, the woman in labor is helped by pulling the calf by the legs. If the bubble hangs, the animal cannot push the fetus out, the calf is pulled, synchronizing the actions with the attempts.
4. With twins, the veterinarian is invited in advance - the legs of the calves are often confused, they will not come out on their own.

Inexperienced breeders at the time of calving should enlist the support of a veterinarian in advance in order to urgently call a specialist or consult by phone if necessary.

The future productivity of the animal and the he alth of the cow and baby largely depend on how pregnancy and calving proceed in a cow. Usually calving goes naturally, but a person should know how to prepare the animal for childbirth, how to help with possible problems.

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