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It's calving season, a critical time of the year for any cow-calf operation. Management during this phase of production must be the best. Producers must strive to 1) get calves here alive, 2) keep them alive and 3) keep them healthy. It sounds straightforward, but it is often a challenge.

Any dead calf is an automatic $400-500 loss. Any calf that gets sick in the first 45 days will weigh 35 to 40 pounds less at weaning than a calf that didn't get sick. Cows that have calving difficulty will rebreed later and more of them will be open. Calves that survive calving difficulty are twice as likely to get sick during the first 45 days of life.

The major causes of young calf death or illness are 1) dystocia (calving difficulty), 2) starvation, 3) hypothermia (exposure), 4) metabolic disorders, 5) scours and pneumonia and 6) trauma. Most of these causes can be prevented or reduced with good calving management.

Dystocia: Almost 50 percent of all young-calf deaths, birth to 24 hours old, are a result of calving difficulty. Observing cattle often and assisting cows and heifers early can reduce problems with dystocia. Cows should be checked three to four times (or more) per day. Heifers should be observed at least every four hours, if possible.

Cows that are in active labor should make good progress or deliver a calf in one hour. If they are not making progress, the position and size of the calf should be checked. A cow in active labor should not be left alone for more than an hour. Producers need to know the proper techniques to assist cows without injuring the cow or calf. If producers have not been able to deliver a calf or make significant progress after 30 minutes of good effort, they should call a veterinarian for assistance. We have bulletins and videos that will help you learn how to help with calving.

Starvation and insufficient colostrum: Calves that don't nurse quickly (within two to four hours) after birth often die of exposure or become weak and unable to nurse and starve. All calves should be checked to see if they have nursed within two to four hours of birth. Calves that have not nursed should be assisted or tube fed colostrum with a special calf feeder. Calves need one to two quarts of colostrum. Dry powdered colostrum is better than no colostrum, but it is not as good as fresh or frozen colostrum from cows.

Getting enough colostrum and the antibodies in colostrum is not only important for calf survival, but for its future health and growth as well. Calves that have high antibody levels in their blood stream by 24 hours after birth are less likely to get scours and will grow faster than calves with low antibody levels. Cows that don't mother their calves very well often have calves that do poorly or starve to death early in life. Calves that look cold, hunched up and droopy should be suspected of not getting enough milk. A quick check of his mom's udder (either tight and overfull or flat and milk-less) will often reveal the reason this calf looks hungry. He is! That cow and calf needs to be put in a pen or barn and observed to see if the calf is nursing and if the cow is accepting the calf.

One of the biggest mistakes producers make is not to tag calves at birth. It is a sad fact that in the United States less than 50 percent of beef calves are tagged. A simple system is to give the calf a tag with the same number as its mother. This sure makes it easier to match cows and calves up and then to keep notes on cows. It is a good idea to put the birth date on the calf tag also.

Exposure: The effects of exposure can be minimized if care is taken to ensure calves nurse soon after birth. In addition, during extremely cold or wet conditions calves may need shelter for the first 24 to 48 hours of life. Chilled calves should be brought in for warming and assisted in nursing if necessary.

Metabolic disorders: The most common metabolic disorders in newborn or young calves are white muscle disease and weak calf syndrome. White muscle disease is actually a selenium deficiency, which results in failure of the heart and diaphragm muscles. Feeding a free choice cow mineral at all times should take care of this.

Weak calf syndrome is a protein and energy deficiency in newborns. Weak calf syndrome can be prevented by making sure cows get extra protein and energy through grain, tubs, tanks etc... 45-60 days prior to calving.

Scours: Calf scours can be decimating to a cow-calf operation, but proper management during the first days of a calf's life can reduce problems with scours. Making sure calves nurse or are tube fed colostrum within four hours of birth increases the calf's resistance to scours. Cows should calve in a clean environment. Muddy cow feeding lots is one of the very biggest causes of calf scours. We need to work on keeping cows and their udders out of the mud. Pregnant cows should be kept out of the calving area until close to calving. Cow-calf pairs should be moved from the calving area to clean pastures by the time the calf is three to five days old, if both cow and calf are doing well.

Trauma: Trauma from being kicked, stepped on, run over or laid on kills a small percentage of calves every year. Trauma is usually a result of over crowded conditions in bedding or feeding areas. Cow-calf pairs need to be in pastures with plenty of room, and crowding of cows into calving areas should be avoided.

The extra effort producers spend on good calving management and newborn calf care will result in more calves at weaning, higher weaning weights and less stress for producers.

For more information, contact the U.K. Extension Service of Lincoln County at (606) 365-2447.

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