Calving difficulty causes economic loss to operations. The loss can be immediate if the calf is lost and is extended to live calf health issues when births are challenging. Additionally, cows recovering from a tough calving can be predisposed to ovarian dysfunction and subsequent reduced fertility.
Anestrous in mature cows naturally occurs after calving, and its length is variable based on age, presence of calf (milking events), nutritional status, and the calving event (dystocia) from 14 to 180 days . . . an interval of 30 to 90 days to return to cyclicity is considered normal.”
Source: BEEF, September 11, 2023. Link. Any time a cow goes through prolonged calving, her reproductive performance and the calf health can be compromised. Research showed every 30 minutes of delayed assistance after 1.5 hours of stage II labor resulted in a 6 day longer interval to pregnancy on the following estrous cycle.
INSIGHTS: Discussing calving difficulty as a factor when culling cows may be as important as managing calf size with bull selection. Each has a strong affect on the overall percentage of live calves from cows.