Calves experiencing a traumatic birth have the deck stacked against them as they grow. Study results quantify the challenges and make the topic valuable to discuss with cow-calf producers in both dairy and beef operations.
. . .calves with the most difficult births also were 1.3 times more likely to experience scours and 1.6 times more likely to suffer from respiratory disease, compared to the calves requiring little to no help.” – Sam Leadley
Source: Dairy Herd Management, April 6, 2019. Link.
Also see: Search Results for: calving, Animal Health Digest. Link.
INSIGHTS: Consider coaching dairy producers to record calves from difficult births. These calves may warrant being culled before moving them into the production herd versus a calf born easily.