I thought I would continue my chapter on calving and assistance. Last time we had the straps or chains attached. Now we need to know what direction the calf is coming. Are those front feet, with the head right there, or are they rear feet with the calf coming backwards? If you follow the feet up to the next joint it will feel like a knee, which is the front leg, or it will feel like a hock which is a rear leg. When a calf is coming in normal presentation the head should be right behind the front feet or right with it. By knowing what direction the calf is presented you will be able to determine what direction to pull or assist.
With the calf coming in anterior presentation or front feet and head first, we are now ready to start traction and assist the delivery. Until the front feet are out we want to direct our pull slightly upward, normally at about 5-10 degrees. When the feet are out, then we will pull straight out. While the head is coming through the vulva, I normally tease downward to ease the forehead of the calf through the vulva. This will help stretch the tissue and not tear as easily. But, my main force is still directed straight out. I continue pulling straight out until after I have delivered the shoulders and maybe the chest. While doing this a live calf will normally turn slightly to one side or the other to allow the hips to come through the cow’s pelvis. The widest part of the cow’s pelvis is at a diagonal. A dead calf will not help you by rotating, but a live one will. This is the third time we are changing directions.
The last time to change directions is now, and we start finally pulling down. I will swing down and almost go to the cow’s head if I have to. But, normally by the time I have swung down to the cow’s hind feet I have delivered the baby.
Now, if you noticed I changed directions of my pull four times, with the live calf rotating once for me. If you ever have the chance to watch a live birth from start to finish you will see these directional changes. Always work with Mother Nature, if at all possible. It will make it easier on the cow and baby. Normally I have found everyone wants to pull down too quickly. We are trying to deliver a watermelon through a hole the size of a grapefruit. By following natural direction you can exert more force and do less harm. This is why I hate 4X4 power. I can deliver more calves and have better results manually than anyone with a tractor or four wheeler.
Now, what if we see the feet and the soles toward the sky? Reach in cleanly and see if you feel the knob or point of the hock. If you do, then attach your chains in the same manner and reverse your direction of pull and try to deliver the calf. We are delivering a calf backwards, so direction of pull is backwards. I will immediately start pulling down to get those hips delivered. Now, in this instance I will move faster. Once the umbilical cord breaks or the placenta becomes detached you only have three minutes until brain damage starts and at five minutes the calf is dead. This is due to oxygen supply to the baby. According to most text books 30-35 percent of the calves are born backwards. So, it can happen naturally, and does.
One trick I have used for years when I am delivering a backwards calf is to deliver the calf and continue to keep pulling with my calf jack. Then I will take the jack off the cow and stand it up on the ground and the calf is automatically hanging upside down. Then we will get the calf breathing before ever letting the calf down to lie on the ground. To hold the jack up in the air with the calf hanging takes almost no effort. This facilitates getting the calf upside down to drain the liquid out of its lungs and allow them to breath. Besides, this technique is a lot easier on me, rather than picking the calf up and either holding or draping over a fence or gate, and the calf is already attached to the calf jack in the right position for this.
Dr. Tim O'Neill owns Country Veterinary Clinic in Farmington, Ark.
