Measures to take in winter weather to help newborn calves thrive
Calving during the coldest months of the year is not for the faint of heart. When calves arrive on frigid days or nights, livestock extension specialists recommend producers intervene as quickly as possible to help newborns if they are struggling to reach a normal body temperature.
Normal Temperature Range
There is variability in temperatures, but typically a normal temperature for cattle is 101.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Any number within that range is considered normal. “When their temperature starts going below 100 degrees, you start to get concerned,” Barry Whitworth, DVM, specialist with the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension, explained.
Producers should keep a thermometer on hand to monitor the calf’s temperature to ensure it is going up. An inexpensive rectal thermometer will work fine for checking the calf’s temperature.
Getting Calves Warm
Depending on the operation and situation, producers can exercise a variety of methods to get a cold calf’s temperature up into a normal range. Some strategies are more effective than others. “The best way to warm up a calf, if it is chilled, is a warm water bath. Submerging them in warm water gets their temperature up the fastest,” Dr. Whitworth said.
The bath water should be warm not hot. If producers choose to utilize warm bath water, then as soon as they take the calf out of the water it should be dried off immediately. Rubbing the calf dry with a towel works well to remove the water. It also helps if producers have an area where they can keep the calf warm and dry after the bath.
If a warm bath isn’t an option, then producers may want to consider placing the calf in the floorboard of a vehicle with the heat on high. Some producers also use hair dryers to dry the calf and bring up its body temperature.
Another strategy is using heat lamps to warm up a cold calf. When utilizing heat lamps producers need to be careful to keep the lamp a safe distance from the calf’s skin. Heat lamps placed too close to the calf’s skin can cause burns.
There are other strategies as well. “I have also taken a gallon water jug and filled it with hot water out of the faucet and stuck it under the calf’s belly and covered the calf up with a blanket,” Dr. Whitworth stated. “That is another way that works well to warm up a calf. It’s cheap and easy to do.”
Other Options
Some cattle producers invest in livestock warming boxes. Purchasing a calf warming box can be pricey, so if producers are up for a project, they may want to consider building their own warming box.
In recent years, insulated calf jackets have gained popularity especially on dairy operations. There are a variety of calf jackets, covers and blankets on the market designed to keep calves warm at birth and in the weeks to follow.
Lastly, colostrum either from the dam or fed via a bottle will help to warm up the calf. In the event the calf needs to be fed with a tube, producers should take precaution. “The only thing you have to be concerned about if you are going to tube a calf is to make sure you get the tube and fluid down the calf’s esophagus and not its trachea,” Dr. Whitworth said.
