2 Ways to Prepare Before Your Cows Are Ready to Deliver

Out of 70 percent of beef cows in the U.S. half of their calves were born during the months of February, March, and April, according to a beef cow-calf study conducted by the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System in 2017 and 2018.

So with calving season currently underway here are two things you can do, according to Beef Magazine, to make sure you’re properly prepared before your cows are ready to deliver.

Condition Your Cows

As a cattle producer you should take stock of the Body Condition Scores (BCS) of your spring-calving herd to make sure your cows are sufficiently fit ahead of delivery. Beef cattle are scored from 1 to 9—a score of 1 being very thin and emaciated, and a score of 9 being fat, or obese. Mature cows require a BCS of 5, Beef Magazine advises.

If your cows are not yet in ideal condition to give birth you should supplement their diets with higher-quality feed. If 20 percent of your cows have a BCS of 3 or 4, and the remaining 80 percent of the herd have a BCS of 5 or higher, you should separate them into two groups and feed them according to their needs.

Increasing a BCS from 4 to 6 can raise rebreeding rates from 50 percent to 96 percent in a 65-day breeding season, according to the magazine.

Prep Your Delivery Area and Equipment

Be sure to keep the barn where you’ll deliver your calves, and the equipment you’ll use, clean and in good working order. For delivery you should be prepared with a clean bucket, disinfectant, obstetric gloves, lubricant, liquid soap, chains, handles, towels, and calf ear tags and a tagger. A calf jack can be helpful if used properly, Beef suggests. Also, make sure you have medications and colostrum ready.

Colostrum is the first milk produced by mammals after the delivery of a newborn. Most species will begin to generate colostrum just prior to giving birth. The milk contains antibodies, immunological cells, and bioactive compounds to give a newborn the best possible start to life.

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