Typically, the membrane enclosing the calf breaks in the birthing process, freeing the nose. That is because immediately after birth, several critical things need to happen. Though calf losses predominantly occur at or shortly after birth, the mortality rate tapers off significantly after one month of age. He writes in Critical Care of the Newborn Calf that, in beef cattle, 69 percent of calf deaths between birth and weaning occur within 96 hours of birth. “In dairy cattle, 75 percent of perinatal mortality occurs within one hour of birth,” says beef cattle extension veterinarian Max Irsik at the University of Florida. But sometimes there’s trouble at calving time the first few hours or days can be rough, and without help, a newborn calf can die. The cow gives birth, the baby gets up and suckles, and all is well. From feeding and nutrition to dehorning and more, today’s hobby farmers are vital in helping their calves thrive from birth to six months and beyond.Ĭalves have been surviving birth for eons. I enjoyed being his right-hand gal and came away knowing that a lot of care goes into giving newborn calves a good start. This meant that as ranch kid, I ended up helping him assist his herd through a lot of calving seasons.
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