Cows

Observation

Close up pens should be located where they can be frequently and easily observed. Observation is a key in successful maternity management. Not all dairy employees may be able to pull a calf, but they can observe animals in trouble and they can seek the proper care. On the other hand, it doesn't matter how expert an employee is with calf pulling if they overlook animals with problems.

Set up routines for observations of the maternity pen. Note cows that need to be evaluated or watched. Remember, there is a big difference between evaluation and intervention. A cow calving with a normal presentation can be left alone for a while; however, a cow with an abnormal presentation may require immediate intervention. And, without careful observation and evaluation, workers won't know when intervention is necessary.

Time isn't always the answer when a cow stops pushing. In a number of veterinarian-assisted calvings, the vet will find a dead and emphysematous calf, only to have dairy personnel comment that, "The cow wasn't pushing hard, so she must have needed more time." What they don't realize that if the calf's head is turned, all the time in the world won't make the situation any better.

A specific person (or persons) needs to be in charge of the maternity area. This is easily accomplished on larger dairies, however on smaller dairies it often isn't practical to have one person function solely as the maternity barn herdsman. In this case someone can still be responsible, along with their other duties. A lesson from basic human first aid classes applies here. In an emergency, the person doing the CPR specifies someone to call 911. That way everyone else doesn't assume the elusive "somebody" will do it. By assigning responsibility to a specific person when it comes to maternity cows, there won't be any confusion as to who will be doing the observations, evaluations and intervention. This isn't to preclude others on the dairy from making observations, rather to assure that one person is to report what is observed and determines the course of action.