Calving is one of the busiest and most challenging times on the farm. Healthy mothers and healthy babies are the aim of every farmer and a lot of work goes into achieving that goal.

Cows that are about to give birth are a high-risk group that need special attention and are vulnerable to metabolic and other problems. While most calvings are normal, there is always a chance that something could go wrong, and you could lose the calf or the mother or both.

This course will better equip you to make the right calls during the busy calving season, whether you are new to calving or need a refresher course.

These modules cover the equipment you’ll be using as part of the calving team, the skills you’ll need to carry out the tasks involved and the knowledge you’ll need about lactation and the birth process, as well as the problems you may encounter. 

In this course, you’ll learn about:

• The lactation cycle and how it determines which mob each cow belongs in.
• The calving kit, which has the tools you need to deal with most situations.
• What a ‘springer’ cow is and why they are drafted into their own mob.
• What to look for in the springer mob: signs that a cow is starting calving.
• What to record about the cow and calf once the cow has given birth.
• How to spot a cow that has given birth.
• The basics of calving: what a normal presentation looks like and when you need to get help.
• Recognising and treating milk fever and spotting the signs of retained fetal membrane.
• Knowing how to spot a cast cow and how to save her.
• How a cow sees the world.
• Picking up and transporting calves safely.
• How to draft calved cows out of the springer mob safely.
• What colostrum is and why it is so important for newborn calves.
• Recognising the signs of early season mastitis.

The objectives of the course

The objectives of this course are to give you the knowledge and skills you need to ensure that:

• The cows stay healthy before, during and after birth.
• They deliver healthy calves.
• All necessary information is recorded and reported.
• You know how to deal with any common problems you may run across.

Keeping mothers healthy

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand the lactation cycle and that the lactation stage of the cow determines which mob she goes into.
• Know what a springer cow is, be able to draft her out of the main mob and into the springer mob and understand why this is important.
• Know the signs that a cow is about to start calving, what a normal presentation looks like, how long it should take and when to seek help.
• Know the signs that a cow has given birth.
• Be able to draft calved cows out of the springer mob into the colostrum mob calmly and safely, and understand why this is important
• Understand the properties of colostrum milk, why a colostrum cow is at risk and why her milk must be kept out of the general milk supply.

Delivering healthy calves

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand what is in the calving kit, what it’s used for, and why anything you use must be reported and replaced.
• Be able to recognise a normal labour and know when you need to get help, by following a calf intervention chart.
• Be able to pick up and transport calves safely in a trailer, without stress or harm to you or the calf.
• Know what colostrum is and understand why it is so important for a newborn calf to get it within 24 hours of birth.

Recording and reporting all necessary information

By the end of this course you will know:

• What to report and record about the newborn calf, its mother and its delivery.
• That identifying and matching a newborn calf with its mother as soon as possible after birth will save you a great deal of time and trouble later.

Common problems around calving

By the end of this course, you will:

• Know how to recognise the signs of milk fever and how to treat a cow that has it.
• Know how to spot the signs of retained fetal membrane.
• Know how to strip the colostrum and springer cows and look for signs of mastitis.
• Understand how good hygiene and shed routines can stop infection from spreading.
• Know how to recognise a cast cow and get her up.
• Understand the importance of catching all these problems as early as possible, reporting them to get immediate help and providing prompt treatment.