Summary
Understanding calf presentation during delivery is crucial for safe assistance; examine for anterior or posterior positions and seek veterinary help if needed.
Highlights
🐄 Normal delivery involves calf positioning: anterior (forward) or posterior (backward).
🧤 Cleanliness and lubrication are essential for safe examination.
🔍 Check cervix dilation: firm indicates it’s not dilated; soft means it’s ready.
↔️ Identify calf legs to determine presentation type: front versus rear.
⚠️ Uterine torsion requires immediate veterinary assistance.
⛔ Confirm there are no twins by checking for extra legs.
🩺 Always seek veterinary help for abnormal presentations.
All videos in Calving Assistance series
Author
Heather Schlesser
County Dairy Educator – Heather Schlesser is an Agriculture Educator in Marathon County. Heather’s research and outreach have included the use of current technology to enhance farm profitability and sustainability. Her current projects include the Animal Wellbeing Conference, the Midwest Manure Summit, Beef Quality Assurance, financial programming, and teaching farmers throughout the Midwest how to breed their own cattle.
Transcript
Calving Assistance-Normal Presentation in Cattle (transcript)
In the normal delivery process. There are two ways the calf may present. Either forward also called anterior or backwards called posterior. In order to determine the presentation of the calf before the delivery, an examination of the calf in utero will be required. Cleanliness, wearing gloves and protective sleeves and ample lubrication are very important for the safety of the animal.
Begin by cleaning the cows vulva, rectum and surrounding area, as well as your gloved hands and arms with soap and water. Gently insert your gloved hand into the vagina and feel for the cervix. If it has not dilated, it will feel firm and tight surrounding your hand. In a fully dilated cervix. You should no longer feel a firm, tubular band against your hand.
Ideally, there is a straight line access to touch the calf’s body. If you find that your hand has to turn or twist through folds of vagina in order to touch the calf. A uterine torsion is present and you’ll need to call for veterinarian assistance immediately. Feel for the legs of the calf and follow the orientation and number of leg joints and how they flex to determine whether these are the front or rear legs.
An interior presentation, commonly known as a forward presentation, is when the head and two feet of the calf are in the birth canal with the spine of the calf resting against the underside of the cow spine. The two joints closest to the front hoof bend the same way, feel for and follow the length of the legs until they meet the shoulders and head of the calf.
To confirm they are the front legs. A posterior presentation commonly known as a backwards position, is when the rear feet and a tail of the same calf are in the birth canal with the spine of the calf resting against the underside of the cow spine. The two joints closest to the rear hoof bend opposite of each other.
Feel for and follow the length of the legs to the body on either side of the tail to confirm they are rear legs. Finally, determine that twins are not present by feeling for any extra legs and confirm that the body parts belong to the same calf. Understanding when a calf is presenting abnormally and how best to assist in a cow’s, delivery is based on experience as well as the indicators demonstrated in this video.
Always seek veterinary assistance if unsure how to proceed with abnormal presentations.
▶️ Watch: Selection of dairy cows for consistent performance under predictable conditions
▶️ Watch: Pregnancy Diagnosis in Dairy Cows using PAG Levels in Blood and Milk
Three Stages of Bovine Parturition
The randomness of dairy reproduction
