Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Cow Calving Care

A cow in labor must be kept quiet, and natural calving should be allowed as much as possible. Generally, about 1-4 hours after contractions begin, the calf can be delivered smoothly. The cow should lie on its left side during calving to prevent the fetus from being compressed by the rumen, which could make delivery difficult, and after calving it should be urged to stand up as soon as possible. After calving, the cow consumes a great deal of energy, so it should be allowed to rest quietly and be given a warm (30-40°C) bran, salt and calcium drink of 10-20 kg (2 kg bran, 100 g salt, 100 g calcium carbonate) to replenish the body water lost during calving, helping it recover strength and expel the afterbirth.

To reduce reproductive infections, after calving the cow's dirty areas, including both flanks, udder, abdomen, hindquarters and tail, must be washed clean with warm water, wiped completely dry with clean dry hay, and the soiled bedding and manure removed; after disinfecting the floor, thick dry bedding should be spread. After calving, the cow generally expels the afterbirth within 1-8 hours; once expelled, it should be removed promptly and the vulva washed with Lysol solution to prevent infection. To help the cow completely expel the lochia and restore the uterus sooner after calving, it should also be given a warm drink of motherwort and brown sugar water.

A calf can generally stand up 30-60 minutes after birth and look for the teat to suckle, so at this point the cow should begin to be milked, and the newly drawn colostrum used to feed the calf. Before milking, the milker should wash their hands with warm water and soap, and wash the udder separately with warm water. For the first few milkings after calving, the cow should not be milked completely dry; generally the amount drawn should be one third of the estimated amount.