Difficult births—dystocia—take a heavy toll on newborn calves. Roughly 40% of calves that need more than minor assistance at birth will die immediately or die later.
“Those that do survive have increased likelihood of respiratory and digestive problems later in their lives,” explains Franklyn Garry, a veterinarian with Colorado State University.
“Since dystocia is associated with 50% of pre-weaned calf losses, every dairy should implement a dystocia monitoring program and employ management practices that limit the occurrence and impact of dystocia,” he adds.