Maternity Management Practices in Dairy Farms: Physiology of Parturition in Cattle

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- [Narrator] Welcome to the first learning video of the Maternity Management Practices video series.

This video describes important information regarding the physiology of parturition during cattle.

Needing to better understand the why's we have the Cattle Management Practices In Maternity Operations.

The parturition process, is a continuous event regarding to three stages that occur sequentially, gradually progressing from one to the next.

The stages are Stage One: Dilation.

Stage Two: Labor.

And Stage Three: Expulsion of the Placenta.

There are specific signs that occur in each stage, which are really close to the term of if and when the cow might require assistance delivering its calf.

During stage one, the soft tissues of the birth canal, such as the pelvic ligaments, the cervix, the vagina and the vulva, dilate and expand to allow for passage of the calf.

The calf, also does the proper position for delivery, and the uterus begins contracting.

These processes move the fetus through the birth canal.

Unit Stage One.

There are specific signs known as imminent signs of parturition, that are used to identify the proximity of the second stage of parturition.

The onset of the appearance of these signs, can range from several hours to only 45 minutes, prior to labor.

The most common imminent signs of parturition observed in dairy cows are: Cows looking towards their abdomen.

Enlargement of the udder and leaking milk.

Fluid discharge from the vulva.

Swelling of the vulva.

Increased frequency and duration of tail raising.

And ground licking among others.

In this video, the cow's looking at its flank, licking the floor.

Its tail is raised, its ball-base swollen, and its eyes are large.

This particular cow externally will 10 minutes after this video will stink.

Stage Two, better known as Labor.

Is the active face of parturition, characterized by the start up of abdominal contractions and internal expulsion of the fetus.

There are two calf presentations they are considered normal in cattle, which are extended forward and extended backward presentations.

In the forward presentation, the first structures to appear through the vulva are the front legs with the head of the calf positioned on top.

This is the most common presentation in normal calvings, occurring in 96% of the cases.

On the other hand, the backward presentation is less common, occurring in 4% of the cases, where the two rear legs of the calf appear first through the vulva.

Regardless, the appearance of ever the "water bag", or the feet of the calf through the vulva are considered to be time zero of the second stage of parturition.

A normal parturition process is a spontaneous process that gradually progresses from the appearance of abdominal contractions to the appearance of the "water bag" or the feet of the calf in the vulva, then the calf's nose and so on, until the calf is totally expelled.

A normal calving should be observed every 15 to 20 minutes.

The whole process from time zero to the total expulsion of the calf, normally last between 40 and 45 minutes, with a range of 30 minutes to four hours.

Often be longer in heifers.

On the other hand, a normal calving, is known as the dystocia.

This is characterized by a prolonged duration of labor and or an assisted extraction of the calf.

Dystocia is a prevalent event on dairy farms ranging from 14% of calvings in mature cows, to 23% in first lactation cows.

And causing significant economic losses.

Common causes of dystocia include: Mismatched of fetal-maternal size.

Abnormal fetal position.

Uterine inertia.

And uterine torsion among others.

For more information regarding identification and a system of difficult calvings, please watch the next two videos of the Maternity Management Practices and Learn Now video series.

The final stage of parturition is expulsion of the placenta.

Normally, the placenta's expelled within 24 hours after parturition.

Failure to expel placenta within 24 hours after calving, is known as retained placenta.

The incidence of retained placenta in dairy farms, can range from 5% to 15% of calvings, and it is an important risk factor for usually the fetus and lower grafted performance.

Thank you for watching and for more information regarding recognizing and monitoring dystocia, watch the next video of the Maternity Management Practices Learn Now video series.