Keeping cattle is a time-consuming task; the owner should be patient and attentive to his animals. This is especially true for cow farmers . The process of insemination and calving should occur under strict control and in compliance with all necessary actions. The life of the animal, and, consequently, the prosperity of the owner himself, who is interested in replenishing his herd, depends on the professionalism of the owner.
Calving problems
For beginner farmers, the most common questions are about fertilization and reproduction. If the main goal is breeding, then the animal is prepared for this from birth, provide special maintenance and care. On forums and agricultural sites, you can often find questions about what to do: the cow has calved, but there is no milk. The reasons can be very different - from the abnormal structure of the nipples to inflammation of the udder (mastitis).
Usually, with all the norms and rules of the content, such problems do not arise. Conscientious owners must provide the animal with comfortable conditions before and after childbirth:
- How to find out when a cow calves? This can be seen in several ways: she tries to retire, to leave the herd. Therefore, it is best if the burenka is allocated a separate stall, cleaned and covered with fresh litter.
- The place where the calf will calve should be dry and not contain foreign objects.
- If she is in a large room with automatic devices for cleaning manure, it is necessary to ensure that the animal does not walk along the aisle, otherwise the calf may fall into a similar scraper.
- To provide a balanced diet and a plentiful drink, in addition to this, owners often add multivitamins and minerals to their normal diet.
Every farmer must understand that giving birth to an animal is a great stress, therefore, a burenka requires increased attention and care.
Conditions for safe calving
In a young individual, the birth can be long and painful, and in some cases, the participation of a veterinarian is necessary. In an adult, the whole process goes much easier, but it all depends on the animal itself, as well as on the structure of the pelvis and the weight of the fetus.
In any case, the owner must be prepared in advance for childbirth and possible complications. There are several ways to find out when a cow calves:
- the udder swells strongly and milk even begins to flow;
- she becomes restless, cannot stand in one place, fingering;
- the external genitalia are very red, fluid may be released from them;
- the stomach is sagging;
- mooing lingeringly and plaintively;
- most of the time lies.
You can ease your task and immediately after insemination keep a special calendar. Despite the fact that most young cows independently cope with childbirth, a person needs to follow this process and, if complications arise, call a veterinarian for help.
Further actions depend on how the cow calved. What to do and how to help the animal can be understood by its behavior. If the calf quietly licks the calf and does not show signs of anxiety, then the resolution was successful, you need to give her water and leave them alone. But there are times when you can not do without the help of a doctor.
Complications
In a difficult hotel, the fetus can get stuck in the mother’s crotch, if you do not remove it in the first hours, it will die, and, possibly, an adult too. Extraction requires a minimum of two people and special chains and forceps, it is highly discouraged to use them without a veterinarian, incorrect and inept movements will only hurt.
Beginners can benefit from special guides and magazines. Experienced breeders here give different tips, including what to do after calving. According to most, the first few hours must be watched.
There is a likelihood of the occurrence of the so-called paresis immediately after birth, its manifestation is similar to the symptoms of paralysis. The animal's ears and sacrum are getting colder, it cannot stand up and moo lingers. For treatment, calcium is used, it is injected into a vein or subcutaneously. The cause of the disease can be obesity, an unbalanced diet or an improper diet. Such unpleasant situations most often occur in adults.
Reasons for the lack of milk
Many breeders are faced with an unpleasant problem, which briefly consists in this: what to do - the cow calves, but there is no milk. The situation is really serious and can talk about various diseases. First of all, you need to find out the reason:
- Incorrect feeding. Nutrition should be balanced and complete. After experiencing stress, the animal needs fresh food and additional vitamins.
- Mastitis is an inflammatory process that leads to a problem similar to the one when a cow calved and there is not enough milk.
- Reflex of milk delivery is broken. This can occur from extraneous irritants, fright, violation of feeding periods, non-observance of milking rules, as well as due to stress after childbirth. If milk is not excreted when creating favorable conditions, then this is already an occasion to consult a veterinarian.
- Ketosis is a metabolic disorder, as a result of which harmful acids accumulate in the body. After a diagnosis has been made, the animal is removed from the diet acidic foods and added to potatoes, carrots, turnips and fresh good hay.
When a person is in a difficult situation, he does not know what to do. The cow has calved, but there is no milk, and the symptoms are difficult to determine on their own. In this case, you should seek help from a specialist.
Causes
Almost all cattle holders face this disease. Most often, mastitis in a cow occurs against the background of postpartum complications, the problem is especially acute in large livestock farms, where it is not possible to carefully observe all the rules of maintenance and care.
Among the most common causes of mastitis are the following:
- Wrong diet, same or stale food.
- Pathogenic microflora caused by a violation of the milking technique.
- Nipple or udder injuries.
- If hygiene is not observed, there is a chance of infection in the nipple canal.
- Reproductive system disease.
But most often mastitis is the result of the existence of several factors at once. Against the background of a general weakening of the immune system, any of the above reasons contributes to the development of the disease. Moreover, the disease takes a very long time in a closed form and appears only during lactation.
Signs of mastitis
Then the problem arises. What to do - the cow has calved, but there is no milk? It is this symptom that is the first when an inflammatory process occurs. In addition, you can independently determine the diagnosis by some external signs:
- local temperature increase;
- the skin on the udder swells, and the indented nodes increase in size;
- shows fatigue, loses appetite;
- a change in the taste of milk and a decrease in milk yield;
- the nipple may thicken;
- the consistency of milk changes, it breaks down and contains cereal;
- when pressing on the udder, painful sensations appear.
If a complex form of the process of inflammation occurs, ulcers, abscesses may appear, and the temperature also rises significantly.
Treatment
The final diagnosis can only be made by a qualified specialist, after conducting an examination and taking samples for analysis. Depending on the form and stage of the course of the disease, mastitis in a cow is treated in different ways, but most often it includes a whole range of measures.
Timely therapy will contribute to the rapid recovery of the animal and its quick return to the normal cycle of productivity. Farmers are often afraid of the use of antibiotics, since during the treatment period such milk is forbidden to be sold.
Therefore, at the first stages of the course of the disease, it is recommended to use local therapy. Massage of the udder is carried out as follows: slightly pressing, with your hand, from the bottom up up the affected area several times, in addition, you can use ichthyol ointment and camphor oil.
Medication for mastitis is carried out by introducing antibiotics under the skin of an animal or by injecting a drug suspension into the mammary glands. If the owner has experience in carrying out such manipulations, injections can be done independently.
Prevention of mastitis
Any form of the disease requires the owner to comply with special conditions, otherwise all treatment will be useless:
- Burenka must be protected from contact with other animals.
- Provide her with proper care and a balanced diet.
- Milk manually and at least three times a day.
Experienced breeders recommend the use of some alternative recipes in combination with drug treatment. So, the udder must be washed with warm salted water or nettle infusion, or a mixture of red and white clay should be applied to the udder and nipples. Veterinarians themselves are advised to use aloe juice to reduce the inflammatory process, it is injected into the milking with a syringe.
Subject to proper animal care, treatment will be much more effective and the likelihood of a recurrence of the disease will be much lower.
Preventive measures include the following:
- Provide the animal with a balanced and complete diet.
- When milking, you should observe basic caution, do not "pinch" the nipples and do not put pressure on them.
- The room where the animal is kept must be constantly cleaned and aired.
In addition, today there are special tests for the early detection of mastitis or other infections. Regular examinations will prevent the disease and maintain good milk yield.
Calf care
After giving birth to a cow, you must immediately think about the fate of the offspring. The fact is that the calf is born practically without immunity, and in the very first hours it needs to receive a special substance from the mother - colostrum, the survival of the calves directly depends on this. Subsequently, a no less important question arises about how to feed a calf.
In the first two months, he should receive from 3 to 4 liters of milk daily, sometimes a substitute is also used. Feeding can take place using a nipple (on large automated farms) or directly from a bucket, with any method it is necessary to ensure that the container is clean and does not contain foreign objects and products.
The prosperity of livestock farming depends primarily on the care of young animals, more attention should be paid to the question of how to keep the animal and how to feed it. The calf must be provided not only with milk, but also with clean water, concentrated mixtures and hay. Young individuals are usually kept in groups, they must be vaccinated, disinfected and labeled with ear tags.
Helpful information
An experienced breeder is familiar with a situation when a cow calves early and there is no milk, beginners will have questions, especially in small farms, where the owner is responsible for all the maintenance and care processes. However, following a well-established algorithm of actions, serious problems can be avoided.
Summarizing all the information related to calving, we can draw the following conclusions:
- It is necessary to provide animals with acceptable living conditions: clean litter, comprehensive food and modern preventive measures to prevent diseases.
- Closely monitor the burenka during pregnancy and after calving, detect complications in time and eliminate them yourself or by calling a veterinarian.
- The success of a livestock enterprise depends on the birth of healthy offspring, so you need to provide calves with comfortable conditions from the very beginning.
Breeding cattle requires stamina, patience and certain knowledge and skills from a person. Cows cannot be raised on enthusiasm alone; a clear understanding of their responsibilities is necessary.