CATTLEMAN S CORNER. Helping the Newborn Calf Breathe Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist

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1 CATTLEMAN S CORNER Division of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources * Oklahoma State University MAR/APR 2014 Helping the Newborn Calf Breathe Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist Despite our best efforts at bull selection and heifer development, cows or heifers occasionally need assistance at calving time. Every baby calf has a certain degree of respiratory acidosis. Acidosis is the result of the deprivation of oxygen and the accumulation of carbon dioxide that results from the passage of the calf through the birth canal. The excess of carbon dioxide results in a build-up of lactic acid (therefore the acidosis.) In order to correct the lack of oxygen and the excess of carbon dioxide and its by-products, the healthy calf will pant vigorously shortly after birth. Some calves, however, may be sluggish and slow to begin this corrective process. It is imperative that the newborn calf begins to breathe as soon as possible. To stimulate the initiation of the respiratory process, a few ideas may help. First, manually clear the mouth and nasal passages of fluids and mucus. Traditionally, compromised calves were held up by their hind legs to allow fluid to drain from the airways, but now many veterinarians and animal scientists don't recommend this. Most of the fluid that drains from an upside-down calf is stomach fluid, important to health. Holding the calf by its hind legs also puts pressure on the diaphragm from abdominal organs, interfering with normal breathing. It's better to use a suction bulb to clear the airways. Hanging the calf over a fence also is NOT a recommended method for a sluggish newborn. The weight of the calf on the fence restricts the movement of the diaphragm muscle. The fence impairs the diaphragm s ability to contract and move. This diaphragm activity is necessary to expand the lungs to draw in air and needed oxygen. A better method is to briskly tickle the inside of the nostrils of the calf with a straw. This will usually cause the calf to have a reflex action such as a snort or cough. The reflex cough or snort expands the lungs and allows air to enter. Expect the calf to pant rapidly for a few minutes after breathing is initiated. Panting is the natural response that increases oxygen intake and carbon dioxide release and will allow the calf to reach normal blood gas concentrations. Assisting the Posterior Presentation (Backwards Calf) Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist Any cow calf producer that has spent several years in the cattle business has had the experience of assisting a cow or heifer deliver a calf that was coming backwards. Understanding the physiology and anatomy of the calf and mother will improve the likelihood of a successful outcome. Study the diagram of the posterior presentation shown below. Note the relative positions of the tailhead of the baby calf and the umbilical cord that connects the calf to the mother s blood supply. As the calf s hips are pulled through the pelvic opening, the baby calf s tail will reach the outer areas of the mother s vaginal opening. Once a person can see the baby calf s tailhead, the umbilical vessels are being compressed against the rim of the mother s pelvic bone. The blood flow, exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide, between calf and mother is greatly impaired, if not completely clamped off.

2 Research, many years ago, conducted in Europe illustrates how little time it takes to compromise the calf s survivability when the umbilical cord is clamped. These scientists studied the impact of clamping the umbilical cord for 0, 4, 6, or 8 minutes. Table 1. Impact of clamping of umbilical vessels on calf survivability Duration of Clamping Number of Calves Fate of Calves 0 minutes 5 calves All of the 5 calves lived 4 minutes 5 calves 4 lived; 1 died 6 minutes 3 calves 3 died 8 minutes 3 calves 3 died Certainly, if a producer does not feel confident in their abilities to deliver the backward calf, call your veterinarian immediately. Time is of the essence. As producers examine heifers or cows at calving and find a situation where the calf is coming backward, they need to keep this European data in mind. If the calf s hips are not yet through the pelvic opening, they have a little time to locate help and have someone else to aid in the assistance process. Once the cow and the producer in concert have pushed and pulled the calf s hips through the pelvic opening and the tailhead is apparent, the calf needs to be completely delivered as quickly as possible. The remainder of the delivery should go with less resistance as the hips are usually the toughest part to get through the pelvic opening. The shoulders may provide some resistance. However, some calf rotation and traction being applied as the cow strains will usually produce significant progress. Remember, the completion of the delivery is to be accomplished in about 4 minutes or less. The calf s head and nostrils are in the uterine fluids and cannot breathe until completely delivered. The calf must get oxygen rapidly to offset the hypoxia that it is been subjected to during the delivery. After the calf is delivered, clean the mouth and nostrils of fluids and tickle it s nostrils with a straw to cause snorting and inhalation of air to get it started to breathing. Oklahoma Quality Beef Network: Summary of Fall 2013 Sales Kellie Curry Raper, Eric A. DeVuyst, Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economics, and Gant Mourer, Oklahoma State University Animal Science The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) is committed to increasing producer access to value-added marketing opportunities and improving the quality of Oklahoma cattle. One piece of that commitment involves conducting special sales for calves enrolled in OQBN s calf certification programs. OQBN calves are managed according to a specific health management preconditioning protocol designed to improve calf performance throughout the beef supply chain. The combined value of the management protocol and the third party certification by OQBN is expected to increase the value of calves at marketing, as compared to calves sold with no preconditioning. Producer participation and the number of calves marketed through the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) valueadded health management program increased in 2013, relative to 2011 and 2012, as the region began modest drought recovery. OQBN value added calf sales were hosted by several livestock markets around the state in fall Market data were collected at eight sales, including Cherokee, Elk City, McAlester, OKC West ( 2), Blackwell, Pawnee, and Tulsa between October 30, 2013 and December 14, Data were collected on approximately 4183 OQBN certified calves sold in 343 lots at these designated OQBN sales. Including the OQBN calves, data were collected on a total of 11,927 calves. Figure 1 illustrates the OQBN premium (weighted average) over non-preconditioned cattle for marketing years Premiums across that timeframe ranged from $6.54/cwt to $9.23/cwt (see Raper and McKinney, 2009; McKinney et al., 2010; Raper et al., 2011). The overall average OQBN premium for 2013 was $8.65/cwt. Again, this premium and 2

3 premiums for other years represented are based on the weighted-average price of all OQBN lots as compared to nonpreconditioned cattle and do not consider price differences attributable to lot size, weight, breed, hide color, sex, fleshiness, and muscling. The weighted average OQBN premiums by weight category and gender for 2013 are illustrated in Figure 2. Note again that price differences attributable to other characteristics are not reflected in the weighted-average. OQBN steers and heifers earned market premiums over non-preconditioned cattle in every weight category. Both steers and heifers appeared to garner higher premiums per hundredweight over non-preconditioned calves at lighter weights. Relative to non-preconditioned calves, steer calf premiums ranged from $7.49/cwt to $22.15/cwt (weighted average basis) while heifer calf premiums ranged from $6.33/cwt to $24.88/cwt (weighted average basis), generally with higher premiums per cwt for lighter weight calves. Estimated value added to Oklahoma calves based on premiums alone, including the 1281 OQBN calves marketed outside of OQBN sales, is approximately $341, Using the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network Budgeting Tool, profit per head for 2013 OQBN calves is estimated at approximately $54/head when the cost of preconditioning and the benefit of additional weight gain between weaning and marketing is considered. The OQBN budgeting tool is available at OQBN s impact reaches beyond the certified sale component. New value-added programs have been developed at participating livestock markets and overall awareness of the value of health management practices has increased. The percentage of Oklahoma s calf crop marketed as value-added increased from 3.06% in 2007 to 6.43% in See for educational information and for more detailed information on the health management protocol and the certification process. Figure 1. OQBN Premiums at OQBN Calf Sales, Fall 2009 through Fall

4 Figure 2. Fall 2013 OQBN Premiums, by Gender and by Weight Category Don t Buy Calf Scours! Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist South Dakota State University researchers examined the cause of a scours epidemic in one spring calving herd back in Results of the retrospective, record-based investigation suggested that introduction of foster calves was associated with the calf scours outbreak. Prior to April 5, no scours cases had been observed, despite 39 calves being born. The calf scours epidemic was clearly in swing by the 45th day of the spring 2000 calving season and first cases of the epidemic were observed between the 31st and 40th days (April 5, 2000 through April 14, 2000). Following April 5, records indicated there was the introduction of at least 2 foster calves. The outbreak commenced shortly after the introduction of foster calves. Foster calves can introduce pathogens to a herd, and can shed calf scours pathogens in their feces even when feces appear normal. Because of this risk, the introduction of foster calves is not usually recommended. If introduced into a herd, foster calves (with their foster dam) should be isolated from the remainder of the herd until all calves are at least 4 weeks old. At that time, it is generally regarded as safe to commingle foster calf pairs with the remainder of the herd. Source: W. B. Epperson South Dakota Beef Report. Keeping an Eye on Calving Problems Earl H. Ward I believe that we can all agree that a dead calf is not profitable. One or two dead calves could mean the difference between making money, breaking even, or a loss. Lsing a calf at calving is not only hard on your finances but it is also hard on your cow. By keeping a closer eye on your cows during calving you could reduce the risk of losing a calf to dystocia (alving problems). The majority of calving problems are due to large calves or abnormal presentation into the birth canal. Calving problems can occur in all ages of cows. However, first calf heifers are more likely to have difficulty calving versus older females, therefore require more attension during this crucial time. It is recommended that first calf heifers be located close to an area where they are easily manageable and can be watched closely. As caretakers of our animals, sometimes we tend to assist more often than needed. It is important to remember to only assist when it is necessary. Don t rush right in too early, but also do not wait until the female has become exhausted. For heifers, it is best to wait about an hour from the first sign of birth (water Bag) and if she has not made any progress, now is the time to step in and assist. Cows should be allowed approximately 3- minutes before assistance is needed. 4

5 When it is 3:30 in the morning, you have a heifer being scared and stubborn, and you have to be at work in 4 hours, it hard to keep in mind how long to wait before assisting, but it could affect the bottom line of your operation. Perhaps this one calf could be the deciding factor to push your cattle operation back into the black on your finance statement. Winter Blues? Time to Kill Some Brush Brian C. Pugh Now is a great time to begin planning summer brush control. Questions often arise regarding the best method to control seedling trees in pastures, resprouts, thickets, or mature trees such as oak, elm, hickory, persimmon, honey locust, bois d arc, etc. While the abundance and variety of brushy invaders are staggering, a control strategy doesn t have to be. Recommendations based on broadcast sprays would fill up a few pages at the least. However, if you are inundated with brush variety consider a soil applied treatment instead. Options would include products such as Velpar L, Tordon or Spike. Soil treatments are a quick and easy method for scattered brush and usually result in better control when compared to broadcast sprays because they keep attacking the root until control is complete. An added benefit is that products such as Velpar and Tordon exhibit control over a wide range of species. Early spring is a good time of year to begin applications since upcoming active growth ensures absorption of a large dose of the chemical. Make applications under the drip line of the target tree near the trunk/soil interface. Using a marker dye (frequently used in turf) will allow you to keep track of where you ve been in thicker infestations. Any escapes can simply be re-treated the following year. For more information concerning this method consult: your local Extension Educator, OSU Brush Control Manual E-1001, and the appropriate herbicide label. Oklahoma Hay Market Report Eastern Oklahoma February 20, Size Description Price 4x5 Bale Good Mixed Grass $ $ x6 Bale Good Mixed Grass $ $50.00 Small square Mixed Grass $ $6.00 FERTILIZER PRICES Fertilizer Average* Range Urea (46-0-0) $514 $490 $560 DAP ( ) $575 $535 - $620 Potash (0-0-60) $436 $390 - $500 *Average of 4 dealers in NE OK on 2/24/2014 5

6 March 25, 6:30 pm Oklahoma Cattlemen s Association will be conducting a SE District Meeting at the SE Expo Center in McAlester, OK Meeting participants will enjoy legislative update, OCA staff reports and an Animal Health presentation. Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance. We invite you to join us and bring a friend or neighbor to attend an OCA District meeting. RSVP to tpruitt@okcattlemen.org call Tiffany at April 4, 8:30 am Beef Cattle Summit will be held at the SE Expo Center in McAlester, OK Please call Pittsburg County Extension for more information at or contact david.cantrell@okstate.edu. April 24, 6:30 pm Cattle Producer s Meeting will be held at the McAlester Union Stockyards. More information will follow. Save the date!!!!!!! Cowgirls are like barbed wire. Handle with care. The Cattleman s Corner newsletter is distributed bi-monthly by the following: Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service 707 West Electric Avenue McAlester, Oklahoma / This Newsletter is one way of communicating cattle information to those interested. David Cantrell Extension Educator, Agriculture, CED david.cantrell@okstate.edu Prepared By: Stephanie Wilson, stephanie.wilson12@okstate.edu The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age disability or status as a veteran and is an equal opportunity employer. 6