Cattle - Raising Small Animals - page 434

Calving paralysis: Calving paralysis occurs when nerves in the cow's pelvis are injured dur-
ing delivery. Heifers are more prone to calving paralysis due to their smaller pelvic opening.
Signs can range from a weak leg or not using a leg to an inability to stand. If you suspect
calving paralysis, call your veterinarian for treatment. Treatment consists of injections of ster-
oids and non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation of the affected
nerves. Another important component of treatment is excellent nursing care. If large cows lie
on one side for more than four hours, the muscles on the down side can die because of the ex-
treme pressure exerted by the cow's weight. This damage can be prevented by a deep layer of
straw bedding — greater than 12 inches should suffice — and turning the cow from side to
side every four hours. Straw bales can be used to prop the cow on her side as well. The cow
should have access to water and hay while down. She should be goaded to stand as well. You
can assist her attempts to stand by grasping the tail at the base and lifting as she tries to rise.
Retained placenta: A cow normally will pass her placenta within six hours after the birth. If
she has not expelled the tissue after 12 hours, it is considered retained. As long as the cow is
healthy, eating, and does not have a fever, it is best to trim off any placenta protruding from
the vulva. It should be expelled within a week after calving. If the cow with a retained pla-
centa stops eating, ceases milk production, or runs a fever, call your veterinarian for treat-
ment. Removal of a retained placenta is not recommended. Instead, the veterinarian may use
drugs to try to get the uterus to release the retained bits of placenta. The also cow will be
placed on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to combat infection.
Dairy Cow Nursing
In conventional dairies, young calves are separated from their mothers and bottle-fed a milk
replacer substance, which often contains antibiotics and other substances. Whole milk from
other cows on the farm sometimes is used instead. One option for feeding your calves is mob
feeding. Mob feeding involves keeping groups of four to ten calves in their own paddock,
separate from their mothers. Instead of nursing, the calves are allowed to eat from a mob feed-
er, which is a big barrel with nipples on it. The mob feeder will contain milk diverted from the
milking herd. This is better than milk replacer, but some farmers feel that mob-fed calves do
not grow as well as calves that are allowed to nurse.
Using nurse cows is another option farmers have used for feeding dairy calves. Nurse cows
are cows that will not only nurse their own calves, but also the calves of other cows at the
same time. You might be able to get a nurse cow to feed three or four calves at a time. At the