Interactive lesson

Calving and the calf, step by step

Interactive lesson: heat, artificial insemination, pregnancy and the dry period, the calving pen, how calving goes, colostrum in the first 2 hours and the calf until weaning.

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The whole lesson as text

1. Spotting heat

A cow comes on heat roughly every 21 days, and heat lasts roughly 12–18 hours, often at night and early morning.

A 21-day rhythm — The cycle lasts roughly 21 days (18–24). Expect heat 21 days after the last one and watch for 2 days either side.
Stands when mounted — The main sign: the cow stands still while another one mounts her. That is true standing heat. Mounting others comes before and during heat.
Mucus and restlessness — Clear, stretchy mucus like egg white, on the tail and thighs, is a very reliable sign. The cow bellows, walks about, looks at the door and lies less.
Watch and write it down — Watch the cow 3 times a day for 15–20 minutes: early morning, midday and late evening. Write down every sign, including blood 1–3 days after heat.

Why: Without timely service there is no calf, and without a calf there is no milk. The target is 12–13 months between two calvings. A missed heat means the cow is months late.

With one cow there's no other cow to mount her: mucus on the tail and bedding, and restlessness, are the best signs.
No heat by 60 days after calving, or heat every 7–10 days: call the vet, not home remedies.

2. Artificial insemination

For one or two cows artificial insemination (AI) is the best choice.

Spot it and call — As soon as you spot heat, call the AI technician. If you missed the start, tell him or her what you saw and when; the technician decides.
The a.m.–p.m. rule — A cow seen in heat in the morning is served the same afternoon or evening. Seen in the evening, she is served next morning.
Cow tied and calm — Tie the cow in a quiet place and keep her tail clean. The technician does the rest.
Write down the straw — Write down the date, the bull and the straw number. For a heifer or a smaller cow ask for an easy-calving bull from the catalogue.

Why: No bull on the holding, you pick the bull from a catalogue, and venereal diseases aren't passed on. The bull is the most dangerous animal on the holding and makes no sense on a smallholding. AI is done by a qualified AI technician or the vet.

Serve a heifer when she has reached roughly 60–65 % of the adult weight of her breed, not by the calendar.
Don't use semen from big beef breeds (Belgian Blue, Charolais) on a heifer without advice from the AI technician.