A healthy start is more important than ever with calves hitting record prices and cost of production almost mirroring the advances in price.

Due to different environmental challenges and the fact that generations past built and used them, calving barns still remain a vital hub for most operations during calving season.

Maintaining these facilities in the correct manner could ultimately decide if your ranch is profitable at year’s end.

Working to limit disease risk and safely handle a group of calving cows or heifers comes with due diligence and dedication to the task.

“Calving barns can be a tremendous asset or just a disease incubator if they aren’t managed right,” says Dr. Terry Engelken of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“If your calving barn is clean, dry and draft-free, chances are you’re going to get along pretty good,” says Beth Doran, extension beef specialist at Iowa State.

Planning for calving season and being ready when that first cow goes into labor could set the tone for a successful season.

This time frame is hard enough on labor and management without the challenges of being disorganized.

“Make sure the calving barn is cleaned out and can sit empty for a while before you start calving season,” Doran says.

“Apply lime and disinfectant to those pens when they sit dormant. Make sure all your equipment is ready. A metal bucket with the OB chains and plenty of disinfectant is a good start.

Have your iodine handy and know what early vaccines are needed to start your health protocol.”

“Sit down with your vet beforehand and review protocols,” Engelken said. “Train your new employees and go through your equipment before calving season to make sure you have what you need and it’s in working order.

Make sure you have all your equipment in one bag so if you have an emergency and you need to assist a cow, everything is in one place and you’re not looking for it. In the birthing process, losing 10 or 15 minutes could mean life or death for that calf.”

A well-maintained calving barn is a welcomed sight for most ranchers. Daily maintenance, when practical, is often the best policy.

Working new mothers through the system in an efficient manner bodes well for the health of those calves.

“Cleanliness and sanitation are two things that prevent breakdowns in scour prevention,” Engelken said. “If a calf hits the ground in a mud hole or a pile of manure, the organisms that cause scours have already gotten ahead.

The bad thing about scours is it may take several days to two weeks to show up to tell you you’re doing a poor job in the calving barn.”

Engelken said after producers get their calves on the ground with a belly full of colostrum, it’s time to start thinking about moving them out of the calving barn to a clean, dry area.

“I like to see enough time between animals in the pen to get the pen cleaned out, but when calving starts in a set of females that were bred following synchronization, that isn’t always possible.”

“Rotate those cattle out as quickly as you can. Ideally, we like to let those pens sit empty, but we can’t always do that during calving season,” Doran says.

“Clean and disinfect pens before moving in another group. Make sure you have a clean area for those cattle in transition.”

Limiting disease-causing agents depends largely on the ability to keep calving pens clean and dry. Understanding calf needs will also go a long way to preserving calf health and making sure that first day is a good one.

“Kneel down in the calving pen. If your knee inside your pants gets wet, there is too much moisture or the bedding is not deep enough,” Engelken said.

“Scrape those pens to bare ground whenever possible and apply lime before you put down new bedding.

The organisms that cause scours don’t like sunlight or being dried out. Dystocia can be a primary driver of scours because weak calves, a lot of times, don’t get enough colostrum.

Take the necessary precautions to protect that calf with a clean environment.”

Obviously, well-fed, properly vaccinated cows capable of delivering live calves should be the goal of any operation.

Certain females, maybe due to uncontrollable circumstances, will need to be assisted in the calving barn. A good dose of colostrum will help weaker calves get going.

“There will be times when you have to administer colostrum to newborns. Make sure you have a clean bottle or stomach tube available,” Doran says.

“It has long been practice to go to the local dairy or another source to get colostrum. I don’t recommend that any more.

Milk out that cow if you can or have a commercial grade of colostrum available as backup, but colostrum out of that cow is the best.”

Most management protocols come with a little give and take. During calving season, late nights and early mornings rule the roost.

Short tempers and quick wit have the oddity of accompanying the day. Properly maintained calving barns make it easier on the labor force. Poorly maintained facilities are a detriment to the operation.

Working to eliminate exposure to disease and limiting the effects of the environment are two things calving barns help with during a critical time. Below-standard management of this facility takes away profit.

“The idea is to prevent scours, not treat it,” Doran says. “It’s tough to keep those calving barns clean all the time. When these barns aren’t clean, calves face more risk.”

“The goal is to minimize disease exposure. The disease organisms related to calf scours are spread when manure is ingested by the newborn calf,” Engelken says.

“You have to keep that calving barn, area or shed clean or quit using it. There is too much disease risk if you can’t properly maintain the calving barn because of high animal density and increased chance for disease spread.” 

PHOTOS

Top: Keeping pens clean and dry is the key to limiting agents that cause disease.

Bottom: A well-kept calving barn is a welcome sight for most ranchers.   Staff Photo.