Quantifying the forces applied during assisted calvings and the impacts on newborn beef calves

Abstract

Dystocia is recognized as the leading cause of mortality in the beef industry, with almost 26% of neonatal calf losses being attributed to birth-related issues. The term dystocia is defined as a prolonged or difficult birth that may or may not require human intervention, while calving ease is a subjective measure of the effort required for an assisted delivery. A Canadian study reported that 8.9% of calvings in beef herds required assistance, with severe dystocia occurring in 3.7% of births. Similarly, in the United States, 7.7% and 3.4% of heifers and 3.2% and 1% of cows, respectively, required easy and hard pulls to deliver their calf. Despite the incidence and impacts of assisted calvings, there is little available data that quantifies the forces applied during an assisted delivery and the associated compromise in the newborn calf. The objectives of this study were to: 1) quantify the force applied during manual and mechanical delivery of beef calves, and 2) examine the association of force with calf birthweight, vigour, acidemia, and tissue trauma.