Parturition: A Mechanism Review

Induction, Intervention, and Calf Viability

Abstract

The role of the practitioner in food animal practice involves the health care of individual animals as well as the management and care of herds or flocks. Health care of individual animals often affords the opportunity to assume a management role if the practitioner is alert and prepared. Practitioners should seek ways to increase their role in the management of food animal production as the cost of individual care is becoming prohibitive in all but a select few animals. An adequate understanding of the parturition process allows practitioners to properly train clients in parturition management to maximize production and minimize losses. There is enough good work concerning the effect of parturition on productivity to make substantiated recommendations aimed at increasing the producers' profitability.