Genetic selection for ease of calving

Abstract

First of all, I think we should try to outline our meaning of dystocia. For argument’s sake, if we think of someone inserting a hand into the vagina to check the position of a calf at birth, do we consider this as a difficult calving? I suppose that if we consider that the act of examination was necessary, then obviously the operator had some doubts as to the dam’s ability to calve without assistance, so difficulty at calving could be pencilled on to the dam’s health record. It would be my personal view that any examination of this type must be considered as indicating a calving problem, and that varying degrees of necessary assistance can then be recorded. I hope however that we can return to this subject a little later in my talk, and more obviously, in discussion afterwards.