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Cause and Effect Relationships Associated with Calving Difficulty and Calf Birth Weight¹

U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Miles City 59301

Abstract

Perinatal calf losses result in an important reduction in the net calf crop (Wiltbank et al., 1961). Woodward and dark (1959) reported 3.6% of all calves born at the U. S. Range Livestock Experiment Station were dead at birth and that more male than female calves were lost. Results reported by Anderson and Bellows (1967) revealed 79% of the calves lost at birth at the Miles City Station were anatomically normal and injuries resulting from difficult or delayed parturition were the most common cause of death, regardless of age of dam. These workers stated that many calf losses could be prevented if assistance was provided during difficult parturition.

Koger et al. (1967) found calves of intermediate birth weight had a higher survival rate than calves of either low or high birth weights. Sagebiel et al. (1969) reported an extensive study of dystocia in reciprocal crossbred cattle. However, there is little information available regarding factors associated with calving difficulty.

¹ This study was conducted at the U. S. Range Livestock Experiment Station, Miles City, Montana 59301, as a contribution to Western Regional Research Project W-95, Endocrine Mechanisms Controlling Bovine Reproduction, in cooperation with the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. Publication has been approved by the Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Series No. 215.

² U. S. Range Livestock Experiment Station, A.R.S., Miles City, Montana.

³ North Montana Branch Experiment Station, Havre, Montana.

⁴ Animal Science Research Division, A.R.S., Fort Collins, Colorado.

⁵ Authors express appreciation to: The National Association of Animal Breeders, Columbia. Missouri, Dr. H. A. Herman, Executive Secretary, for financial support of a portion of this study; Dr. R. R. Woodward, American Breeders Service, Bozeman, Montana, for semen used on this study; Mr. H. E. Traweek, Mr. L. L. Nunn and Mr. V. A. LaVoie for technical assistance and care of animals during the study.

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