Calving Supplies, Tools, and Equipment Checklist Donna Larson, December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 Preparing for the first calving on your homestead can be nerve-wracking. Most often times, heifers and cows are able to safely deliver calves unassisted, but occasional complications may arise. We have the full calving supplies checklist to help ease your mind as you get ready for your new arrival. When to Build a Calving Supplies Toolkit Cows generally have a gestation period of 283 days from conception, but they can safely calve about 10 days earlier or 10 days later. Heifers tend to give birth a couple of days late, and some breeds, such as Jerseys, tend to calve a few days early at 278 days. There is an old wives’ tale that if the cow will give birth to a bull, she’ll be on the later side. However, I’ve yet to find actual statistics regarding this theory, nor have I experienced it. Here’s a handy cattle gestation chart for ease of finding your cow’s due date, thanks to Bovine Elite. I highly recommend having everything you need at least a month before you expect calving season on your homestead. Become familiar with them. Learn how/when to use each item before you need to so that you’re confident and cool-headed under pressure. More Important Than Calving Supplies Of the most important calving supplies is a good cattle veterinarian. Make sure that you’re an established client before you need to make an emergency call. Most large animal vets will not make emergency farm calls to see sick animals who are not established clients. A well-check visit for general cattle care will be needed at least annually in order for your veterinarian to prescribe necessary medicines for your cow(s). An experienced, local cattleman can be equally qualified to assist you in an emergency, but he can’t call in antibiotics if your animals need them. We keep a group of friends on a short list that we can call on if our vet is unavailable when we need him. I may even call the friends first to see what they recommend before bothering our vet. Vetting Space You’ll also need to have a place that you can secure your pregnant cow in case she needs medical attention. A stall to confine her is a good idea, but a head gate or loading chute is better. Make sure that your vet has easy access to your cow once she’s secured. You can create a calving pen out of movable corral panel so that you can easily monitor your cow during labor. Become familiar with normal calf presentation and normal cow labor behavior. Understand what malpresentation can consist of, and how to remedy each situation. This will help you better determine when it’s time to intervene and help your cow and also when to call your vet. Calving Supplies Checklist Okay, yall. Here’s the ultimate calving supplies checklist that you’ve asked for. Most items are not needed in every situation, but all items are good to have on hand (just in case). They’re divided into three categories: Birth Equipment Calf Equipment Medicines and Supplements Birthing Equipment The most common items that I have used over the years during calving are first. Obstetric sleeves Latex gloves Lubricant Old towels / rags paper towels A watch ob chains or rope chain calf puller That’s it because most often times, cows will calve on their own without any help. We are usually able to watch from a distance and enjoy the experience. When to Intervene If you find that you need to reach in and feel the calf’s position, you should have gloves as protection equipment for your cow. Lubricant can be purchased at most farm stores, but a bottle of olive oil works well too. Towels will help you to clean up yourself, your cow, and the calf once its born. If I’m able to watch a cow laboring throughout the day, the watch helps me stay objectively calm. Early labor can go on for several hours, active labor for a few hours, and the actual transition to birth phase is the shortest. The Rule of Fifteens We usually follow the “rule of fifteens.” Once pushing begins, we want to see some kind of development progress at least every 15 minutes. Once her water breaks, we want the calf out in 35 minutes for cows, but heifers can take closer to an hour. Progressive development might mean that we see pushing, then 15 minutes later we see hooves. Another 15 minutes later we see a nose, then her water breaks. And so on. She could drag this out so that you only see one contraction every 15 minutes for a while, or she could go faster so that you have a calf on the ground in no time. If at any time, a cow is taking longer than 15 minutes between signs of progression, that is cause for concern. We will likely glove up to check on the calf’s position. A heifer may need some help stretching her cervix ahead of her first delivery. Each cow should be treated as an individual, and each birth is different. Under dire situations, you will need to pull a calf. A calf jack (or calf puller) and ob chains can be quite helpful. Learn how to use each properly so that you don’t hurt your cow or calf while assisting the birth. This is especially the case if you end up with a little giant of a calf. Post Birth You may want to keep your cow and her calf together in a maternity pen for the first one or two days so that they properly bond. You’ll be able to easily see that the calf is nursing well, and that your cow is mothering him well. Spending time in there is also the best way to encourage your calf to warm up to you. Keep an eye on the back end of the cow to make sure that she passes the placenta and afterbirth. Be watchful of excess blood, off color discharge or differences in her stool. Calf Supplies Old towels/rags 12% iodine solution aspirator suction bulb heat lamps (consider electrical wire issues to get the light to the calf) warm water bottles and feeder nipple (screw-on or snap-on nipple) tube feeding system (esophageal feeders) colostrum supplements milk or milk replacer calf blanket in coldest regions once calf is dry thermometer bottle holder (optional) calf warmers or warming box if choosing to separate calf from momma cow Welcome, Baby Once your baby is born, you might wonder what’s next. First and foremost, make sure that momma licks him dry, particularly that she cleans his face. I usually keep towels and rags on hand for making sure the amniotic sack is cleaned from his mouth and nose. We then rub him vigorously to stimulate breathing, coughing, and sneezing so that he’s able to clear his airways of fluid. We always dip umbilical cords with 12% iodine solution, but momma will continuously lick it off requiring frequent re-applications. Some folks opt to dip the calf’s hooves in iodine too because they are susceptible to picking up bacteria before they harden. Assuming all goes well, old towels and iodine are they only items that we really need. Heat producing light bulbs to warm him are a good idea to have during cold wet weather. Unusual Circumstances In the event that your momma cow goes down, you may need to feed your calf. We choose to keep colostrum in the freezer for such events, but you could purchase powdered colostrum and milk replacer. Whatever you choose, colostrum is essential to your calving supplies kit. You’ll need a qt screw-on nursing bottle or qt snap-on nursing bottles to feed the baby if momma can’t. Keeping your calf warm before he is dried off is essential. If he’s cold, he won’t eat. If he won’t eat, he has a lower survival chance, so he’ll need to be tube fed. Always use warm water to mix milk replacers with. Cold water will upset your calf’s tummy and can cause hypothermia. Likewise, warm raw milk before feeding a calf if he isn’t able to nurse his mother. Colostrum is absolutely essential to your calf within the first 24 hours of birth, and the sooner, the better. His gut lining has pores that are ready to receive that antibodies and nutrition that colostrum provides, and those pores close slowly during the first 24 hours after birth. Don’t forget to offer water sources to your calf. Many new calf-keepers think that calves get all of their water in the milk they drink, but that isn’t the case. Make sure he has fresh water all the time. Medicine and Supplements (and more) Hopefully, your cow and calf pair will not need any medicine after the calf is born. However, there are times when medicines are necessary and times when supplements can be helpful. Here’s a list of the items we have used over the years, and experience tells us to keep them on hand if possible. Oxytetracycline for metritis. – Prescription Required. If you need to reach into the cow’s uterus, you have introduced bacteria to her insides. Additionally, a retained placenta may need to be treated with antibiotics. Penicillin with Procaine (Pen G) – Prescription Required. This can also be used for metritis. It’s also commonly used in calves who develop a navel infection or navel ill that settles in the joints. Intramammary antibiotics – Prescription Required. Dairy cattle especially have a propensity to freshen with mastitis. Keeping appropriate medications on hand is wise because time is of the essence when treating mastitis. Salix – Is basically Lasix for cows. If your cow has extreme edema, this will help purge her body of the extra water. Selenium – If they have a shortage of selenium, cows may retain placenta, and calves may appear to have white-muscle disease. Keeping a little selenium paste in your calving supplies can help them in the first days after birth. Vitamin E – reduces inflammation and edema in your cow. Vitamin C – boosts your cow’s immune system. Molasses – Added to her warm water, your cow will appreciate the boost in essential nutrients (potassium and magnesium) and calories after labor and delivery. The carbohydrates will help ward off ketoacidosis in your cow. Red Raspberry Leaves – Make a large batch of tea or feed them straight to your cow to help with edema. Calf-Pro Medicated Supplement – If we end up with bottle calves, (or lambs), we always add this supplement to help boost their little bodies. It’s full of vitamins and minerals and it helps prevent coccidia which bottle calves are prone to. Jump Start – A little paste given orally to your calf during the first few days of life will never hurt. It’s filled with probiotics to help “jump start” his immune system. We also give this to cows who may have needed an antibiotic to help balance their guts as they re-establish healthy flora. Vitamin B Complex – More than calving supplies, this one often helps to perk up cows/calves who are down, and it’ll help stimulate appetite. Banamine – Prescription Required. In the event of fever or pain, Banamine can be used under direction of your veterinarian. Dexamethasone – Prescription Required. “Dex” is a steroid that is used for different reasons in cattle. Again, you’d need to use this under your vet’s guidance. Dynamint Cattle Rub – to help reduce edema in the udder and stimulate your cow’s let-down reflex. Loose Minerals – always keep loose minerals for your cattle at any stage in life. Other supplies chemicals – clorhexadine, bleach, mineral oil, antibacterial soap Ceiling Fans and misters to keep cool during hot weather Fly spray of your choice – we like Boss because it works and it’s dairy safe. Synergy Cattle Products Dewormer – Calving can be enough stress on a cow to cause her immune system to fall enough that her parasite load becomes too much. Make sure that you follow all withdrawal recommendations. Calcium / Magnesium – for high producing dairy cows especially. These are available in boluses, pastes, and liquid form. Talk with your vet about the appropriate use of each. Milking Supplies – We have a separate list for you regarding milking. Conclusion to Calving Supplies List There are other antibiotics, supplements, or necessary treatments that your vet may suggest to assist you in your calving journey with your small cattle operation. Many of these medicines need climate control spaces so outdoor storage is not recommended. Remember each animal should be viewed as an individual. Each one is different and each of their circumstances will provide a different experience for you to gain. This general calving supplies list is a good start to get you on the road to success with cattle on your homestead. Happy Calving! Donna @ Hazel Belle Farm Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+ years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm. Catch her latest news on Hazel Belle Farm’s Facebook page. Cows Homesteading