The Sunday News
Farming issues, Mhlupheki Dube
WE are moving towards exciting times for livestock farmers especially cattle ranchers.
In a few months our cows and heifers should begin to drop calves. Most of our breeding cows were serviced around January and February with late breeders coming in March, therefore, as we move towards the end of the year we are approaching happy times for the farmer.
However, there are preparations that a farmer needs to do so that your time of happiness does not quickly turn into a sad period. You need to prepare so that your breeding cows calve down without any challenges.
First and foremost, you need to ensure that your pregnant cows maintain a good body condition score. You need to be wary of your animal’s nutrition status more so during the last trimester.
A good body condition score during the last trimester will not only reduce changes of a difficult calving but it will also ensure that your animal goes back into breeding within the expected three months.
Your cow should be able to be serviced within three months of calving if you are to get a calf the following year.
Therefore, nutrition status of your breeding cows before calving and soon after calving is of paramount importance.
It should be managed well.
The next thing is you should know which animal will calve down when. This is very difficult for most smallholder farmers as there are no written down records of when the cow took the bull.
However, experienced stockmen will notice physical features on the breeding cow and they can tell which one will drop the calf first in their herd.
The one that shows signs of being close to calving should be monitored so that we observe it’s calving in case it will need assistance. More so, during the dry season when we mostly let our animals roam the veld and we do not kraal them during the night.
It becomes important to make sure the cow that is closer to calving is observed everyday even if you will leave it in the veld, you must not go for two days without seeing it.
It can calve down and lose the calf to predation or simply abandon the calf in the bush and by the time you realise that, it will be too late.
Again, monitoring a cow that is due for delivery will help you to observe all the calving stages and see if it needs to be assisted and if that is the case, the assistance is rendered timely.
Also, you want to be sure that the newly-born calf will suckle and get the colostrum in appropriate time so that it can be easily absorbed by the calf’s intestines.
A newly-born calf should get the colostrum within 12 hours of birth. Another preparation issue is that you must have calf nursing equipment, especially the nursing bottle and even milk replacer, in case your calf cannot nurse from the dam for one reason or the other.
You do not want to be running all over looking for these when a need arises, you may be committed in something else at that particular time. Also construct a housing for your calves so that they can be protected from both predation and unfriendly weather conditions.
Some nights can be too cold and you may lose your calf to harsh weather conditions. That is a preventable loss and all you need is a proper housing for your calves.
In conclusion, farmers should note that having a successful calving should be properly planned for. While every farmer likes a cow, which needs minimum attention as much as possible during calving and the period immediately after, you still need to attend to those that need the assistance and avoid unnecessary calf losses. Losing a calf is very stressful to a serious farmer because you did not only lose an animal, you also lose nine months of waiting!
Uyabonga umntakaMaKhumalo.
Mhlupheki Dube is a livestock specialist and farmer, he writes in his own capacity. Feedback [email protected]/ cell 0772851275.
