Breech birth

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ThumbHereford

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Well, learning quite a bit this year..... At 7:15 AM EST we had our first breech birth ever at the farm. The one cow on the farm that we hoped everything would smoothly go with, went chaotically instead. I had already left for work (I work off farm too), wife called calf was coming backwards, she called the vet and vet said to leave it alone, and that they were on the way. By the time she had went to the house to get calf equipment, the cow had pushed the calf out. Now I can see this all unfold because I have setup cameras all around the farm, I'm watching this lifeless calf lay there and the cow aggressively trying to lick and nudge it back to life, and in runs my wife with the resuscitator and starts pumping oxygen into this calf and it stirs to life!!! We got a great 85lb heifer calf already up nursing and walking, vet found a baseball size fetus in the uterus of the cow, he figures it aborted early on....Things I learned today, the power of prayer, my wife is awesome, and I got one helluva cow.
 
I think breeches are more common than many think. May explain many of the dead calves that you ride up on cows licking. I actually watched a heifer deliver a breech calf this spring. It was fine.
 
A true breech birth is feet forward and is about impossible for a cow to have the calf without help. A breech birth with feet back isn't a big deal just make sure you pull down on the calf. I haven't seen this mentioned on here, but a old fashioned rubber toilet plunger makes dealing with a true breech birth very doable. Its almost like having 2 hands inside the cow. If you reach in and the feet are up and the calf is breech, call a vet a C - section is in order. I've been told that that some folks can rotate the calf and get the feet positioned properly for birth.... so it's possible I guess.
 
So just backwards then, right on, still pumped, I thought with severing umbilical cord with calfs head still in fluid would be dangerous situation. Would best advice in backwards situation to pull calf as quickly as possible? So, a true breech would be calf backwards and upside down??? Interested to hear on how the toilet plunger trick works.
 
You lube the plunger up good and push the calf back with one hand and grab a hoof with your other hand and arrange the foot as needed. Start with the left foot if at all possible. The trick is don't fight the cow, when she's pushing you stop. Believe me it's easier said than done.
I have quit waiting for the cow to have the calf on her own. When I see the calves feet I make plans to pull the calf or if the cow is pushing and nothing is happening I'm taking a look. Most of the time the cow will have the calf before I get what I need and her penned up. Lots of folks may disagree but I see no advantage of waiting to see if the cow can have the calf. When you see a cow in labor there's no real way to know how long she's been in labor for.
 
ThumbHereford":a44zmpuy said:
So just backwards then, right on, still pumped, I thought with severing umbilical cord with calfs head still in fluid would be dangerous situation. Would best advice in backwards situation to pull calf as quickly as possible? So, a true breech would be calf backwards and upside down??? Interested to hear on how the toilet plunger trick works.
Can be right side up, just the butt and tail comes out first. Back legs folded underneath. And the quicker you get out either a backward or breech calf the better
 
We had a first this year a pair of twins full breech, just butts and tails. With the help of our vet they are all alive and well.
 
The trouble with breech is they don't have the head there to engage the pelvis and stimulate the serious contractions, things sort of just creep up on you and by the time you realise something is wrong a lot of time has passed and it is often dead.

Ken
 
I have just calved a cow where the calf was upside down and a full breech. Add to that, I could feel front feet and teeth. Given the size of feet I assumed it was a single. I twisted the calf anti clockwise and then got ropes on feet and pulled the calf out. Amazingly calf living but front legs seem a bit weak. In 30 years of calving cows I've never seen anything like it.
 
If you do decide to explore inside, you should wash your arms and the cows behind with mild soap. Helps if someone else is holding on to the mother's tail.

For correcting a real breech (tail only, i.e. calf is sitting like a dog), rotate the rear leg towards the center of the calf and then pull. Use the palm of your hand to cover the hoof as you're doing so, this decreases the risk piercing the uterus. Use your other hand to push on the calf's rump as you are doing this. It also is much easier if the mother is standing....

As another poster said, easier said than done....
 

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