How soon should you help a calving cow?.

The question on when to intervene or call a veterinarian after a cow or heifer goes into labor is never easy to answer, but it’s an important especially when a live calf is the end goal. Calving times and how to manage cow or heifer so as to prevent loss of calf is important.The good news is that in most cases, everything goes just fine. The bad news? Sometimes things go wrong. That’s when it’s time to step in and help. “The basic rule of thumb for cows is that once the water sac has ruptured, if the calf is normal, it should be born within 30 minutes,” says Robert Callan, head of the Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service and chief of staff for the Large Animal Hospital at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “In heifers, this time should be less than 60 minutes. It can take longer, for various reasons. In cows, it may be up to four hours and heifers up to eight hours, but you shouldn’t be waiting that long,” continue