Birth and care of twins calves and how to understand that there will be twins
The appearance of a calf on the farm is a great joy for the farmer, because it means an increase in livestock, an opportunity for further development, and a good profit in the future. But whether to rejoice at the birth of twin calves - many novice business executives do not know the answer to this question, they are worried about the health of the cow and have no idea how to feed the babies, because they may simply not have enough milk.
Can a cow give birth to twins
Usually a cow has one calf at calving, but there are exceptions. Only 2-4% of cows' pregnancies end in twins. Multiple pregnancy is a difficult test for an animal, in this case, veterinary examinations are necessary, additional inclusion of vitamins and minerals (especially calcium preparations) in the diet, which the doctor will help to select.
The reason for multiple pregnancies may be the infertility treatment that was given to the cow before insemination, the likelihood of having 2 calves is higher in highly productive cows that give a lot of milk. Among these animals, 20% of cows give birth to twins.
As a result of a double pregnancy, a cow is likely to develop complications during calving: postpartum paresis, inflammation of the uterus, problems with the discharge of the placenta.
The presence of a veterinarian at the hotel is an additional cost for the farmer, and the excitement in case of calving twins is much greater.
How to determine if there will be twins?
Previously, they found out about twins at the hotel after a manual rectal examination of a pregnant cow or at the time of childbirth. Inspection did not give accurate results, the probability of error was very high. Today, for a period of 1.5-2 months, she can have an ultrasound scan. During this period, the embryos are still small in size, but are already perfectly visible on the screen.
Features of childbirth
When raising twins, a cow in labor will probably need help. The harbingers of an early start of the process are the following signs:
- the udder swells and turns pink;
- swelling and reddening of the nipples, perineum;
- the animal often lies down, may moo pitifully;
- the amount of mucus from the vagina increases, it can hang down as a transparent thread;
- the belly falls, the ribs are clearly visible;
- the cow raises its tail at the base;
- manure and urine pass often, in small portions;
In this case, you need to monitor the cow, especially if 2 babies are expected. From the moment the contractions start until the calf appears, it takes from 30 minutes to 2.5-3 hours. It depends on the age of the cow, the number of calves, the breed of the animal.
If the birth is correct, no human intervention is required, you should patiently and calmly wait until the legs of the calf appear. With correct presentation, one calf appears forward with its front legs, the other with its hind legs.
Babies can be positioned on top of each other. In this case, you should insert your hand into the vagina, feel the legs of the upper calf and gently pull it, helping to give birth. Do the same with the second baby. The interval between the birth of calves is 1-2 hours. After the first birth, the cow should be watered. The appearance of 2 afterbirth occurs if the calves are bivvy (bull and heifer), at the birth of identical babies there will be one afterbirth.
Burenka must be allowed to lick the newborns, if she is not able to do this, they wipe the babies with a clean cloth, clean the nasal passages of mucus. After giving birth, the calves are fed 1.5 liters of colostrum for an hour. The cow should be given warm water to drink.
The subtleties of the development of same-sex and opposite-sex twins
If 2 bulls or 2 heifers are born during the beating of twins, the owner receives ordinary calves. In the case when a bull and a heifer are born, the girl will probably have an excess of male hormones. Such animals are called fremant, they are sterile and look more like bulls.
A goby in such a pair is ordinary, it can become a good sire. Fremant heifers are fattened for meat, they have increased muscle mass, they are larger than normal cows.
Feeding twins if cow milk is not enough
Colostrum is given to calves for the first 4 days of life. After that, they are transferred to milk. To strengthen the immune system and if the cow does not have enough milk for two babies, they can be given bulk milk from other cows. In the absence of such an opportunity, they buy milk replacer (whole milk substitute), it is enriched with essential vitamins and minerals. The product is selected according to the age of the calves. Babies should not be given soy or goat milk; they cause diarrhea in calves.
In this case, some owners begin to give oatmeal jelly, a steamed grain mixture from 2 months, and then transfer to adult food. Of course, giving birth to a cow, and raising twins for the owner is a lot of work. But this is a huge experience for the farmer and an unexpected gift that, with due diligence, will result in substantial profits.
