As you start to make preparations for calving, expect that some cows are likely to start calving two to three weeks ahead of their due date. This can have significant implications on management practices such as implementation of scour vaccines, nighttime feeding regimes and “night watch.”
Make sure any time-sensitive procedures are conducted with this in mind. The following list contains management procedures I regularly discuss with producers:
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Vaccinate for scours. This practice is likely of most benefit in first-calf heifers, as they have likely not been exposed to the diversity of pathogens as older cows. However, it can be a valuable tool in many herds, irrespective of age.
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Begin a nighttime feeding regimen. Multiple studies have shown that feeding cows in the evening leads to a significantly greater proportion of cows that calve during the day.
Most studies have evaluated feeding cows either at dusk or 9 p.m. and, in most cases, the result has been approximately 80 percent cows calving between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Perhaps the best thing about nighttime feeding is that it takes almost no advanced planning to see results.
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Have all of your supplies on hand and disinfected. Consult with your veterinarian to make sure you have all necessary equipment and pharmaceuticals on hand.
In particular, make sure you consult with your veterinarian before using any over-the-counter products to be sure they complement, not counter, the viability of that calf.
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Be prepared for compromised calves. Newborns need to consume 6 to 10 percent of their bodyweight in colostrum within the first 24 hours of life (and preferably within the first 12 hours).
Be sure to have both colostrum replacers and colostrum supplements on hand in the event a cow has little to no colostrum at the time of calving. If a cow loses a calf prior to it nursing, do not let that colostrum go to waste. Milk out the cow and freeze it.
Frozen colostrum from your own herd is almost always superior to commercial replacers because it carries antibodies specific to your herd.
As always, for further calving management tips, consult with the team of experts you have assembled, including your beef extension specialist, nutritionist and herd health veterinarian. 
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Patrick Gunn
- Assistant Professor of Animal Science
- Iowa State University
- Email Patrick Gunn
