02/20/2025
Brrrrrr it's cold outside, and ready or not calves are being born. Take a second to read this article if you're calving in the cold. We're experiencing some Weak Calf Syndrome due to the extreme cold temperatures and some of this info can be helpful to know.
https://vetmed.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/vdpam/Extension/WeakCalfSyndrome2013.pdf
Factors that may cause weak calf syndrome are bad weather, selenium deficiency, poor nutrition during late gestation, dystocia, cow age, and other trauma to the calf. Weak calves must be treated or helped immediately after birth to improve their chances of survival.
Very old cows and first-calf heifers may be more likely to have weak calves. Usually, nutrition is the main factor causing weak calf syndrome in these two age groups. Heifers require additional nutrients because they are still growing when calving for the first time and older cows may have a harder time in maintaining the extra body weight needed for calving.
