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Calving Difficulty
Calving difficulty is a subjective measure of the degree of dystocia. Dystocia can be caused by a large pre-natal calf, small pelvic area of the dam, lack of sufficient uterine contractions, insufficient dilation of the cervix, or mispositioned calf prior to parturition. Calving ease EPD are produced from calving difficulty scores and birth weight observations.
Phenotype
Producers are asked to score the degree of calving difficulty using the following subjective scores:
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | No difficulty, no assistance required |
| 2 | Minor difficulty, some assistance |
| 3 | Major difficulty, usually mechanical assistance |
| 4 | Caesarian section or other surgery |
| 5 | Abnormal presentation |
Cows that calve without assistance between daily checks can be assumed to have calved without assistance even if the calving was not observed. A score of 1 should be reported for these. All calvings should receive a score even if the calf is born dead.
