Calving is a critical welfare period for both cow and calf. Understanding the welfare needs of cows during late pregnancy and parturition enables better management and fewer welfare emergencies.
The calving period represents one of the most welfare-significant events in a cow's productive life, with potential for both pain and positive experiences depending on management quality. Providing appropriate calving facilities including separate, bedded, quiet spaces allows cows to express natural pre-calving isolation behaviour and reduces interference stress during normal calvings. Monitoring that identifies developing dystocia early enables intervention before prolonged straining causes injury to cow and calf. When calving assistance is needed, appropriate pain relief and technique minimises the trauma of intervention. Post-calving monitoring for retained placenta, metritis, and signs of calving injury ensures that problems developing in the hours and days after delivery are detected and treated promptly, preventing the welfare harm of undetected post-partum disease.