With calving season starting or just around the corner for some, how can farmers and ranchers make every calf count? As the value for each live calf remains high, it’s more crucial to the bottom line than ever to ensure healthy deliveries.
Taylor Grussing, South Dakota State University Extension Cow/Calf Specialist, says there are several things producers want to learn more about including facility set-up, weather protection strategies and even calf delivery assistance.
“A thirty minute rule is a great thing to abide by,” Grussing said. “If they’re not making any progress in thirty minutes, probably a good time to at least get her into the up barn and assess the position of that calf… sometimes there can be a head back or a leg back, so if you can learn to correct that position that can be the thing that helps the cow have the delivery herself.”
Knowing how to adjust a calf to the proper birthing position is just one of the hands-on aspects of the three Cow/Calf Calving Camps hosted by SDSU Extension specialists. Other continuing education topics include stages of labor, calf processing and record keeping to create a successful calving strategy.
The first camp will be held January 6, 2026, in Mitchell, SD. For more information visit https://extension.sdstate.edu/news/sdsu-extension-host-cow/calf-calving-camp or contact Taylor Grussing at (605)-995-7378.
