By Christine Gelley
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator
Noble County
OSU Extension
For cattle producers expecting calves to come soon, it is time to prepare. Get your supplies gathered. Straighten up your herd records. Make sure you are current with your veterinary client patient relationship. And…
Join OSU Extension for an evening of education on preparing for calving season from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, February 20 at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station- 16870 Bond Ridge Rd. Caldwell, OH 43724 (pending weather- backup location is the Extension Operations Building- 16714 Wolf Run Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724).
At this event, class participants will have the opportunity to pull a calf from the simulator cow while learning about common calving challenges and solutions. Speakers will include OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist - Garth Ruff, Noble County ANR Educator - Christine Gelley, and Eastern Agricultural Research Station Staff. RSVPs are required by February 18. Email gelley.2@osu.edu or call 740-732-5681 to RSVP. The event is free to attend and includes a beef dinner. Seating is limited, so call in ASAP!
Some of the information we will cover that evening includes knowing and monitoring the stages of labor. There are three stages. Stage two is the one that gains the most attention, but all three are important!
Stage one includes:
- Udder fill
- Cervical dilation
- Mucus plug release
- Contractions begin
- Restlessness
- Isolation
- Est. Time: 2-12 hours
Stage two includes:
- Full dilation
- Fetus moves into birth canal
- Water bag is expelled
- Active labor/straining
- Calf delivery
- Est. Time: 30 mins- 2 hours
Stage three includes:
- Placenta expulsion (within 4 days)
These are the normal activities in the process of birth. When abnormalities arise, it is time to help. Most births will proceed without issue and without assistance but knowing when to help and how to help with appropriate actions can save a cow, a calf, or both. If you have a cow in stage two of labor that isn’t making progress after 30 minutes, she probably needs help. Often the vet is more than 30 minutes away and the cattle handler will need to step in.
Do you know how to help? The steps are as follows:
- Secure the animal in a safe location.
- Gather supplies.
- Gloves & Sleeves
- Clean Clothes
- Soap & Water
- Lubricant
- OB Chains/Head Snare
- Another Person
- Safely restrain the animal and tail.
- Clean the perineal area & vulva with mild soap and water.
- Check calf size/position and cervical dilation.
- Check calf responsiveness.
- Correct malpresentation if possible.
- If possible, pull the calf with care for all parties (you, the cow, the calf).
Correcting malpresentation takes practice and patience. Join us at the program to learn more about how to feel for malpresentation, how to determine if correction is possible, and how to gradually work to reposition malpresentations before pulling a calf.
If you don’t have a veterinarian already, now is the time to get one. Even with confidence and skill, there may be times when a cow or calf needs help beyond what you can provide on your own. You don’t want the first time you call the vet to be an emergency. So, plan ahead by establishing a good relationship and creating plans for how to react if an emergency arises.
We hope you will take advantage of the learning opportunity ahead to prepare for a successful season full of healthy and happy cow-calf pairs.
Upcoming Events
The Noble County Master Gardener Volunteers invite you to bring your gardening passion into the classroom and out into the community by going a step beyond your current gardening hobby and joining the Noble County Master Gardener Volunteers in 2025. A training class is assembling now! We plan to start meeting weekly on Thursday evenings. Our first class is planned for 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 6. Classes will continue each Thursday through May 29. Interested parties should contact the ANR Educator for their county to apply, enroll, and confirm registration details. We will work to make the class accommodate your needs. Noble County- Christine Gelley: gelley.2@osu.edu | 740-732-5681
Noble County OSU Extension is excited to continue the Caldwell Community Seed Library again in 2025. This partnership will provide free access to seeds, gardening education, and ideas for ways to use fresh garden produce in your meals. Programming will begin on February 18 with a Zoom at 12:30 p.m. about the Caldwell Community Seed Library including history, access, classes, and more. To join the meeting at 12:30 p.m. on February 18, email gelley.2@osu.edu to receive the meeting link and reminders to join.
February’s Farm Talk Breakfast will focus on Chocolate Cultivation, History, and Use from 8:30-10:00 on February 21, 2025, at the Noble County OSU Extension Office (46049 Marietta Rd. Caldwell, OH). The program is free to attend, but RSVPs are required by February 19. Email gelley.2@osu.edu or call 740-732-5681 to RSVP.
Noble County Soil and Water Conservation District and Noble County OSU Extension will offer a Fruit Tree Pruning Clinic from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, February 22 hosted by Ethan and Marissa McKee (317 Chapel Dr. Caldwell, OH). This is the first in a series of programs to be offered about caring for your orchard. There is no cost to attend, but RSVPs are required by calling Noble SWCD at 740-732-4318 by February 21.
You’re invited to a free class for farmers with pastured livestock from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27th at the OSU Extension Operations Building (16714 State Route 215 Caldwell, OH 43724). Leading the program are representatives from Kent Feeds and Noble County OSU Extension. Together, we’ll learn strategies to promote animal health and nutrition of pastured livestock in Southeast Ohio, establish a cost-effective mineral program, and create a fly control regimen. Dinner is included with this free educational opportunity. Reservations are required. Seating is limited. Please RSVP by Friday, Feb. 21 by emailing rlpatrick54@yahoo.com or by calling 740-241-1005. Program sponsored by Jones Feed, LLC.
Ohio State Extension and the Guernsey-Noble Beekeepers will be holding a Beginner’s Beekeeping Class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the Ohio State Extension Operations Building (16714 Wolf Run Rd. Caldwell). Registration to the class includes a one-year membership in the Guernsey-Noble Beekeepers and the Ohio State Beekeepers Associations. The cost for this course is $40.00 ($10.00 for each additional person from the same household) payable to the Guernsey-Noble Beekeepers. To enroll please email Don Crock at doncrock@yahoo.com or Christine Gelley at gelley.2@osu.edu (or call 740-732-5681) with your name, phone, and email included. Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as you are able to reserve your seat.