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A Challenging Calving

Writer's picture: Dr Bronte SuttonDr Bronte Sutton

The old timers are not wrong to say that you have more losses in wet years than dry ones. While the tremendous season is super welcome - it has certainly been challenging health wise.


We have had an unprecedented number of investigations into peri-calving issues (lost pregnancies, stillborn calves, curly calves, neurologically abnormal calves). These have all boiled down to either:


  1. Slow calving. Low calcium/magnesium and/or selenium from the growing green feed.

  2. Aborted pregnancies and/or stillborn or congenitally defected calves from either Pestivirus or Akabane infection during gestation.

There has been significant number of Akabane issues across the state this calving season according to the state vet lab. Many of which are presenting as neurologically abnormal calves rather than the more classical ‘curly’ (arthrogryposis) calf.


So here are our take home’s:


  1. ALWAYS have calcium, magnesium and salt on offer for breeding females either as a homemade brew or a commercial macro mineral lick.  

  2. Give breeding cows and heifers a pre-calving multimin in very wet years

  3. Vaccinate all breeding cows and heifers with Pestiguard. Given the value of the pregnancy and the increasing issues with Pestivirus (abortion, immune deficiency, defect calves) it is completely economically justified. Just do it and move on with your life.  


We can’t do anything to prevent akabane, but after natural infection immunity will last several years.




Live Angus calf born locally, able to stand and walk but neurologically vacant. Post mortem revealed hydranencephaly: complete lack of cerebral hemispheres (main lobular part of the brain, caused by Akabane infection of the naive dam during mid gestation.)
Live Angus calf born locally, able to stand and walk but neurologically vacant. Post mortem revealed hydranencephaly: complete lack of cerebral hemispheres (main lobular part of the brain, caused by Akabane infection of the naive dam during mid gestation.)

Reach out if you had similar issues. We’d be interested to hear of them.


Pete and Bronte

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