Dystocia in the Irish Suckler Herd and The Assisted Veterinary Aids

Abstract

Dystocia refers to the difficulty in any stage of the parturition which will require assistance by the farmer or a veterinarian. The causes of dystocia can be direct factors (malpresentations, uterine torsion, incomplete dilation of the cervix), phenotypic factors (calf size/weight, twin births, cow pelvic area, cow body weight, body condition score (BCS), gestation length), non genetic factors (cow age and parity, season of calving, infrastructure, calf sex, nutrition) and genetic factors (genomics, myostatin testing).