Calving difficulty altered the stress-related capabilities of the calf, placing the newborn in a compromised situation. Calves derived by severe mechanical pull or cesarean section exhibited depressed short-term defensive capabilities, lower cortisol and elevated neutrophil values, necessary for fighting infectious organisms. Of equal concern: when compared to calves born with little or no parturition difficulty, the stressed calves failed to develop effective adaptive mechanisms, having lower thyroid activity and lymphocyte values of principle importance for long-term survival. Neither the heifer’s mothering ability nor her disposition tended to influence her calf’s stress indicators

Bueno, Andrea

Cappel, Todd

Clemens, Edd

English

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports Animal Science Department 
January 1998 
Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress 
Todd Cappel 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
Andrea Bueno 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
Edd Clemens 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/animalscinbcr 
 Part of the Animal Sciences Commons 
Cappel, Todd; Bueno, Andrea; and Clemens, Edd, "Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress" (1998). 
Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports. 327. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/animalscinbcr/327 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Department at 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nebraska Beef Cattle 
Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
Page 17 — 1998 Nebraska Beef Report
Table 1. ARD calving score assigned to each parturition.
Calving Score Assignment Criteria
1. Unassisted delivery.
2. Little difficulty. Assistance given by hand, but no calfjack or puller used.
Assistance may not have been required.
3. Moderate difficulty. Calfjack was used, typically pull duration was less than
10 minutes.
4. Major difficulty. Calfjack used and major difficulty encountered. Duration of
pull longer than 10 minutes.
5. A cesarean section was preformed.
Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress
(Continued on next page)
Todd Cappel
Andrea Bueno
Edd Clemens1
Calving difficulty of the heifer
can significantly depress some of
her calf’s physiological resources
used to adjust to the stress of their
new environment.
Summary
Calving difficulty altered the stress-
related capabilities of the calf, placing
the newborn in a compromised situa-
tion. Calves derived by severe mechani-
cal pull or cesarean section exhibited
depressed short-term defensive capa-
bilities, lower cortisol and elevated
neutrophil values, necessary for fight-
ing infectious organisms. Of equal con-
cern: when compared to calves born
with little or no parturition difficulty,
the stressed calves failed to develop
effective adaptive mechanisms, having
lower thyroid activity and lymphocyte
values of principle importance for long-
term survival. Neither the heifer’s moth-
ering ability nor her disposition tended
to influence her calf’s stress indica-
tors.
Introduction
Parturition can be stressful for both
the first calf heifer and her calf. Several
physiological changes occur respond-
ing to the stress of parturition in an
effort to maintain normal body func-
tion. For example, fetal cortisol is
thought to be one of the primary changes
in the calf’s blood that initiate parturi-
tion in cattle. With respect to ther-
moregulation, T3 has pronounced effects
on brown adipose tissue utilization and
subsequently the thermogenesis of the
newborn.
Calf mortality represents a economic
loss to the beef industry. Studies sug-
gest the number of calves lost from
calving difficulty (50.9%) exceeded
losses from all other causes. Calf death
due to calving difficulty also accounted
for the single largest loss category
through the first 96 hours of life. There-
fore, calving difficulty, and the endo-
crine response to stress represents a
major part of all economic loss in the
cow herd. This study was designed to
evaluate the relationship between the
severity of calving difficulty and the
hormone concentration and blood com-
position of the heifer and her calf.
Procedure
A total of 104 first-calf heifers were
used in the experiment, over a two-year
period. The heifers were from four uni-
versity herds. The first two groups in-
cluded; 36 MARC-MARC III and 10
purebred Angus first-calf heifers from
the Agriculture Research and Develop-
ment Center (ARD) near Mead, Ne-
braska. For these, the calving season
began February 17 and ended March
12, 1995. During the second-year calv-
ing season, February 24 to April 4,
1996, 18 MARC II first-calf heifers
from the West Central Research and
Extension Center at North Platte, and
40 3/4 Angus X 1/4 Gelbvieh heifers
from the ARD Center near Mead, Ne-
braska were sampled.
Pregnant heifers, kept in a calving
pasture with free access to water and
alfalfa hay, were checked at one hour
intervals for oncoming signs of parturi-
tion. After exhibiting stage II labor for
one hour (i.e. rupture of the fetal sac,
fluid escape from the vulva and ab-
dominal strain) the heifer was brought
into the calving barn. An experienced
herdsman assisted each heifer at partu-
rition and assessed the level of calving
difficulty (Table 1).
1998 Nebraska Beef Report — Page 18
Immediately following birth, blood
samples were obtained from the heifer
and calf via jugular venipuncture. Calves
were then bled in the same manner at
24, 48 and 72 hours of age. Dates,
calving time and blood sampling were
recorded. The dam’s disposition and
mothering ability were also assessed
and the climatic conditions at the time
of birth recorded. After ensuring proper
postpartum care, heifer-calf pairs were
placed in individual stalls for 24 hours,
with fresh straw, feed and water. Upon
completion of the 24 hour sampling of
the calf, the pair was released into a
post-calving pasture. The last two
samples from the calves were taken in
the pasture.
Blood samples were prepared and
analyzed for; pack cell volume (PCV),
differential white blood cell count
(WBC), plasma cortisol and plasma
triiodotyrosine (T3). Statistical differ-
ences were determined by SAS analy-
sis. All values are reported as means.
Results
Significant differences were not de-
tected (P>.05) for breed of cattle or year
of sampling. Thus, all heifer-calf pairs
were grouped together for the statistical
analysis.
Plasma cortisol concentrations, with-
in birthing heifers, were significantly
greater (P<.03) for those animals requir-
ing severe mechanical pull or cesarean
section, relative to heifers needing no
assistance in the delivery of their calf
(Figure 1). Statistical differences were
also noted for heifers requiring modest
mechanical assistance (less than 10
minutes) and those undergoing C-sec-
tion (P<.05). It is important to note C-
sections were preformed after failure to
deliver the calf with mechanical assis-
tance. Clearly those heifers requiring
extensive mechanical assistance and/or
surgical intervention were undergoing
an acute stress, as is evident from the
elevated cortisol values. Cortisol con-
centrations were not statistically differ-
ent for heifers delivering bull versus
heifer calves (Figure 1).
Cortisol, the stress indicator so iden-
tifiable in the heifer and clearly associ-
ated with the degree of calving difficulty,
Figure 1. Concentration of cortisol in heifers at parturition as effected by the degree of calving
difficulty and by calf sex. (P<.03; 1 vs. 4 & 5. P<.05; 2,3 vs. 5).
Figure 2. Concentration of cortisol in calves at birth and at 24, 48 and 72 hours of age as effected
by the degree of calving difficulty. (Birth; P<.08; 1,2,3 vs. 4. 72 hrs; P<.07; 1 vs. 4,5).
was also in high concentrations within
the calf population at the time of partu-
rition (Figure 2). Cortisol values for the
calf at parturition were higher (P<.08)
in those calves delivered using more
adverse procedures (i.e. severe mechani-
cal pull versus hand or modest me-
chanical pull). It is important to note
that high levels of cortisol are a favor-
able endocrine response for the new-
born calf, considering the multiple rolls
cortisol plays in the early survival of
that calf. While cortisol’s stress defense
mechanisms are short-lived, and fall off
rapidly within the first 24 hours of life
(Figure 2), it does appear to maintain a
slightly elevated concentration in those
calves from difficult births. Calves re-
quiring little or no assistance at birth
maintained a reasonably constant
plasma cortisol concentration during
the three days following parturition.
Calves requiring mechanical or surgi-
cal intervention, however, experienced
a continual decline in cortisol values
such that they were considerably less
than unassisted calves at 72 hours post-
partum (P<.07). The lower cortisol val-
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
u
g/
ul
1 2 3 4 5 Hfr Bull
Calving Score
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
12
12
12
12
12
12
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
n
g/
m
l
1 2 3 4 5
Calving Score
Birth 24 hr 48 hr 72 hr
123
123
Page 19 — 1998 Nebraska Beef Report
Table 2. Neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio for calves at the time of birth, and at 24, 48 and 72 hours
postpartum.
Calving Score
Hours
Postpartum 1 2 3 4 5
Birtha 2.39 1.26 1.77 2.34 1.59
24 hrs 1.98 1.49 2.20 1.81 1.04
48 hrs 0.99 1.10 0.91 1.07 0.44
72 hrsb 1.48 0.79 1.38 1.82 2.08
aP<.05, 1 vs. 2.
bP<.08 1,2,3 vs. 4 and 5
Figure 3. Concentration on T3 in calves at birth and at 24, 48 and 72 hours of age as effected by the
degree of calving difficulty. (Birth; P<.05, 1,2,3,4 vs. 5. 24 hrs; P<.02, 1,2,3 vs. 4,5. 48 hrs;
P<.06, 1,2,3 vs. 4. 72 hrs; P<.08, 1,2 vs. 5).
ues are of concern, if, in fact, those first
three to four days of life are the critical
time in a calf’s survival.
The calf’s long-term survival skills
might better be viewed via the study of
plasma triiodotyrosine (T3) during neo-
natal life. T3 sets the metabolic state of
the animal, responding to both external
and internal stress factors (e.g. climatic
changes, body size, brown fat thermo-
genesis and muscular, circulatory and
respiratory activities of the body). There
were no differences in T3 among calv-
ing scores at the time of parturition
(Figure 3), and presumably no differ-
ence in the metabolic state of calves
derived with or without mechanical in-
tervention. The exception to this was
the cesarian born calves (P<.05). Physi-
ologically, within the first 24 hours T3
values should be increasing. However,
calves born via severe mechanical pull
or C-section exhibited a marked reduc-
tion in circulating thyroid hormone
(P<.02), relative to unassisted delivery
or modest assistance. The depressed T3
is concerning when considering the
January/February calving dates, the
harsh environmental temperatures dur-
ing this period and the critical need for
body heat and muscular activity of the
newborn calf.
Furthermore, knowledge of T3 activ-
ity indicates the thyroid gland takes
several days to respond to environmen-
tal stress. And T3, unlike cortisol, is a
long-term stress “adaptation mecha-
nism”, rather than an immediate de-
fense response. Because of this, it is
expected that on the third or fourth day
of life, T3 levels should be high. Once
again, as with the cortisol values, calves
delivered via severe mechanical pull or
C-section exhibited a depressed endo-
crine response in association with the
stress of parturition (Figure 3).
Like cortisol and T3, the neutro-
phil:lymphocyte ratio (N:L) derived
from the WBC count has been used
extensively as an indicator of stress and
morbidity. Neutrophils (phagocytic
cells) increase in numbers during an
acute stress, are short-lived and are
considered stress defense cells. Con-
versely, lymphocytes (immune response
cells) respond more slowly, exist in
circulation longer, and are considered
stress adaptation cells. While statistical
differences were generally not noted
during the early periods (Table 2), at 72
hours postpartum the N:L ratio was
significantly higher (P<.08) for those
calves derived via severe mechanical
pull or C-section, relative to the unas-
sisted or modest assistance calves. As
with cortisol and T3, the high N:L ratio
clearly suggests calves of difficult birth
are exhibiting a stress defense response
(high neutrophils) and have yet to adapt
to their new environment (low lympho-
cyte).
The significance of this research
indicates the degree of calving diffi-
culty has a pronounced effect upon that
calf’s ability to adapt to its new envi-
ronment. Those calves requiring exten-
sive mechanical assistance and/or
surgical intervention express depressed
cortisol and neutrophil values neces-
sary for the immediate adjustment to
their new environment. Their survival
skills are further compromised via
depressed metabolic adaptation capa-
bilities (i.e. reduced T3 and low lym-
phocyte concentrations) essential for
that calf’s first few days of life.
1Todd Cappel and Andrea Bueno, graduate
students, Edd Clemens, Professor of Animals Science,
Lincoln.
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
u
g/
ul
1 2 3 4 5
Calving Score
Birth 24 hr 48 hr 72 hr


Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports Animal Science Department January 1998 Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress Todd Cappel University of Nebraska-Lincoln Andrea Bueno University of Nebraska-Lincoln Edd Clemens University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/animalscinbcr  Part of the Animal Sciences Commons Cappel, Todd; Bueno, Andrea; and Clemens, Edd, "Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress" (1998). Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports. 327. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/animalscinbcr/327 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Page 17 — 1998 Nebraska Beef ReportTable 1. ARD calving score assigned to each parturition.Calving Score Assignment Criteria1. Unassisted delivery.2. Little difficulty. Assistance given by hand, but no calfjack or puller used.Assistance may not have been required.3. Moderate difficulty. Calfjack was used, typically pull duration was less than10 minutes.4. Major difficulty. Calfjack used and major difficulty encountered. Duration ofpull longer than 10 minutes.5. A cesarean section was preformed.Calving Difficulty and Calf Response to Stress(Continued on next page)Todd CappelAndrea BuenoEdd Clemens1Calving difficulty of the heifercan significantly depress some ofher calf’s physiological resourcesused to adjust to the stress of theirnew environment.SummaryCalving difficulty altered the stress-related capabilities of the calf, placingthe newborn in a compromised situa-tion. Calves derived by severe mechani-cal pull or cesarean section exhibiteddepressed short-term defensive capa-bilities, lower cortisol and elevatedneutrophil values, necessary for fight-ing infectious organisms. Of equal con-cern: when compared to calves bornwith little or no parturition difficulty,the stressed calves failed to developeffective adaptive mechanisms, havinglower thyroid activity and lymphocytevalues of principle importance for long-term survival. Neither the heifer’s moth-ering ability nor her disposition tendedto influence her calf’s stress indica-tors.IntroductionParturition can be stressful for boththe first calf heifer and her calf. Severalphysiological changes occur respond-ing to the stress of parturition in aneffort to maintain normal body func-tion. For example, fetal cortisol isthought to be one of the primary changesin the calf’s blood that initiate parturi-tion in cattle. With respect to ther-moregulation, T3 has pronounced effectson brown adipose tissue utilization andsubsequently the thermogenesis of thenewborn.Calf mortality represents a economicloss to the beef industry. Studies sug-gest the number of calves lost fromcalving difficulty (50.9%) exceededlosses from all other causes. Calf deathdue to calving difficulty also accountedfor the single largest loss categorythrough the first 96 hours of life. There-fore, calving difficulty, and the endo-crine response to stress represents amajor part of all economic loss in thecow herd. This study was designed toevaluate the relationship between theseverity of calving difficulty and thehormone concentration and blood com-position of the heifer and her calf.ProcedureA total of 104 first-calf heifers wereused in the experiment, over a two-yearperiod. The heifers were from four uni-versity herds. The first two groups in-cluded; 36 MARC-MARC III and 10purebred Angus first-calf heifers fromthe Agriculture Research and Develop-ment Center (ARD) near Mead, Ne-braska. For these, the calving seasonbegan February 17 and ended March12, 1995. During the second-year calv-ing season, February 24 to April 4,1996, 18 MARC II first-calf heifersfrom the West Central Research andExtension Center at North Platte, and40 3/4 Angus X 1/4 Gelbvieh heifersfrom the ARD Center near Mead, Ne-braska were sampled.Pregnant heifers, kept in a calvingpasture with free access to water andalfalfa hay, were checked at one hourintervals for oncoming signs of parturi-tion. After exhibiting stage II labor forone hour (i.e. rupture of the fetal sac,fluid escape from the vulva and ab-dominal strain) the heifer was broughtinto the calving barn. An experiencedherdsman assisted each heifer at partu-rition and assessed the level of calvingdifficulty (Table 1).1998 Nebraska Beef Report — Page 18Immediately following birth, bloodsamples were obtained from the heiferand calf via jugular venipuncture. Calveswere then bled in the same manner at24, 48 and 72 hours of age. Dates,calving time and blood sampling wererecorded. The dam’s disposition andmothering ability were also assessedand the climatic conditions at the timeof birth recorded. After ensuring properpostpartum care, heifer-calf pairs wereplaced in individual stalls for 24 hours,with fresh straw, feed and water. Uponcompletion of the 24 hour sampling ofthe calf, the pair was released into apost-calving pasture. The last twosamples from the calves were taken inthe pasture.Blood samples were prepared andanalyzed for; pack cell volume (PCV),differential white blood cell count(WBC), plasma cortisol and plasmatriiodotyrosine (T3). Statistical differ-ences were determined by SAS analy-sis. All values are reported as means.ResultsSignificant differences were not de-tected (P>.05) for breed of cattle or yearof sampling. Thus, all heifer-calf pairswere grouped together for the statisticalanalysis.Plasma cortisol concentrations, with-in birthing heifers, were significantlygreater (P<.03) for those animals requir-ing severe mechanical pull or cesareansection, relative to heifers needing noassistance in the delivery of their calf(Figure 1). Statistical differences werealso noted for heifers requiring modestmechanical assistance (less than 10minutes) and those undergoing C-sec-tion (P<.05). It is important to note C-sections were preformed after failure todeliver the calf with mechanical assis-tance. Clearly those heifers requiringextensive mechanical assistance and/orsurgical intervention were undergoingan acute stress, as is evident from theelevated cortisol values. Cortisol con-centrations were not statistically differ-ent for heifers delivering bull versusheifer calves (Figure 1).Cortisol, the stress indicator so iden-tifiable in the heifer and clearly associ-ated with the degree of calving difficulty,Figure 1. Concentration of cortisol in heifers at parturition as effected by the degree of calvingdifficulty and by calf sex. (P<.03; 1 vs. 4 & 5. P<.05; 2,3 vs. 5).Figure 2. Concentration of cortisol in calves at birth and at 24, 48 and 72 hours of age as effectedby the degree of calving difficulty. (Birth; P<.08; 1,2,3 vs. 4. 72 hrs; P<.07; 1 vs. 4,5).was also in high concentrations withinthe calf population at the time of partu-rition (Figure 2). Cortisol values for thecalf at parturition were higher (P<.08)in those calves delivered using moreadverse procedures (i.e. severe mechani-cal pull versus hand or modest me-chanical pull). It is important to notethat high levels of cortisol are a favor-able endocrine response for the new-born calf, considering the multiple rollscortisol plays in the early survival ofthat calf. While cortisol’s stress defensemechanisms are short-lived, and fall offrapidly within the first 24 hours of life(Figure 2), it does appear to maintain aslightly elevated concentration in thosecalves from difficult births. Calves re-quiring little or no assistance at birthmaintained a reasonably constantplasma cortisol concentration duringthe three days following parturition.Calves requiring mechanical or surgi-cal intervention, however, experienceda continual decline in cortisol valuessuch that they were considerably lessthan unassisted calves at 72 hours post-partum (P<.07). The lower cortisol val-0.250.20.150.10.050ug/ul1 2 3 4 5 Hfr BullCalving Score1231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231231212121212120.60.50.40.30.20.10ng/ml1 2 3 4 5Calving ScoreBirth 24 hr 48 hr 72 hr123123Page 19 — 1998 Nebraska Beef ReportTable 2. Neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio for calves at the time of birth, and at 24, 48 and 72 hourspostpartum.Calving ScoreHoursPostpartum 1 2 3 4 5Birtha 2.39 1.26 1.77 2.34 1.5924 hrs 1.98 1.49 2.20 1.81 1.0448 hrs 0.99 1.10 0.91 1.07 0.4472 hrsb 1.48 0.79 1.38 1.82 2.08aP<.05, 1 vs. 2.bP<.08 1,2,3 vs. 4 and 5Figure 3. Concentration on T3 in calves at birth and at 24, 48 and 72 hours of age as effected by thedegree of calving difficulty. (Birth; P<.05, 1,2,3,4 vs. 5. 24 hrs; P<.02, 1,2,3 vs. 4,5. 48 hrs;P<.06, 1,2,3 vs. 4. 72 hrs; P<.08, 1,2 vs. 5).ues are of concern, if, in fact, those firstthree to four days of life are the criticaltime in a calf’s survival.The calf’s long-term survival skillsmight better be viewed via the study ofplasma triiodotyrosine (T3) during neo-natal life. T3 sets the metabolic state ofthe animal, responding to both externaland internal stress factors (e.g. climaticchanges, body size, brown fat thermo-genesis and muscular, circulatory andrespiratory activities of the body). Therewere no differences in T3 among calv-ing scores at the time of parturition(Figure 3), and presumably no differ-ence in the metabolic state of calvesderived with or without mechanical in-tervention. The exception to this wasthe cesarian born calves (P<.05). Physi-ologically, within the first 24 hours T3values should be increasing. However,calves born via severe mechanical pullor C-section exhibited a marked reduc-tion in circulating thyroid hormone(P<.02), relative to unassisted deliveryor modest assistance. The depressed T3is concerning when considering theJanuary/February calving dates, theharsh environmental temperatures dur-ing this period and the critical need forbody heat and muscular activity of thenewborn calf.Furthermore, knowledge of T3 activ-ity indicates the thyroid gland takesseveral days to respond to environmen-tal stress. And T3, unlike cortisol, is along-term stress “adaptation mecha-nism”, rather than an immediate de-fense response. Because of this, it isexpected that on the third or fourth dayof life, T3 levels should be high. Onceagain, as with the cortisol values, calvesdelivered via severe mechanical pull orC-section exhibited a depressed endo-crine response in association with thestress of parturition (Figure 3).Like cortisol and T3, the neutro-phil:lymphocyte ratio (N:L) derivedfrom the WBC count has been usedextensively as an indicator of stress andmorbidity. Neutrophils (phagocyticcells) increase in numbers during anacute stress, are short-lived and areconsidered stress defense cells. Con-versely, lymphocytes (immune responsecells) respond more slowly, exist incirculation longer, and are consideredstress adaptation cells. While statisticaldifferences were generally not notedduring the early periods (Table 2), at 72hours postpartum the N:L ratio wassignificantly higher (P<.08) for thosecalves derived via severe mechanicalpull or C-section, relative to the unas-sisted or modest assistance calves. Aswith cortisol and T3, the high N:L ratioclearly suggests calves of difficult birthare exhibiting a stress defense response(high neutrophils) and have yet to adaptto their new environment (low lympho-cyte).The significance of this researchindicates the degree of calving diffi-culty has a pronounced effect upon thatcalf’s ability to adapt to its new envi-ronment. Those calves requiring exten-sive mechanical assistance and/orsurgical intervention express depressedcortisol and neutrophil values neces-sary for the immediate adjustment totheir new environment. Their survivalskills are further compromised viadepressed metabolic adaptation capa-bilities (i.e. reduced T3 and low lym-phocyte concentrations) essential forthat calf’s first few days of life.1Todd Cappel and Andrea Bueno, graduatestudents, Edd Clemens, Professor of Animals Science,Lincoln.500040003000200010000ug/ul1 2 3 4 5Calving ScoreBirth 24 hr 48 hr 72 hr

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