What do Swans and Diving have to do with Dairy?

So really, what do swans and diving have to do with Dairy?  To many of you it may seem like nothing.  But to an experienced farmer, the swan dive has everything to do with a cow calving.  Just like humans, a calf has a normal birthing position.  In our business, it’s called the swan dive because the head and two front feet go first in a diving position.

Although the majority of dairy births are easy and need little assistance, there are a great deal of issues that can occur.  Most of these problems come from an abnormal birthing presentation.  This means the calf isn’t in the swan dive position shown above.  Below are the abnormalities that can occur.

When these abnormal positions occur, the situation is occasionally life or death.  Sometimes for the cow ow the calf but in extreme cases it can be both.  These rare situations are the reason why being a skilled dairy farmer is so important.  If a farmer has the right knowledge and experience the cow and calf can be saved.

As a farmer, I have worked hard with many experienced individuals to make sure I can turn the calf around in a safe way.  By turning the calf in a specific way I can make sure I don’t harm the mother or the calf.  The birthing pen is actually one of the favorite areas.  The work can be extremely physical but it is rewarding when you save one or two lives.  There is nothing like it.

“G2007 Assisting the Beef Cow at Calving Time | University of Missouri Extension.” University of Missouri Extension Home. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G2007>.