Easy calving pays a cash premium

His belief is that the only acceptable level of calving difficulty is zero, even allowing for complications such as breech births. And his solution as to how farmers can reduce and possibly even eliminate calving problems is to concentrate on working with easy calving cattle.

The financial incentive is there, he claimed; official figures produced by Quality Meat Scotland show the difference between the top producers, who can sell more 90 per cent weaned calves, and the average, which is about eight points below that. The difference could mean about an extra 4,000 for a producer with a 100-cow herd selling weaned calves at about 500 each.

But beyond that direct cash implication, Dr Lowman said there were many other added costs with cows that require help at calving. If they have required the use of a jack to help the birth they are twice as likely to be barren next time around, and the calf from a jacked birth is four times more likely to die.

Most commercial and pedigree cattle breeders now look at the calving ease EBV when they are purchasing a bull but, so far according to Dr Lowman, only a few are also taking into account maternal calving ease EBV that is now available.

Some producers may have been put off buying bulls with good easy-calving EBVs, as they still encountered difficulties at birth. Dr Lowman advised farmers to consider the slogan "Remember: women rule."

"Females are responsible for three quarters of the background as to whether calves are easily born or whether they will require help at birth.

"This is an issue where producers can reduce their costs, improve their returns and make their lives considerably more pleasant," he said.

Dr Lowman was speaking as he prepared a practical demonstration with Oatridge students, which will be held at AgriScot on 17 November this year.

The demonstration will highlight the vast difference in calving difficulty between identical-looking cows.