A dry environment is necessary. Shade is needed in the heat of the summer, and some shelter is needed in extremely cold weather. Allowing cows to calves outside if weather permits usually lowers the exposure of dam and calf to infectious microorganisms. The result often is a healthier cow and reduced loss of calves. If it is not possible for cows to calve outdoors, they should be calved in a well-bedded stall.
Straw is the best bedding.
It is often desirable not to return the cow to the milking herd until the placenta has been passed. In addition, assistance at calving without strict attention to sanitation increases the probability of infection in a contaminated environment. Cows are most susceptible to infection of the reproductive tract at calving, particularly if a retained placenta occurs. Retained placenta Cows that retain the placenta for more than 12 hours after calving are more likely to develop uterine disease than are cows that do not retain their placenta. Those cows whose reproductive tract rapidly returns to normal following a retained placenta are as fertile as their herdmates, however.