DairyTalk 696: Calving Management Is Milk Quality Management: How Difficult Births Reach the Milk Check - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Oct 3, 2026 · 18m

This podcast episode is based on a technical article examining how difficult calvings can affect both animal health and the economic value of milk. The data suggest that the consequences extend well beyond the delivery itself, with complicated births associated with lower milk protein, higher somatic cell counts, and increased lameness. These effects create a direct connection between calving management, udder and hoof health, and the price ultimately received for milk. Calves may also experience health consequences, meaning that a single difficult birth can affect both the current cow and…