Navel care in calves: how to keep the navel clean and dry

A newborn calf has an open navel. In the first days, that is an open route into the body for bacteria from the calving pen. Good navel care takes a few minutes per calf. Like colostrum, it is part of a good start. In winter, when calves are born indoors and the straw gets wet and dirty faster, the navel deserves extra attention.

Why is the navel so vulnerable?

In the womb, the calf receives blood and nutrients from the cow through the umbilical cord. At birth the cord tears. The blood vessels and the urinary duct inside the belly stay open for some time afterwards. Until the cord has dried up, bacteria can get in through the navel.

An inflamed navel is called navel ill (omphalitis). A calf with navel ill often feels unwell, drinks less and grows more slowly. Sometimes the infection spreads further into the belly or to the joints. So the goal of navel care is simple: keep the navel clean and let it dry as quickly as possible.

Start in the calving pen

The navel touches the floor right at birth. What lies there matters a lot.

• Provide a clean, dry calving area with plenty of fresh straw.
• Add fresh bedding after every calving, especially when the straw is wet with birth fluids.
• Work with clean hands or gloves when you assist at a calving.
• Do not leave the calf lying in a dirty calving pen longer than needed. A clean, well bedded calf pen or hutch is better.

In practice we see that farms with a fixed calving area that is cleaned every time have fewer calves with a thick navel.

Dipping the navel: how to do it

1. Dip the navel as soon as possible after birth, for example when you move the calf to the calf pen.
2. Use an iodine-based product. Iodine helps the umbilical cord dry out. Use a clean cup or a special dip cup.
3. Submerge the whole cord. Hold the cup against the belly so that the cord is in the product right up to the skin. With a spray it is hard to cover the cord all the way round. If you do use a spray, spray from all sides.
4. Repeat the dipping. Many dairy farmers dip the navel once or twice more in the first days. Follow the instructions of the product you use.
5. Throw away what is left. Never pour used dip back into the bottle, and rinse the cup after use.

Do not pull on the umbilical cord and do not cut it off. It dries up by itself and falls off later.

Colostrum and a dry bed help too

Navel care is not separate from the rest of the first day. Colostrum gives the calf antibodies, and these help the calf build up its resistance. So give the calf enough good quality colostrum soon after birth. You can read more about this in our articles on colostrum management.

A dry bed is just as important. A calf lying on wet straw often keeps a wet navel for longer. In cold periods, wet straw also costs the calf extra energy to stay warm.

How to check the navel

Feel the navel briefly every day during the first week, for example at feeding time. A navel that is drying well:

• is thin and dry;
• does not feel warm;
• does not hurt the calf when you touch it.

Take note if the navel becomes thick, feels warm, stays moist, smells bad or if pus comes out. A calf that drinks less or stands with a hunched back also deserves an extra look at its navel. It helps to write anything unusual on the calf card, so everyone who feeds the calves knows what to look out for.

If you see these signs, or the calf develops a fever, talk to your vet.

Read more about the first days of the calf in the Calves category.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Mee JF (2008). Newborn dairy calf management. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 24(1): 1-17.
• Steerforth DD, Van Winden S (2018). Development of clinical sign-based scoring system for assessment of omphalitis in neonatal calves. Veterinary Record 182(19): 549.
• Godden SM, Lombard JE, Woolums AR (2019). Colostrum management for dairy calves. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 35(3): 535-556.
• Topro knowledge base: Colostrum management: for the right start!
• Topro knowledge base: Tube feeding a calf: when to choose the tube and how to do it safely