Peripartum mortality is a common cause of loss across livestock industries.1

The peripartum period is high risk for both fetus and dam. Approximately 5% to 10% of the annual calf crop and 15% to 20% of the annual lamb crop in the United States die before weaning.^2-4 Between 50% and 70% of neonatal mortality occurs in the first 3 days of life with dystocia, starvation, and hypothermia responsible for 50% to 60% of these losses.^3,5 The incidence of dystocia is particularly high in Holsteins with reports of 50% of heifers and 30% of cows requiring calving assistance.⁶ The risk of neonatal morbid­ity and mortality is largely influenced by sire selection (calving ease), maternal management, and subsequently maternal health during the peripartum period.