Cow-calf corner: Getting calves to start breathing quickly

I also like to prop the newborn calf up on his chest (sternal recumbency) on a SLIGHT downhill angle, using straw bedding or whatever is available. Flex the front legs underneath it. Make sure it does not just lie on one side for long, as it needs both lung lobes to inflate. Other methods of inducing respiration I have heard of are pricking the nose with a needle, inserting a finger in the anus, and in Europe they pour a bucket of cold water on the calf's head.