Bred cow

[stewart]

I have a bred brahman cow and have seen the calf move a few times and i was wondering how far along she may be. Thanks very much for all replys.
Stewart

 

[cherokeeruby]

Pretty durn far along, I usually see that 6 wks to a month prior to calving.

Mine usually start bagging up about a month prior, older cows later, heifers sooner.

 

[stewart]

Cherokee Ruby, I got this cow last Aug and she had lost her calf a month before she has been with my bull ever since i would'nt have thought she would have bred back so fast but i have seen here calf move a couple times. Thanks very much for your help.
Stewart

 

[cherokeeruby]

What breed is she and what does her rear end look like?

hey this is on the same line as this question i have a 1st time heifer shes suppose to be 6 1/2 to 7 months bred but her bag is Getting huge every day its getting bigger do yall think shes further along

 

[stewart]

younggun, Sounds like it to me if she is starting to get her milk but i don't really know. good luck.
Stewart

 

[stewart]

Thanks CherokeeRuby.
Stewart

 

[CattleAnnie]

Besides 'bagging up', another indicator that she's getting close to calving is a loosening of the vulva. You'll notice that it will start to 'pouch' or droop a bit (in the case of some cows it can start to look very sloppy or somewhat swollen), as the muscles relax in preparation of getting a calf out of there. Up here we refer to it as 'springing'. Some cows will start to spring about a month before calving, some only a week or so. It's also not unusual to see a bit of clear mucus discharge hanging from the vulva at this stage.

The joy of cows. Definately not for the weak at heart...or the stomach.
Hope the information is useful to you.

Best wishes and take care.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Since she is a heifer you might want to take a look at her navel, sometimes the get edema.

 

[Beefy]

a lot of times heifers will bag up a lot suddenly several months before giving birth and then it will stop until right before they calve and it will slowly fill up. when it looks full shes close, when it looks feverish she'll likely have a calf that day or night.

 

[cherokeeruby]

It is bad for the cow. According to my vet it happens in heifers when the growth of the calf presses on the vein leading from the udder to the lungs impeding the flow and causing a backup of fluids. The navel can swell too.

He gave us a large syringe with a steriod in it, we had to give the heifer shots about every three days prior to calving, and maybe afterwards, I don't remember, it has been a while.

But it could also just be the normal enlargement of the udder, but the navel swelling is a big clue that it is not normal.