Can't believe this happened

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seedlady

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We had an Angus heifer born 3/10/20 that we weaned 10/7/20. We run our bulls from late May to late November with our fall herd and the other six months with our spring herd. She had spent the winter on rented pasture without any bull in the pasture. When we got her and her herd mates moved home a couple of weeks ago, we noticed she looked a little "piggy". Yesterday she had a calf! I was under the impression that heifers didn't cycle until six months or older. She is only 13.5 months old. She delivered unassisted. The calf is small (thankfully) but nursing and doing well. Has this happened to anyone else? I hate to wean any younger than 6 months. I'm open to suggestions.
 
We have had them to get bred at younger than 6 months several times, it doesn't always work out, but thankfully it has turned out ok in most cases. We are trying to get our cows back into a shorter calving schedule, by pulling bulls out.
 
Had one calve at 13 months twice now. The last one is suckling her third calf. She had her third calf February 21st and she turned three on February 25th, four days later. My bulls are only with the cows 60 days, but the oldest calves are almost 5 months by then, and some are cycling.
 
Happens all the time. Got the t-shirt! Bulls are pulled a good 6 weeks prior to weaning and all heifers are given a shot of Lutalyse when they're weaned. And keep in mind, if you don't steer your bull calves prior to weaning (or miss one & have a stag), they can breed. Not common, but possible.

Congrats on your little surprise!
 
We had an Angus heifer born 3/10/20 that we weaned 10/7/20. We run our bulls from late May to late November with our fall herd and the other six months with our spring herd. She had spent the winter on rented pasture without any bull in the pasture. When we got her and her herd mates moved home a couple of weeks ago, we noticed she looked a little "piggy". Yesterday she had a calf! I was under the impression that heifers didn't cycle until six months or older. She is only 13.5 months old. She delivered unassisted. The calf is small (thankfully) but nursing and doing well. Has this happened to anyone else? I hate to wean any younger than 6 months. I'm open to suggestions.
We had an Angus heifer born 3/10/20 that we weaned 10/7/20. We run our bulls from late May to late November with our fall herd and the other six months with our spring herd. She had spent the winter on rented pasture without any bull in the pasture. When we got her and her herd mates moved home a couple of weeks ago, we noticed she looked a little "piggy". Yesterday she had a calf! I was under the impression that heifers didn't cycle until six months or older. She is only 13.5 months old. She delivered unassisted. The calf is small (thankfully) but nursing and doing well. Has this happened to anyone else? I hate to wean any younger than 6 months. I'm open to suggestions.
We had an Angus heifer born 3/10/20 that we weaned 10/7/20. We run our bulls from late May to late November with our fall herd and the other six months with our spring herd. She had spent the winter on rented pasture without any bull in the pasture. When we got her and her herd mates moved home a couple of weeks ago, we noticed she looked a little "piggy". Yesterday she had a calf! I was under the impression that heifers didn't cycle until six months or older. She is only 13.5 months old. She delivered unassisted. The calf is small (thankfully) but nursing and doing well. Has this happened to anyone else? I hate to wean any younger than 6 months. I'm open to suggestions.
 
Actually she was one of the smaller ones. She weighs roughly 650 lbs right now I'd guess.
I'm just suspecting one of mine to be in calf.. glad yours did alright.. I found usually it stunts their growth pretty bad.. I had plans to keep my replacement heifers in a different pasture away from the bulls like usual, but last year the cattle had other plans
 
I'm just suspecting one of mine to be in calf.. glad yours did alright.. I found usually it stunts their growth pretty bad.. I had plans to keep my replacement heifers in a different pasture away from the bulls like usual, but last year the cattle had other plans
We talked to our vet today. She encouraged us to supplement her with grain as she is growing herself and lactating as well. If we want to work her back into the herd, that's what she said to do. We will probably keep her a few months and see how things go, and then sell her and the calf. But we are supplementing her with feed. I said she was one of the smaller of the bunch we weaned. If she was pregnant the whole time, no wonder she didn't grow like the others. Explains a lot.
 
We talked to our vet today. She encouraged us to supplement her with grain as she is growing herself and lactating as well. If we want to work her back into the herd, that's what she said to do. We will probably keep her a few months and see how things go, and then sell her and the calf. But we are supplementing her with feed. I said she was one of the smaller of the bunch we weaned. If she was pregnant the whole time, no wonder she didn't grow like the others. Explains a lot.
mine was a decent size at weaning, not the biggest, but about average.. now she's pretty skinny.. I'm thinking she's due in a month20210429_110000.jpg
20210429_105943.jpg

By comparison, here's another yearling in full condition.. Feed quality could have been better this year but I didn't skimp out on quantity for sure
20210325_120927.jpg
 
I was just looking at the dates you gave, and I see your March born heifers were with the bulls from birth until they were weaned at 7 months in October. If the herd is Angus, I'm amazed you don't have more bred. We pull the bulls after 60 days which means the oldest heifers are approaching 5 months. We still get the occasional pregnancy, even with Lutalyse given to replacements at weaning. Giving Lute at that time is too late for those bred early. Lute is effective in causing abortions from approximately 10 to 100 days after conception. In my case, It would have been best to Lute about 2 weeks after the bulls were pulled, but that would mean another gather and I am unlikely to have determined replacements that early.
Unfortunately it just happens sometimes and there isn't a real easy solution. Pulling bulls earlier would help along with Lute, but in your case the heifer conceived in late July, less than 2 months after turn out. Even had you given her Lute at weaning, she may have still carried the pregnancy. I would Lute all replacements at weaning, and that should prevent most pregnancies from going to term.
 
I had it happen once. not sure on the age since it was a few years ago. had a heifer not cycling at breeding time so had the vet check her. he said she was 7 months pregnant. I said no way since I do not have a bull and AI everything. then I remembered that the neighbors bull got in with my cows one day. didn't give it much thought since all my cows were already bred. now I know why.
 
I had it happen once. not sure on the age since it was a few years ago. had a heifer not cycling at breeding time so had the vet check her. he said she was 7 months pregnant. I said no way since I do not have a bull and AI everything. then I remembered that the neighbors bull got in with my cows one day. didn't give it much thought since all my cows were already bred. now I know why.
Yup! Got that t-shirt too. Well, not the AI, but compliments of the neighbors bull. More than once on cows & heifers. Hot wire is sometimes overrated.
 
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