cow calving

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Anonymous

Hi I have a dexter cow that is going to have a calf soon, I have done some reading on how to tell when a cow is going to calf, but this doesn't give good information (just very basic info, like she will move away and sit by herself etc). her vulva has become enlarged (how long is it before she calves when here vulva enlarges) and any other infomtion that may help.

Thanks

[email protected]
 
That is the age old question. It depends a lot on the cow. Could be a few days to a few weeks. Shortly before calving you will notice that the calf will change positions, to me the always look like the calf is very low. The tail head will become very prominant looking. These are better signs the the looseness of the vulva. The moving off, laying down and standing up, restlessness are all signs (normally) of impending birth, like hours instead of days.

dunmovin farms

> Hi I have a dexter cow that is
> going to have a calf soon, I have
> done some reading on how to tell
> when a cow is going to calf, but
> this doesn't give good information
> (just very basic info, like she
> will move away and sit by herself
> etc). her vulva has become
> enlarged (how long is it before
> she calves when here vulva
> enlarges) and any other infomtion
> that may help.

> Thanks
 
The mucus discharge is in the same category as the enlarged vulva. It can start as much as a month or so before the actual calving.

dunmovin farms
 
There are two different mucous discharges which you are lumping into the same category. #1 Thick slime, often yellowish in colour produced within the last 1-2 months pre calving, usually scant but can certainly slime the tail

#2 Cervical plug; thick, colourless, clear to opaque, ELASTIC which will wrap around tail and anything else nearby, can hang to floor...ONLY found when cervix is dilating, generally within the immediate calving process (stage 1 of labour)

To me they're not interchangable and easy to tell apart. The cervical plug rarely seems to get coated with manure...thus always looks CLEAR to OPAQUE and is always ELASTIC. If you see it, almost 100% of the time she's calving, and will go within 24 hours.

Clear as mud? V
 
Good point, but I've seen way to many of these folks that have no idea when the cow was bred expecting a calf any minute just because they say mucus. Neighbor is an excellent case in point. He's been checking a cow twice a day for two weeks because of discharge. The poor old girl hasn't even started to bag (not always reliable either) but she hasn't started to dropped off around the tail head either.

dunmovin farms

> There are two different mucous
> discharges which you are lumping
> into the same category. #1 Thick
> slime, often yellowish in colour
> produced within the last 1-2
> months pre calving, usually scant
> but can certainly slime the tail

> #2 Cervical plug; thick,
> colourless, clear to opaque,
> ELASTIC which will wrap around
> tail and anything else nearby, can
> hang to floor...ONLY found when
> cervix is dilating, generally
> within the immediate calving
> process (stage 1 of labour)

> To me they're not interchangable
> and easy to tell apart. The
> cervical plug rarely seems to get
> coated with manure...thus always
> looks CLEAR to OPAQUE and is
> always ELASTIC. If you see it,
> almost 100% of the time she's
> calving, and will go within 24
> hours.

> Clear as mud? V
 
I think what I was trying to say was that there is no one sign, and they'll fool you sometimes anyway. You have to take them all into consideration. We had a heifer that really fooled us this spring, she didn't bag, was two weeks early, no mucus, calf hadn't changed positions, no drop off at tail head. When we went out in the morning at 6 she was restless but was eating with everybody else. She laid down right in the middle of the herd, strained twice and had a bull calf. Then, she bagged and started to look like she was getting ready to calf.

dunmovin farms
 
Vicki, That is an excellent explaination. I always knew there were "different" discharges, but never could explain the difference to anyone else. But you're right, it is VERY elastic - would never have thought of that way to explain it. Thanks Jeanne <A HREF="http://www.SimmeValley.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.SimmeValley.com</A>
> There are two different mucous
> discharges which you are lumping
> into the same category. #1 Thick
> slime, often yellowish in colour
> produced within the last 1-2
> months pre calving, usually scant
> but can certainly slime the tail

> #2 Cervical plug; thick,
> colourless, clear to opaque,
> ELASTIC which will wrap around
> tail and anything else nearby, can
> hang to floor...ONLY found when
> cervix is dilating, generally
> within the immediate calving
> process (stage 1 of labour)

> To me they're not interchangable
> and easy to tell apart. The
> cervical plug rarely seems to get
> coated with manure...thus always
> looks CLEAR to OPAQUE and is
> always ELASTIC. If you see it,
> almost 100% of the time she's
> calving, and will go within 24
> hours.

> Clear as mud? V

[email protected]
 
#2 Cervical plug; thick, colourless, clear to opaque, ELASTIC which will wrap around tail and anything else nearby, can hang to floor...ONLY found when cervix is dilating, generally within the immediate calving process (stage 1 of labour)
Click to expand...

DSC00013.jpg




Is this the cervical plug? This heifer is 284 days.

Thanks,
Farmgirl
 
Looks more like pre-birthing goo to me. Usually the cervical stuff is sticky and there isn;t that much. But I've been wrong before when trying to guess if and when a calf was coming

dun
 
I'd vote yes she could.
Thanks for resurrecting this thread and the pic :)
 

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