Do you think she is in calf?

[Missy]

Ok her story is:
Bought her from a dairy farm mid December. Friends of ours! She was sold as her cell count was too high!
I bought her to raise calves on and she is doing a super job.She calved june/july 08 (can't exactly remember when) and she isn't supposed to be back in calf. For about the last 2 weeks she has been out with the bull and he has paid no attention to her at all but has served 2 of my other nurse cows.
I took these photos this morning but she seems awefully large to me. She has always been in good condition but i have noticed the last couple of weeks she has gotten HUGE and i have had numerous comments on her from people asking when she is due?

Do you think she is in calf? Or is she just fat??
I think i will do a preg test,but interested to hear opinions first!
Thanks

 

[Toby L.]

She looks a alot like the cow I posted on here a couple weeks ago. Some said she looked pregnant, some said she was well kept. I think it was dun that said the claves will sit on the right side, and the stomach is on the left. It will be interesting to see what everyone has to say, but I guess without a preg. cheak it will all be speculation.

 

[Missy]

Hi Toby,
this morning she was big on the left,but she is normally big on both sides. Could just be fat. But interesting as bull paying no attention to her,and she is getting bigger
Will do a preg check i think :nod:

 

[4MBrangus]

Since cows cycle about every 21 days mabe she was in right before you turned the bull in with her. Give her another week or two and see if he shows any interests.

 

[dun]

If she doesn;t cycle that is still no gaurantee she's with calf. Preg checking or waiting till she has feet sticking out of her backside is the only surefire way to know.

 

[KNERSIE]

If you can post a bigger version of the third pic posted, I'll offer an educated guess.

 

[Missy]

Thanks for the replies....
I will definately have her preg checked along with some others!
Just after some "educated guesse's" as Knersie calls it
Whether she is in calf or not,do you all think she in good condition for an 8yr old jersey?

 

[KNERSIE]

Her condition is acceptable, for a jersey and for her age, but it could have been slightly better. I don't think she is in calf, jerseys typically swell quite a bit around the vulva and she doesn't appear to be swollen at all.

 

[regolith]

She's not fat. I'd put her at condition score 4.5, maybe a bit less, which for a heavy milker is fine (NZ scoring, I think we use the same scale as US). She'd need to put on a bit before calving.

I think it's too early to tell a pregnancy by looking at her. She's a nice capacious Jersey, lots of room for the rumen to expand. I can't generally pick a calf by looking at the side before the sixth month, and even then can be wrong as some don't show till late (look before moving them to fresh grass). If you see her every day it would be unusual not to have noticed her in heat though.

 

[Cowdirt]

Her condition is acceptable, for a jersey and for her age, but it could have been slightly better. I don't think she is in calf, jerseys typically swell quite a bit around the vulva and she doesn't appear to be swollen at all.

What KNERSIE said. Certainly she's not real close to calving.

 

[Missy]

Thankyou all...
Hmmm if you all think her condition is only acceptable,than i would hate for you to see 90% of the other dairy cows around...Thats why i said she was fat :|

 

[dun]

She's not fat but I wouldn;t want herto be any thinner. Based on what I can see of her brisket and ribs she's in a little better flesh then milking dairy cows that are pushed hard.

 

[regolith]

I run a dairy herd, but I wouldn't call their present condition acceptable. Wellfed cows can maintain above 4.5 all year. (Mine are probably just a bit over 4 now, individuals as low as 3 - 3.5).

 

[TexasBred]

I run a dairy herd, but I wouldn't call their present condition acceptable. Wellfed cows can maintain above 4.5 all year. (Mine are probably just a bit over 4 now, individuals as low as 3 - 3.5).

Don't know what her age is but she looks like she's got several lactations behind her. All things considered (age, nuring calves etc) I'd say her body score is perfect if she's no longer nursing calves and probably only 3-4 months bred. Doesn't look like the kind of cow that would ever get overconditioned. Rego....4.5 is a FAT dairy cow I wouldn't have her in my herd eating me out of house and home. I'd put this one at around 3.25.

 

[Missy]

Thanks all for the replies...
Yes she is 8 years old and NO SHE IS NOT IN CALF :!:
Bull mounted her this morning,seems i was getting impatient from not seeing her come into heat...but she is now!!!

She is nursing 2 heifer calves currently and doing an awesome job

 

[regolith]

Texasbred - we're evidently measuring on a different scale.
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll remember that on these boards. (btw, the one in my icon I reckon is about 6 - 6.5)

 

[djinwa]

If she calved last summer, is there a reason she's not bred? Did prior owners or you not want her bred, or was she not taking?

 

[dun]

Texasbred - we're evidently measuring on a different scale.
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll remember that on these boards. (btw, the one in my icon I reckon is about 6 - 6.5)

In the US there are 2 BCS scales, one for dairy and one for beef. Beef is 1-9 dairy is 1-5

 

[Missy]

She wasn't bred because she kept getting mastitis in one teat so dairy farmer was going to use her as much as he could,dry her off and sell her ,that was until i said i would take her

 

[TexasBred]

Texasbred - we're evidently measuring on a different scale.
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll remember that on these boards. (btw, the one in my icon I reckon is about 6 - 6.5)

In the US there are 2 BCS scales, one for dairy and one for beef. Beef is 1-9 dairy is 1-5

Zackly....thanks Mr. dun. :tiphat: