Estimate weight of Jersey calf

[farmerjan]

Good luck.... if she has not shown any heat until the open cow I would be pretty sure she is bred... most all will mess with an open, in heat cow, and sometimes even stand for a little, but it is the open one that is actually in heat.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Many years ago when I was taught to get blood from the tail I was taught differently than some videos online show. I hold the tail up straight (pretty important for vein placement) and go a few inches higher up the tail. Not near the base of the tail like many show to do. With my finger I feel for a space between the bones. I put the needle in and draw the blood I need. Often the blood pushes the syringe on it's own. I use a needle and syringe vs the 2 sided needles and holders. Generally 3/4 inch to 1 inch needle. Doesn't seem to matter for me the length. Occasionally I need to slightly remove the needle and readjust but not very often.
I can't speak on the urine tests. Back when I looked into them they weren't appearing to be very reliable but that was a while ago. One would think things have improved by now.
I hope you get your results and she's pregnant. Good luck and hope you post an update when you get it.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Women's home pregnancy tests detect hCG although we also excrete estrone. Cow home (barn) urine tests look for estrone. I think the question here is how accurate are these home cow urine tests?

That is why I ordered two tests. If both a week apart say she has a biscuit in the oven I will figure she probably does

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Here is one Wal_Mart carries. I don't think, actually I know, I would not use the straw as suggested

Description

This is a farm animal pregnancy test strip, made from high-quality material, and it is safe and practical to use. This pregnancy test strip is convenient for livestock to use. Allows you to test whether you are pregnant more accurately.

Features

- Color: White
- Material: Plastic
- Size: About 13.00X6.20X1.00cm/5.11X2.44X0.39in
- Note: The packing bags will be different due to the different batches.
- Collect some cow piss on container, picking detection plate and straw, use straw to suck piss.
- Drop 3 to 4 drops on the round hole of detection plate and piss will move to the other end.
- You can see the result on the result screen within 10 minutes.
- Each one is vacuum-packed, which is safer and healthier.
- It has been proved by a lot of experiments that it is fast and accurate.

• 1 x cow pregnancy test strip
• Collect some cow piss on container, picking detection plate and straw, use straw to suck piss.
• Drop 3 to 4 drops on the round hole of detection plate and piss will move to the other end.
• You can see the result on the result screen within 10 minutes.
• Each one is vacuum-packed, which is safer and healthier.
• It has been proved by a lot of experiments that it is fast and accurate.

info:
We aim to show you accurate product information. Manufacturers, suppliers and others provide what you see here, and we have not verified it. See our disclaimer

---

---

Specifications

Brand

Frcolor

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

This is what I ordered. You closely confine the cow, piss her off and she pees because she is stressed. You catch some in a clean container, dip in the test strip and wait for it to change color

https://www.emlabgenetics.com › product-page › p-test-strip-bovine-1

Urine Pregnancy Test Strip - Cattle | EMLAB Genetics | United States

Urine Pregnancy Test Strip - Cattle | EMLAB Genetics | United States P-TEST Strip is a simple and fast cow side test to diagnose and monitor pregnancy in cattle. Our urine dip-stick test is 92% accurate and can be used for all breeds of cattle as well as Musk Ox, Yak, Zebu and Buffalo.
Imagine trying to collect pee from a buffalo.

Interestingly, this outfit also sells semen sexing agents

BULLPLUS™ - 20 | emlabgenetics

BULLPLUS-20; Bovine semen sexing agent-MALE; sold individually. SKU#BP20-01. Formulated to produce 20 x 1/4cc straws or 10 x 1/2cc straws.

www.emlabgenetics.com

I used sex selected seen to AI my heifer. I always wondered how do they make that? Do they put it in a petri dish and have a TV football game on one side and the males all swim over there? The AI guy said no it's done by gravity. Male sperm are lazier and they sink to the bottom of the test tube. But this stuff actually dings the males in some way so they can't swim as fast.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Looks more reputable than what I stumbled onto.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

@puzzled in oregon - I read the instructions - and that was the first thing I thought of - no way are we sucking up urine in a straw!!!
@TexasJerseyMilker let us know how this works. That would be great - super easy.

 

[Travlr]

@puzzled in oregon - I read the instructions - and that was the first thing I thought of - no way are we sucking up urine in a straw!!!

LOL... That's funny. When I was working with one of the vets in Arkansas he was milking bulls with a big metal probe in their rectum and catching the semen in a stainless receptacle to be put in straws. One of his assistants was sitting inside on a three legged stool, working at a high, built in countertop, and orally sucking the semen into straws to be frozen.

That kind of thing might be done differently now or in other places, but that was how it was being done that day.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm a nurse. Urine is sterile unless there is a UTI (urinary tract infection) Don't know about the bull product.

Check this out. This same company sells Bovine sexing agents. This is how they make sex selected semen. It is some kind of substance that somehow dings the male XY sperm so they can't swim as fast as the XX (girl) sperm. https://www.emlabgenetics.com/product-page/bullplus-20

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Honeydew was bred AI with heifer selected semen last August 17th. I haven't seen any heat behaviors except what turned out to be when the old cow was bulling. But still, she's not confirmed with calf. We don't have a squeeze chute here, we left it in Texas so no safe way to restrain her in a monkey rigged chute made out of corral panels and rope. I could not find a vein anyway. So I sent for the EMlab bovine P Test https://www.emlabgenetics.com/bovine-pregnancy-tests. Cost- $4.50 a test and no return postage.

Well, I tested her urine yesterday. I haltered and tied her up and brushed her so she would be relaxed and happy. It was really easy to collect her urine by stroking the area below her tweedle. She peed like a race horse and I caught a mid stream sample. You have to let the urine sample sit for 30 minutes and reach room temperature, then dip the strip for several seconds then lay it horizontal. You read at 1 minute and again at 10 minutes. If the window on the strip turns pinkish at one minute the test is negative. It started blue and stayed blue. At 10 minutes the shade of blue showed she is in the second trimester. In ten days I am supposed to repeat the test. If still blue she definitely has a biscuit in the oven.

She was bred on August 17th 2023. The gestation length of dairy cattle varies with breed. And the length listed for Jerseys differs depending on the web site. Plus you are supposed to deduct 2 days for first calf heifers. In addition, delivery can be a week early or a week late. I think I will ask the dairy she came from about their Jersey 1st calf heifer gestation length.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I saved the link from the previous posts. Glad to hear she is pregnant and that it WORKS!! That could be handy.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Honeydew is now a heavy springer. She's 20 months old and weighs 1000lbs
(by tape).