Free Martin

[Anonymous]

Could anyone tell me how to tell if I have a free martin? I have Holstien heifer that has virtually no bag and has never had a calf.

 

[Anonymous]

There are several ways to tell, but the best is to have a vet check her/it out. He/she will be able to see if there is another problem or if she is in fact a freemartin. If she wasn't born twin to a bull the chances are still she is one, if she was born twin to a bull the chances are great that she is. Have you ever observed her in heat? Has she run with a bull after she was old enough to have started cycling?

dunmovin farms

> Could anyone tell me how to tell
> if I have a free martin? I have
> Holstien heifer that has virtually
> no bag and has never had a calf.

 

[Anonymous]

If you bought your Holstein at the sale barn, chances are she is a freemartin. The only way to tell for sure is to have a veterinarian do a physical examination. If she was twin to a bull calf, the male hormones predominate and the heifer's reproductive organs are nearly always missing or underdeveloped - making her a freemartin.

 

[Anonymous]

If a heifer is born twin to a bull, there is about a 90% chance (or more) that she is a freemartin. Usually, it is obvious - "parts & pieces" do not look right. If the heifer appears normal on the outside, there is a blood test that can be done to determine if she is normal. But, if she is big enough for a vet to palpate, he will be able to tell you. There are many reasons that an animal does not conceive. The vet should help. Also, a heifer can be a freemartin, even is she was not born twin to a bull. Occasionally, the male twin is obsorbed/aborted during pregnancy, and you are not aware of the twinning. Jeanne

Simme Valley in NY
[email protected]