Heifer and bull calf twins

[Turin5-3]

Have been raising cattle for six years now and am Stilla newbie. 7year old just gave birth to twins, heifer & bull. Thought I heard here that this was not good. Free mason? Not sure the name but someone said one or both could be sterile. Would like some insight here. How do you tell and what can be done?

 

[BC]

A heifer born twin to a bull calf is called a freemartin. About 90% of the time, the heifer is infertile due to infantile reproductive organs (caused by hormone exchanges in uterus).

Here is a link that further explains this:
http://www.thedairysite.com/articles/97 ... freemartin

 

[CSM]

BC is correct. Just plan on the heifer being sold as a feeder calf (a bonus feeder calf).
CSM

 

[jcarkie]

or a freezer beef, just picked mine up from the butcher. my son raised her on the bottle not born here, never had a live full set born here. had some last year and didn't know about the other till we found the body a week later.

 

[B&M Farms]

if it was me i would sell the heifer now to take the load off the cow and cut the bull.

 

[Lon]

if it was me i would sell the heifer now to take the load off the cow and cut the bull.

or at least pull the heifer and turn it into bottle calf.

 

[tsmaxx47]

FREEMASON - i like that, turin!

 

[Victoria]

This is a good article for info on physical tests to see if it is worth doing a blood test to find out if the calf is infertile.
http://magissues.farmprogress.com/AMA/A ... ama028.pdf

 

[Turin5-3]

I knew it was "free" something. Of course, with cattle, nothing is free!

 

[jtbakv]

if it was me i would sell the heifer now to take the load off the cow and cut the bull.

I had twins earlier in the year and pulled the heifer and left the now steer on the moma The heifer I bottle fed and both are doing great now and moma regained weight pretty good. I would pull one of the calves and take the load off the mother cow. jmo