Heifer not bagging up

[kentuckyguy]

I bought a heifer that's supposed to be good to her AI and due late October early November.

Problem is she has not started bagging up at all. Should I be concerned or is this sometimes normal?

 

[Son of Butch]

Some don't bag until a few days before. She's not due for maybe another 3 weeks (before Nov. 14th)
Chill for now.

But who did the preg check and when? Sale barn vet can be off by a couple of months fairly easy.

 

[kentuckyguy]

She was AI'd and patched. Never got hit by the clean up bull.
She definitely looks bred to me but no sign of bagging up.

 

[farmerjan]

I think I'd stick my arm up her or get a vet to make sure she is not just fat. Don't want to be negative, just a possibility.....What was her AI date? You should have a definite due date if she was AI'd and then you allow +/- a week or so. What breed is she? Some breeds carry longer, some heifers - and cows - don't bag much before. I have a few I wasn't looking for and next thing I knew they had a baby and a nice little bag.

 

[kentuckyguy]

She is a simmental angus heifer. Her due date is October 31st.

 

[TCRanch]

A lot of heifers don't bag much and due dates are generally approximate, bull calves seem to need a little more time in the cooker. Watch for other signs: is she starting to spring (get swollen)? Keep an eye out for the mucus plug/discharge. She may start to get a little more attentive, groom other cows more than normal, look for a place to calve (even if you have her confined in a barn), isolate herself. Spend more time at the protein tub. My Simm/Angus seem to have larger bags (and they're generally my bigger girls) but heifers are always tricky - you just never know :roll:

 

[kentuckyguy]

Looked at her this morning really good and I'm not very optimistic of her having a calf in the next week and a half.
She does have some swelling in the vulva but utter hasn't changed much at all.

 

[Nesikep]

The watched pot never calves! At least she's showing signs of being bred and close, even if the bag isn't showing it... Some do bag up late.

 

[MRRherefords]

Had a heifer last year calving for the first time. Her due date was February 26. The night of the 25th I looked at her and she did not look close at all. Went ahead and penned her up near the barn to keep an eye on her. The next morning went to the barn and she was nursing a dandy 75 lbs heifer. I would not panic yet as some cows, especially heifers don't show many signs.

 

[snoopdog]

No need to panic , read above posts , all true . Everyone has been fooled , when it's time it's time .

 

[kentuckyguy]

Her bag has doubled in size since yesterday. Normally she is a little skittish and won't let you get right up on her.
Today I had to tap her on the back to make her get up so I could get a good look at her.
She might end up having a Halloween calf after all.

 

[farmerjan]

Her body was telling her that it is getting close now so time to get a little milk ready....Most of our angus don't do much bagging until a few days before calving. If they bag too much too soon, there seems to be more mastitis problems....I think you will have that calf within a week of her due date...

 

[farmboy80]

I had a Angus heifer that didn't bag hardly at all until she calved. So it just hard to tell on heifers.

 

[Nite Hawk]

I had a jersey once that bagged AFTER she calved, not that common, but it happened, was doing a bit of worrying on that one..

 

[dun]

I had a jersey once that bagged AFTER she calved, not that common, but it happened, was doing a bit of worrying on that one..

Our spring calving season was strange like that. A couple bagged up a month before calving, a couple just started bagging shortly before calving and some didn;t bag till after calving. The folks that have their cows here are seeing the same thing with their fall calving cows.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

Any update?

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, curious how things are going. Had 10 heifers from one place, that were preg checked. This one must've gotten bred right before the bull came out as all the rest were 4-5 months and the vet said she was 1 1/2 or so. Well, they all calved in a 3 week window and I figured this other one wouldn't have hers til Christmas. No bag, barely could see her teats, not very big around. Thought she had slipped it. Today, she has a nice LITTLE heifer, maybe 60 lbs and a little bag but the calf was going right on it. I was totally surprised as I really didn't think she was going to have one. So nice surprise.... have 2 more to calve from another place, and they are getting round as a barrel, they are due between now and early dec..... really expected to see them with calves first.

 

[BRYANT]

I have a ''sale barn cow'' that I bought a couple years ago to turn out and calve then sale in the fall. She will not make a bag big enough to look like it has a cup of milk, almost no bag there. Last year I put her up and fed her because I did not think she looked to have any milk. Last year she raised the best calf on the place. I thought it must have been from some outstanding bull. Calf was so good I thought I will try her again see what her calf looks like out of my bull, to better compare with my other calves, This year the same thing probably the best calf and looks like she has no milk, don't know how she does it???? I hate to say but this will be her last because she is as wild as a buck deer and I can not get her to calm, most of the time I can but not this one.

 

[farmboy80]

Her bag has doubled in size since yesterday. Normally she is a little skittish and won't let you get right up on her.
Today I had to tap her on the back to make her get up so I could get a good look at her.
She might end up having a Halloween calf after all.

Any updates? Has she calved?

 

[tja477t]

my grandfather was a cattle dealer. he bought a cow once because the owner said she wouldnt get pregnant. the cow calved in the truck on the way home. he was quite surprised when he dropped the tailgate. i guess my grandfather thought she looked pregnant but figured the owner would know best.