Heifer vs cow gestation length
- Thread starter ffamom
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Dun,
The reason I am asking is that this cow is springing pretty heavy and she has sunken in around her tail head. Her hip bones are very promenent...she is not a skinny cow. Her bag doesn't look ready...compared to her first calve. It has filled, but she doesn't have the enlarged teats. With over two weeks to go, she seems to be springing a bit more than I expected. This one calved with no problem last year and I don't expect any problems this year. Maybe she will have a heifer.
The reason I am asking is that this cow is springing pretty heavy and she has sunken in around her tail head. Her hip bones are very promenent...she is not a skinny cow. Her bag doesn't look ready...compared to her first calve. It has filled, but she doesn't have the enlarged teats. With over two weeks to go, she seems to be springing a bit more than I expected. This one calved with no problem last year and I don't expect any problems this year. Maybe she will have a heifer.
ffamom":3jzh1ltd said:
We have one cow that as a heifer she was 6 days past her due date, end calf on the due date, 3rd 7 days early, 4th on her due date, 5th 10 days past. The catch is, she has alwasy been bred to the same bull. The first calf was such a dandy I figured I shouldn't mess with a good nick.
She's the only cow we have that has alwasy been bred the same every year so she's the only one I feel can be compared year to year.
dun
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
The weather/temperature DURING gestation, and the weather at delivery time makes a difference.
But, as Dun says, they'll have it when they want.
A cow will not LOOK as close as a heifer a lot of times. They don't seem to bag up so extremely tight. But heifers are soooo unpredictable - no bag & go into labor - or huge bag & not labor.
But, as Dun says, they'll have it when they want.
A cow will not LOOK as close as a heifer a lot of times. They don't seem to bag up so extremely tight. But heifers are soooo unpredictable - no bag & go into labor - or huge bag & not labor.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Lots of good info.
This cow will spring a bit different than what she did as a heifer. Heifers will drive you nuts. Cows are much more easy to determine. I look for teat size and discharge. But nothing is absolute.
This cow will spring a bit different than what she did as a heifer. Heifers will drive you nuts. Cows are much more easy to determine. I look for teat size and discharge. But nothing is absolute.
I have a cow that was bred to the same bull and calved 5 days late as a heifer with a bull calf and this year she was 5 days early also with a bull calf. They weighed exactly the same, looks the same and was sired by the same bull.
Hasbeen
Well-known member
Not long ago someone posted this Cattle Today Gestation Table http://www.cattletoday.com/gestation.shtml
I found it very handy. I noted that it stated that younger or smaller cattle will generally calve up to ten days early while larger or older cattle will calve ten days later.
Just quoting the table of course, my only experience to date is my heifer calved 6 weeks early with the wrong result.
I found it very handy. I noted that it stated that younger or smaller cattle will generally calve up to ten days early while larger or older cattle will calve ten days later.
Just quoting the table of course, my only experience to date is my heifer calved 6 weeks early with the wrong result.
Hasbeen":2luqdfav said:
The thing to remember about gestation tables is unless they are breed specific they're based on 283 days. Several breeds have longer gestation lengths, don;t recall which ones other then Simmenthal and Hereford. Seems like a couple are shorter too.
dun
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Simmental is 285.
We use a 283 gestation table, but it's very seldom we have a cow that goes that long. We did have a BIG GT Maximum cow that took every hour of it and may have even gone 284 days occasionally. But she raised a heck of a bull calf. 
Well, she finally calved. The research I read stated that most cows will calve around the same time each year....and she did (within 30 minutes.) She had to fairly large twins...the bull was 83 lbs and the heifer was 73 lbs. The boys named them Bonnie and Clyde since it will be only a matter of time before they are killed.
On a side note, the bull was born with an orange coating. Has anyone experienced this? What was it? They are both very active, whatever it is it didn't seem to affect him.
On a side note, the bull was born with an orange coating. Has anyone experienced this? What was it? They are both very active, whatever it is it didn't seem to affect him.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Congrats! Yes, I find that most cows that calve during the night or during the day, tend to keep the same pattern if we keep the same feeding pattern. Feeding schedule has a great affect on their time of day calving.
Only 4 days early with twins, that was good.
Only 4 days early with twins, that was good.
SEC
Well-known member
We had our first calf, six days early and a 96 lb bull calf. I was looking at it expecting it to be a heifer due to being early. I was suprised!
Not sure why it came early but glad it didnt go to term it would have weighed another 10lbs at least!
Not sure why it came early but glad it didnt go to term it would have weighed another 10lbs at least!
TxSimbrahShower
Well-known member
Where's the pics?
We had a calf born on Christmas day, the cows 2nd, she didn't spring any at all, in fact, we thought that she didn't breed back until June or July, needless to say, I took the baby away from her the fourth day and we are bottle feeding him, she didn't ever come into her milk. We have 3 cows out of her sire and if you don't have them on full feed they don't milk much. So we only have 2 of them left. We probably won't have any left after this spring. Unless we go ahead and get the nurse cow.
mom
We had a calf born on Christmas day, the cows 2nd, she didn't spring any at all, in fact, we thought that she didn't breed back until June or July, needless to say, I took the baby away from her the fourth day and we are bottle feeding him, she didn't ever come into her milk. We have 3 cows out of her sire and if you don't have them on full feed they don't milk much. So we only have 2 of them left. We probably won't have any left after this spring. Unless we go ahead and get the nurse cow.
mom
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
A cow that doesn't have enough milk on hay to support a newborn would NOT be rebred on my farm. Are these SIMBRAHS that aren't milking? :shock:TxSimbrahShower":i6dyjda9 said:
