!!!!HELP!!!!

[ilovemymoomoo]

ok well here it goes.

my boyfriend and I think one of our girls(cow) may be pregnant, but not sure how to tell..he has a vet coming out in a few days but were so excited and would like to know the different ways to telling whether or not she may be before the vet gets here!! Ive never seen a pregnant cow but the cow we think is pregnant also gave birth in early december, in which he got rid of his bull in april...( i myself am not sure how long after a cow gives birth she can get pregnant again? =\)and since im new at this kind of stuff i would like to know everything!! like how long after a cow gives birth can she get pregnant again, the signs of her being pregnant, how to tell..if u can feel from the outside..her moods..anything to help us know...he has helped this cow give birth before, and knows the signs but its still like an unbelievable thing to where we are questioning it.. we just want to make sure she is pregnant. This cow is huge..and when i say huge i mean a big ol' round belly..her vulva is slightly swollen, and she is starting to bag a little bit. when she stands still you can barely see her hip bones and her whle belly will be on one side then it will wobble around tot eh other side...so i really feel she is pregnant!! but can someone help reassure or maybe tell me soem signs to look for or a way to feel..


and does anyone know where i can take an AI class, and what exactly is an AI?

im completely new to this so this may sound scatter brained!! lol

 

[fit2btied]

and does anyone know where i can take an AI class, and what exactly is an AI?

Just curious, but why would you think you want to take a class in something that you don't even know what it is? I'm not trying to be a smart alec or be discouraging, just wondered. Good luck in the business.

 

[twabscs]

Sounds like she is bred. If the bull was in with her until April, she was most likely bred in January at some point. That would put her due in mid October.

http://www.cattletoday.com/gestation.shtml

The best place to learn what AI is, is to take a class on it. They'll probably teach you a lot more to boot.

 

[alabama]

A cow should come back in season 45 days post calving. So if she took at about 45 days she should calve 10.75 to 11 months after her last calf.
Take the AI class. It will be a good learing experance even if you don't AI you own cows.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

as rank as you are i wouldnt waste money on a AI class yet. you need to take a front seat in a beginners coarse. start from the ground floor then work up

 

[MikeC]

AI is "Artificial Intelligence". You need some.

 

[Farminlund]

AI is "Artificial Intelligence". You need some.

Ouch - remember this the beginners board.

IA - if you honestly don’t know its meaning is short for artificial insemination (I do find it interesting that you want to take a course on it, without knowing what it is). I took my AI course only 5 months after obtaining my first cows (check with the big semen companies like Select Sires, ABS, Genex, and Accelerated Genetics for class availability). I had a small herd & planned on AI'ing rather than using a bull & look back on that as a good decision. I will agree that I did much learning those first few years, but luckily I had a very good mentor. That is a key that I think is very important - finding someone that knows the business & is willing to spend the time to teach, coach, & mentor.

Good luck on your journey.


Good luck on your journey.

 

[msscamp]

my boyfriend and I think one of our girls(cow) may be pregnant, but not sure how to tell..

The surest way to know if she is bred is to have her palpated by a vet (best success rate generally happens 45-60 days post breeding, I believe). Another pretty reliable early sign of settling(pregnancy) is a failure to come into heat (cycle) after being exposed to a bull. Later methods include a big belly, bagging up, loosening of the vulva, sinking in around the tail head, discharging mucous, etc.

i myself am not sure how long after a cow gives birth she can get pregnant again?

Cows generally start cycling anywhere from 30 - 45 days following delivery.

if u can feel from the outside..

There is a method called 'bumping', but I have no exerience with it. You can do a search and read about it, though.

This cow is huge..and when i say huge i mean a big ol' round belly..her vulva is slightly swollen, and she is starting to bag a little bit. when she stands still you can barely see her hip bones and her whle belly will be on one side then it will wobble around tot eh other side...so i really feel she is pregnant!! but can someone help reassure or maybe tell me soem signs to look for or a way to feel..

Not being able to see her hip bones while standing is not generally a side-effect of pregnancy - it indicates that this cow may be over conditioned and that can result in calving difficulties, and problems breeding back. You may want to ask your vet about it when he comes out.


and does anyone know where i can take an AI class, and what exactly is an AI?

AI = Artificial Insemination. I really feel you need a better knowledge base of cattle - things such as conformation, quality traits, how to blend those traits to achieve your goals, etc - before taking this step.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

A very easy way to tell if a cow is bred (if she's as far along as it sounds) is to put on an AI glove (Artificial Insemenation) and "lube up" and check her yourself. It's cheaper than having the vet come out.

 

[msscamp]

A very easy way to tell if a cow is bred (if she's as far along as it sounds) is to put on an AI glove (Artificial Insemenation) and "lube up" and check her yourself. It's cheaper than having the vet come out.

"Very easy"? Considering the fact that many vets cannot accurately determine if a cow is bred unless that cow is past a certain number of day, this statement is a little misleading, isn't it? I suppose you're going to be telling us how easy it is for an untrained individual to AI their cattle next. :roll: If one has no idea what they are 'checking' for then it really isn't all that easy, and could ultimately end up being very expensive wouldn't you agree?

 

[3MR]

I agree with MsScamp, Dont do that.

 

[Proverbs 12:10]

A very easy way to tell if a cow is bred (if she's as far along as it sounds) is to put on an AI glove (Artificial Insemenation) and "lube up" and check her yourself. It's cheaper than having the vet come out.

Don't do this without a little instruction otherwise it will just feel like a bunch of goo. Enter thru the rectum, use a sweeping motion, find the cervix, etc.