I thought my heifer was pregnant

[lancemart]

I have not seen my bull mount my heifer in months and I thought she got pregnant in November. Today, I saw my bull trying to mount her. She did not want to hear it. Like I said this is all new to me so pardon me if I am a little stupid about these things, but I do not know who else to ask. Is she not pregnant? Am I missing something here? I thought he would leave her alone once she was pregnant? Your info will be greatly appreciated. :idea: :?:

 

[Bama]

If he has not shown no interest in her since November, she probally is bred. He was probally just testing the waters. Keep and eye on them and see if he continues to try to mount her. You could palpate her to know for sure.

 

[Farminlund]

Keep a careful eye on her now. You should be able to tell if he deposited semen in her. If not, likely he was just messing around. Also look for bloody discharge for the next couple of days. Absence of his deposit & blood should ease your mind. But note the date & watch closely in ~18 days for clear discharge & then for bull mounting (hopefully this is a one time episode). Good luck - not what you wanted to see - know the feeling.

 

[jerry27150]

farminlund, how you tell if bull bred one? check mine twice everyday & i still miss a lot of them

 

[tg]

If he is a young bull, proberly just messing around. If you have not seen him try it since Nov. I would bet she is Pregnant.

 

[Linda]

Why not spend a few dollars and have a vet preg check her? Sure would save a lot of wondering. It would also help you be better prepared when her due date comes. I would not leave the bull with her if she is in advanced pregnancy. Too much chance of her falling or being hurt otherwise. We pull our bulls after 60 days with the cows.

 

[preston39]

lancemart,

I agree with other posters. Also,at 6 months this cow should be showing a little in the belly...although some don't show for a while yet. Look at her from the front or behind and see if her sides aren't extended a little. If you have had a bull with her all this time and she had not been bred she would have come in esrus long before now ...assuming all is normal...and you would have seen him breeding/trying.

 

[tapeworm]

Jeez...they guy says he is new to cattle and from Rhode Island. Some of you think he should be able to tell when a heifer is bellied up at 6 months?? Or tell when a bull deposited semen in her?? How do you tell that?? How do I know if a bull put it in her??I can tell if he gets it ON her...not IN her. LOL Have your heifer palpated son

 

[sidney411]

Cows won't be hurt from the bull in late pregnancy. If they are bred, generally, they won't let him mess with them. I run my bulls year round and have never had a problem with them bothering the bred cows. Yes, they will sniff and check them but won't cover them. If you want ot pull your bulls - do it for a timed calving season, not for lack of injury.

 

[jerry27150]

not the case with this one ,but i have had some bred cows that would stand for the bull anyway

 

[Farminlund]

farminlund, how you tell if bull bred one? check mine twice everyday & i still miss a lot of them

I can often see it discharging from her that day or even sometimes the next day. Mine also tend to hold their tails up after natural breeding (I mainly AI, so a natural bred cow just plain looks different to me). I don't really know how to explain what to specifically look for, but I usually can distinguish semen running out onto the ground or on her tail vs her discharge. Maybe I am crazy but I have hit it pretty well on some that my clean up bull breed last winter, dispite not seeing him actually mount them.

 

[cul8r]

The majority of cattle will hump their backs up and hold tail out after a bull has actually serviced them.

 

[Bama]

I also calve yearround. I run the bull and cows together all the time. Never had an injury. The older cows even calve in the same pasture with the bull. No problem.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I'd guess that she is in fact pregnant. Have you noticed even the slightest amount of "bagging" yet? And I may be way off base, but in RI you may play hell trying to find a large animal vet near you to palpate her. Any dairies nearby? Of course, one would hope that any dog & cat vet should be able to palpate her, if you can even find one to come out for a reasonable price. Also, sometimes a bull just has a wild hare up his a$s or the cow is putting out scents and phermones that get him all worked up. One year my neighbors Limo bull crashed through the fence and I watched him trail one of my cows for several hours and he kept trying to mount her, though she wouldn't stand. I left my place all PO'd thinking that she was open (when she should have been at least 5 months along) and that she would stand for him later that day. And I also cussed my bull for his apparent disinterest. But about 3 or 4 months later she had a calf, right on schedule.

 

[preston39]

Jeez...they guy says he is new to cattle and from Rhode Island. Some of you think he should be able to tell when a heifer is bellied up at 6 months?? Or tell when a bull deposited semen in her?? How do you tell that?? How do I know if a bull put it in her??I can tell if he gets it ON her...not IN her. LOL Have your heifer palpated son

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Tapeworm,

Thats what the person was looking for..advice.

Are we to understand that this is your advice..criticising everyone?

Further, to a non experienced person...you would advise them to palpate? :shock:

You let us know when it is proper time to give this person advice...and please tell us what advice we should extend and how to give the advice. Would that make you happy?

Your inference that Rhode Islander's don't have the ability to discern application of advice to their situation is appalling...not to speak of your reference to everyone else who posted with advice...as being wrong. Go tell!!!

Be aware if you are going to criticise ME ..unfairly.....be prepared. All constructive reviews welcomed!

 

[dun]

Jeez...they guy says he is new to cattle and from Rhode Island. Some of you think he should be able to tell when a heifer is bellied up at 6 months?? Or tell when a bull deposited semen in her?? How do you tell that?? How do I know if a bull put it in her??I can tell if he gets it ON her...not IN her. LOL Have your heifer palpated son

=============
Tapeworm,

Thats what the person was looking for..advice.

Are we to understand that this is your advice..criticising everyone?

Further, to a non experienced person...you would advise them to palpate? :shock:

You let us know when it is proper time to give this person advice...and please tell us what advice we should extend and how to give the advice. Would that make you happy?

Your inference that Rhode Islander's don't have the ability to discern application of advice to their situation is appalling...not to speak of your reference to everyone else who posted with advice...as being wrong. Go tell!!!

Be aware if you are going to criticise ME ..unfairly.....be prepared. All constructive reviews welcomed!

First off, I didn't see it as criticism. How does someone new to cattle tell if she's bellied up, has had semen depostited, etc. And if you'll notice, Tapeworm did provide advice, "get her palpated"

dun

 

[TR]

Jeez...they guy says he is new to cattle and from Rhode Island. Some of you think he should be able to tell when a heifer is bellied up at 6 months?? Or tell when a bull deposited semen in her?? How do you tell that?? How do I know if a bull put it in her??I can tell if he gets it ON her...not IN her. LOL Have your heifer palpated son

Maybe this'll help.....happened to be out at the lease pasture and watched this heifer being bred last June, so this pic is of her just after. She calved right on her due date based on that breeding too.

 

[Farmhand]

Preston - calm down and reread tapeworms post. What tapeworm is saying is that it can be hard enough for an experienced cattleman to tell let alone for someone new. Tapeworm did not advise this person to palpate themselves but to find someone else who can do it. IMO you were harsh for no reason.

 

[preston39]

Jeez...they guy says he is new to cattle and from Rhode Island. Some of you think he should be able to tell when a heifer is bellied up at 6 months?? Or tell when a bull deposited semen in her?? How do you tell that?? How do I know if a bull put it in her??I can tell if he gets it ON her...not IN her. LOL Have your heifer palpated son

=============
Tapeworm,

Thats what the person was looking for..advice.

Are we to understand that this is your advice..criticising everyone?

Further, to a non experienced person...you would advise them to palpate? :shock:

You let us know when it is proper time to give this person advice...and please tell us what advice we should extend and how to give the advice. Would that make you happy?

Your inference that Rhode Islander's don't have the ability to discern application of advice to their situation is appalling...not to speak of your reference to everyone else who posted with advice...as being wrong. Go tell!!!

Be aware if you are going to criticise ME ..unfairly.....be prepared. All constructive reviews welcomed!

First off, I didn't see it as criticism. How does someone new to cattle tell if she's bellied up, has had semen depostited, etc. And if you'll notice, Tapeworm did provide advice, "get her palpated"

dun

=======
dun,

You wern't the target. I did see it as derogatory criticism....and so did others.....Newbies need to start with basics IMO and that is what was presented by the posters. I acknowledged his advice ..palpate...but I questioned it as good advice to a newbie. Tapeworm has done this to me before.....and others.....for no reason other than to be derogatory.

 

[preston39]

Preston - calm down and reread tapeworms post. What tapeworm is saying is that it can be hard enough for an experienced cattleman to tell let alone for someone new. Tapeworm did not advise this person to palpate themselves but to find someone else who can do it. IMO you were harsh for no reason.

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farmhand,

I understand what he said..it' the way he presented it. He has done it before ...I have let it slide. Enough already. I welcome all constructive review.