late term PD

[regolith]

For those of you who do them - what are you looking for?

I only really do them on cows supposed to be 5 - 6 months or more bred, and that's not likely to change - I figure if I can't tell between an open cow and one with a five month calf in her I probably need my hand/brain connection looking at.
Found two opens today, just checking a few of the dry cows that weren't springing yet. But the others, it goes along the lines of - if I can't find a bladdy thing she's pregnant, if I can touch the end of the cervix but can't pick it up or reach the uterus it's because there's a big calf pulling it over the edge of the pelvis, if I find a foot or a bag of little bones in there she's pregnant.
Somehow I'm suspecting there's a bit more to it than that, or that I need longer arms.

 

[KNERSIE]

Firstly I feel for a calf, if I can't feel a calf I feel for the cervix, if I can't feel the cervix I feel for the two veins going to the uterus at either side of the pelvic opening (if you go through the pelvic opening feel just behind the pelvic rim) one should vibrate much more than the other if she is in calf from bout 4 months onwards. The side that vibrates more is also the side which horn of the uterus is carrying the calf. You should also be able to feel the cotyledons where the placenta attaches to the uterine wall if you feel just on the other side of the pelvic opening pulling your open hand back towards you. Not sure that made any sense, but its hard to describe. In the case of left horn pregnancies in roomier older cows its often not possible to feel the calf until about 8 months as the calf can be hidden underneath the rumen.

 

[regolith]

Thanks.

'left horn pregnancies' - that makes sense. The couple of times I've found a foot floating around in there have been feeling down towards the left, and for some reason I'd thought the calf should sit on the right and the rumen on the left.

 

[KNERSIE]

Thanks.

'left horn pregnancies' - that makes sense. The couple of times I've found a foot floating around in there have been feeling down towards the left, and for some reason I'd thought the calf should sit on the right and the rumen on the left.

You're not too far wrong as the rumen will always be on the left and 70+% of all pregnancies will be in the right horn.

 

[hillsdown]

Firstly I feel for a calf, if I can't feel a calf I feel for the cervix, if I can't feel the cervix I feel for the two veins going to the uterus at either side of the pelvic opening (if you go through the pelvic opening feel just behind the pelvic rim) one should vibrate much more than the other if she is in calf from bout 4 months onwards. The side that vibrates more is also the side which horn of the uterus is carrying the calf. You should also be able to feel the cotyledons where the placenta attaches to the uterine wall if you feel just on the other side of the pelvic opening pulling your open hand back towards you. Not sure that made any sense, but its hard to describe. In the case of left horn pregnancies in roomier older cows its often not possible to feel the calf until about 8 months as the calf can be hidden underneath the rumen.

I can almost visualize everything the way you put that Knersie .