Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
rockridgecattle":8uwyhskt said:okay...i've seen "freemartin" before on this site what is it?
A heifer calf born with a twin bull calf.
90% of the time the heifer is sterile due to any number of reasons such as a not fully develpoed reproductive system, not all the proper repro parts inside or out, etc. While they are in utero the 'male' hormones during development play a large role as to why the heifers come out sterile. (brief and not thorough explanation).
If you really like the way this heifer grows, and looks and you want to keep her, a DNA test can be done to see if she is a freemartin. I believe the test can be done starting somewhere around 6 months, possibly 4 months old. It is an inexpensive test. This way if she is a freemartin, you're not feeding her and she's not costing you extra for no reason.
Or your vet can do an exam and they can often tell without having to do a DNA test.
Clear as mud? :lol:
Katherine