Spring heifer calf mounting a cow

[SRBeef]

Today I noticed one of my spring heifer calves (out of one of my 1200 lb early breed-back cows) who was briefly trying to mount another cow. She only tried once.

Her dam has very fast maturing calves and my bull is known for the same (large SC and SC EPD). This calf is 162 days old (5-1/2 months).

Does this mean she is starting to mature and perhaps cycling? Also I am fairly sure the cow she was trying to mount is long since bred. Maybe not?

I would appreciate hearing of any ideas or experience.

Jim

 

[dun]

Could be, but our heifers play those games with each other when they're small and when they get a bit bigger they start on the cows.

 

[mnmtranching]

Only mounted once and not persistent would mean playing around and not at all unusual.

 

[farmwriter]

Agreed. If it was just the once and there's no obvious following around the pasture I'd think it was play.

 

[SRBeef]

thank you all. that's what I was hoping you would say. With good grass this year in WI, I will be weaning about Nov 1 as last year (heifers at 7 mos) but they are all together till then incl bull and do not want any surprises. Jim

 

[dun]

thank you all. that's what I was hoping you would say. With good grass this year in WI, I will be weaning about Nov 1 as last year (heifers at 7 mos) but they are all together till then incl bull and do not want any surprises. Jim

Best way to avoid surprises, especially if your bull tends to work the night shift, is to give all the heifers a shot of lute at weaning

 

[msscamp]

Today I noticed one of my spring heifer calves (out of one of my 1200 lb early breed-back cows) who was briefly trying to mount another cow. She only tried once.

Her dam has very fast maturing calves and my bull is known for the same (large SC and SC EPD). This calf is 162 days old (5-1/2 months).

Does this mean she is starting to mature and perhaps cycling? Also I am fairly sure the cow she was trying to mount is long since bred. Maybe not?

I would appreciate hearing of any ideas or experience.

Jim

Probably. Heifer calves have been known to start cycling as early as 3-4 months of age. A few years back, we had 2 deliver calves around 12 months of age - if memory serves, one was 13 months and the other was 14 months. Both of them were big, growthy heifers. Generally speaking, the one(s) who is/are trying to mount is/are the one(s) in heat.

 

[Stocker Steve]

thank you all. that's what I was hoping you would say. With good grass this year in WI, I will be weaning about Nov 1 as last year (heifers at 7 mos) but they are all together till then incl bull and do not want any surprises. Jim

Best way to avoid surprises, especially if your bull tends to work the night shift, is to give all the heifers a shot of lute at weaning

Does lux also bring them into heat sooner if they have not started cycling?

 

[dun]

thank you all. that's what I was hoping you would say. With good grass this year in WI, I will be weaning about Nov 1 as last year (heifers at 7 mos) but they are all together till then incl bull and do not want any surprises. Jim

Best way to avoid surprises, especially if your bull tends to work the night shift, is to give all the heifers a shot of lute at weaning

Does lux also bring them into heat sooner if they have not started cycling?

No, if they aren;t/weren't cycling it won;t have any affect. If there is a chance they're more then a month or 2 bred some dex will also help them to abort

 

[sizmic]

She is and was cycling, I'm very confident from what you stated. That is not uncommon at all. The fact that she was trying to ride a COW is the clue. We lute all our heifers at weaning. You'd be suprised how many are in heat 3-4 days later.

Sizmic

 

[SRBeef]

She is and was cycling, I'm very confident from what you stated. That is not uncommon at all. The fact that she was trying to ride a COW is the clue. We lute all our heifers at weaning. You'd be suprised how many are in heat 3-4 days later.

Sizmic

Thank you for the reply. I think I'll ask the vet to add a lute shot at preg check/fall shots-pouron/weaning in a couple weeks. I don't like surprises.

Jim