hillbilly1234
Member
when a cow has twins heifer and bull , what are the odds of the bull being able to breed?
twins
- Thread starter hillbilly1234
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Katie
Well-known member
The bull is usually fine it is the heifer that only has like a 1 or 5% chance of being normal. It is called freemartin.
Nesikep
Well-known member
I guess we're lucky, we had a set of non-identical twins, each had it's own mother, and we kept one of them, she's 5 now and a great cow... no experience with bulls though
LRTX1
Well-known member
3waycross":19q79nb6 said:
Siamese mama cow......DUH! :lol2:
hillsdown
Well-known member
The bull is usually always good to go ,in fact my clean up bull is a twin to a heifer and he gave me 3 sets of twins this year as well.
I think the percentage of heifers being free martins is about 92% (if I remember)even if they have separate sacs. There is a blood test you can do, as well as your vet can check them early to see if their repro tract is all in place. If it is a keeper it is definitely worth finding out if she can be bred as it is possible for them to be fertile .
I think the percentage of heifers being free martins is about 92% (if I remember)even if they have separate sacs. There is a blood test you can do, as well as your vet can check them early to see if their repro tract is all in place. If it is a keeper it is definitely worth finding out if she can be bred as it is possible for them to be fertile .
Do not get me started! Oh wait, you did!
First; if there is risk for sterility with twins, it is the heifer calves that are affected, and only if it is one heifer and one bull.
If 2 heifers are born as twins to each other; no problem.
I think I speak for the majority of the serious breeders when I say: it is no good to have twins.
It is so commonly associated with extra work, freemartins, retained placenta, prolapse, dead calves, breach births, open cow,two thin calves instead of one acceptable calf. Trouble. Problems.
Twins occur because a cow presents two eggs instead of one at mating time. It is to a certain degree heritable- The father of the twins has nothing to do with it. The maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather plays an equal role, when it comes to passing it on.
This is why the twin bull IMO should not be kept as breeding stock. There is a risk that his daughters will give birth to extra twins, if he passes the genes for twinning from his mother to his daughters.
Twins are not extra income--they are trouble and costs. :2cents:
First; if there is risk for sterility with twins, it is the heifer calves that are affected, and only if it is one heifer and one bull.
If 2 heifers are born as twins to each other; no problem.
I think I speak for the majority of the serious breeders when I say: it is no good to have twins.
It is so commonly associated with extra work, freemartins, retained placenta, prolapse, dead calves, breach births, open cow,two thin calves instead of one acceptable calf. Trouble. Problems.
Twins occur because a cow presents two eggs instead of one at mating time. It is to a certain degree heritable- The father of the twins has nothing to do with it. The maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather plays an equal role, when it comes to passing it on.
This is why the twin bull IMO should not be kept as breeding stock. There is a risk that his daughters will give birth to extra twins, if he passes the genes for twinning from his mother to his daughters.
Twins are not extra income--they are trouble and costs. :2cents:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Anazazi, I agree with you that twins are usually at lot of trouble, though there are exception
And for explaining my statement that each twin had it's own mother, one was adopted by her aunt who miscarried a set of twins herself.
And for explaining my statement that each twin had it's own mother, one was adopted by her aunt who miscarried a set of twins herself.
