unwanted bred heifer

[Petercoates87]

Hey Folks. So I'm starting to think one of my heifers is bred. This is an unwanted bred. I haven't called my vet yet but is there anyway if she is bred to abort this??

 

[Dsth]

how far along do you think she is? A shot of estroplan or lutalyse will work fine if she is probably 2 months or less. others will need to advise you if farther than that, but I know it can be done with a combo of drugs.

 

[Dempster]

There are options to induce abortion, but it would be wise to first determine how far along she is. As they get farther along, more drugs are necessary and potential risks to the heifer increase. In some cases, abortion is probably not advised.

 

[Petercoates87]

yeah I understand. I seen our young bull after her this fall but she wouldn't stand for him. So I didn't think he got her. I separated him after that. I always rub my heifers to get them uset to being touched and I've started to notice she got a bit of a fatty pouch there. I don't know if its something or not. Heifer is only 7 months old, born May 4 / 2022

 

[farmerjan]

When exactly did you see the bull after her??? You said this fall... She should be well within the time frame to abort.... up to 120 days with lutalyse .... everyday that goes by makes it more risky. Either call your vet, get her preg checked, or get the shots from them you need and do it NOW .... at 7 months I would say she is more than likely fat.... but I have had a couple over the years get bred before 10 months.... But if she is only 2-3 months possible, a shot will abort her if she is bred, and won't hurt her if she is not. And I would do a series of 2 shots to be sure...
There are vets on here that ought to give you advice.

 

[50/50Farms]

yeah I understand. I seen our young bull after her this fall but she wouldn't stand for him. So I didn't think he got her. I separated him after that. I always rub my heifers to get them uset to being touched and I've started to notice she got a bit of a fatty pouch there. I don't know if its something or not. Heifer is only 7 months old, born May 4 / 2022

How old is this bull?

 

[SBMF 2015]

Hey Folks. So I'm starting to think one of my heifers is bred. This is an unwanted bred. I haven't called my vet yet but is there anyway if she is bred to abort this??

20cc of dexamethasone will cause abortion at any length of gestation. Its super cheap and works.

 

[Ky hills]

I would consult with a vet and have her preg checked. If she is bred and not very far along, aborting her might be ok, I would be hesitant to try to abort if she is very far along say around 4 months or more. Years ago I Lutalysed a young heifer like that to abort, and ended up loosing the heifer. Swore I’d never do that again.
We have calved out several real young heifers that calved about the time they should have been getting bred.
Have to watch them close and be ready to help if needed. Most times it’s turned out ok and they’ve had them on their own even, but there have been a couple times we e had to intervene and it didn’t end well, but I believe we’ve been able to save the heifers themselves.

 

[TCRanch]

What @Ky hills said! I also once lost a heifer that was too far along and really shouldn't have been given Lutalyse to abort. Have her preg checked, pelvic measured, listen to your vets advice and go from there. You may have to pull a fetus or a calf or even a C-section - assuming you watch her like a hawk. I learned that lesson the hard way.

That said, Lute didn't work on another heifer (at 49 days gestation) and my vet called her open. Mmmmm, surprise! Oops Baby! It happens. And as @SBMF 2015 pointed out, Lute + Dex or even just a hefty dose of Dex is a sure thing.

 

[gitnby]

the dextrmethozone works..........i know because did it by mistake...sliped calf was probably 5 months along

 

[Petercoates87]

Update on my girls. All are good, they must be just fat lol. Got the stuff from my vet and nothing has came from them in over 3 weeks.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Ok. This is a wakeup call. Your heifers are setting fat in their udders. Every cell that gets fat deposited in it will NEVER produce milk. So, don't let them get any fatter. And, learn from this and don't let your next batch of heifers get fat. Heifers need to be fed well to grow and stay in a 5 body condition but not get fat.

 

[Silver]

20cc of dexamethasone will cause abortion at any length of gestation. Its super cheap and works.

Dex 2 or Dex 5?

 

[Petercoates87]

Ok. This is a wakeup call. Your heifers are setting fat in their udders. Every cell that gets fat deposited in it will NEVER produce milk. So, don't let them get any fatter. And, learn from this and don't let your next batch of heifers get fat. Heifers need to be fed well to grow and stay in a 5 body condition but not get fat.

Ok. Well the one with the more fatty udder is jersey hereford cross would that make a difference in the extra fat there?? the other isn't as fatty and its my hereford heifer.

 

[greybeard]

Fat heifers will also often have a more difficult time calving.
(I learned that the hard way too after allowing wife to feed one every evening ..)

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Maybe you do not know the difference between fat in the udder and the extra skin in the udder area? I do not want to SAY your heifers are fat. YOU said they were, but you don't want to lower nutrition on your program if they are not fat, just normal udders. Fine line for many new people to determine. Most people look at their animals and think "they are beautiful" - it is VERY difficult to be critical of your own animals. We call that 'barn blind". Some people's cattle are deathly skinny and the owner can't SEE it.
Pictures would help. When we refer to Body Condition Score, this is it:
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/body-condition-scoring-of-cows.html

 

[SBMF 2015]

Dex 2 or Dex 5?

Dex 2