JDK
Member
Can someone tell me how accurate are most vets in predicating calving. Reason for asking my heifer was suppose to calve in November and it is now Dec. and nothing yet, heifer is doing great and looks really good. Thanks
Vets
- Thread starter JDK
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Silver
Well-known member
Most vets are really good in my experience. But, it's easy for them to be a week or so out. Add to that that a cow can go over her 283 days by 14 days pretty easily, and you can find yourself out 3 weeks from what you expected.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I have seen vets be within days and I have seen a few young vets be off 2 months. If the heifer is doing ok then just wait is all that you can do.
JDK
Member
Thanks guys I really appreciate the help, in calming my nerves was starting to worry.
Ky hills
Well-known member
They are human, some can be pretty close and sometimes it can go over or under a couple months. I would just watch the heifer's progression as far as signs of springing and udder development.
JDK
Member
I appreciate you all
Dsth
Well-known member
Accuracy is very dependent on how far pregnant they are. After the calf is big enough and drops down past the cows hip, it is hard for them to be very accurate. somewhere around 90 days. After that, they are feeling for a leg or a head to confirm being pregnant but due date is just a guess. Same thing for ultra sound after 90 days. my vet that I had doing my dairy herd monthly herd health was very good. That was about 25 years ago and that was by palpating cows. He seemed to be within a few days compared to my AI breeding dates. He also could tell me if a cow had twins. Now I have younger vets that use ultra sound which is very accurate at pregnancy checking and days pregnant if done early. Had a cow checked at 60 days last spring as pregnant with one calf but had twins last Friday. If you are sure she is pregnant, waiting is about all you can do.
JDK
Member
Can't thank you guys enough for all the info. Again appreciate you all
76 Bar
Well-known member
I cut my teeth with a DVM who started his practice in the dairy industry and went on to become a respected expert in equine reproduction. Had his arm in a bazillion cows & mares. Could call them to the day of delivery walking down the alley while palpating, step aside and do the next one. Spoiled me rotten.
As Dsth said, palpation due date accuracy diminishes proportionately with the advancement of pregnancy.
As Dsth said, palpation due date accuracy diminishes proportionately with the advancement of pregnancy.
One of my vets missed a heifers' pregnancy when he was pelvic measuring her at 11 months. And I specifically asked if she was bred because she matured early, I caught the bulls chasing her and moved them to another pasture that day. Luted her exactly 49 days later when we weaned. Never saw any signs of abortion so was she bred or I just didn't notice it/the blood? Maybe with that information he wasn't expecting her to be bred and wasn't thorough? Or - he's human and mistakes happen. Regardless, hard pull but the heifer and her calf did great.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Had a vet at a vet school recently tell me she thought it took 1800 head to become fairly accurate. Lots of vets never get to do 1800 head. I can tell if one is bred and that's about it. They do the very best they can.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
Could you vet preg two at once? A retired dairy vet told me once that he would arm two cows at once while they were in stations. Palpate with his left arm then his right, then move to the next two cows in line. (I never saw him do it)
He must have pregged a lot. When he went to the orthopedic surgeon to get his shoulders fixed. They told him there was nothing they could do, there was nothing left to fix.
It seems like the vets that claim to be able to palpate cows at less than 45days are the ones that miss the obvious ones.
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
I finally went to a new vet for palpation. My former vet was consistently 3-4 months off. I even brought a cow in to trim her foot, the vet paplated and said the cow was due any day and could not turn her on the squeeze. I made her tie up the foot and trim it. She acted like that was a novel idea, but that's a different story. I told this vet that I didn't think she was going to calve within 2-3 weeks because this was an old cow and she had not bagged up. Vet insisted, any day. 4 months later the cow calved. My new vet palpated my herd in June and all were early to late 4 months bred. They should have all calved in November, but only 30% did. Then in early December, 30% more calved. I'm now waiting on the last 30%. The other 10% were open so we sold them. One of which was that old cow.
Muletrack
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Lee VanRoss
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I wrote in a previous of my experience with misdiagnosis of pregnancy . I shall spare you the details.
What I did to alleviate the problem was to only save heifers born in the first 30 days of the calving period.
As time and inventory would allow I would sell off the late calvers and still do when necessary.
I am tired and old as dirt but this year I had 19 of 20 calves in less than 30 days. One skipped a cycle and
was born about 45 days later. When I weaned the calf I sold the cow. No vet bill for pregging
What I did to alleviate the problem was to only save heifers born in the first 30 days of the calving period.
As time and inventory would allow I would sell off the late calvers and still do when necessary.
I am tired and old as dirt but this year I had 19 of 20 calves in less than 30 days. One skipped a cycle and
was born about 45 days later. When I weaned the calf I sold the cow. No vet bill for pregging
JDK
Member
Great Idea Thanks so much appreciate you all
@anewcomer I follow the same protocol and as a general rule, only my potential replacements are preg checked when they're pelvic measured and get their BANGS at 11 months - just to make sure the Lutalyse worked/they aren't "accidentally" bred. I only average 50 cow/calf pairs and see my cattle daily, so it's pretty easy to spot an open cow; there will be hunching appx. every 21 days. That said, I will have a presumed open cow preg checked before she takes a ride.
Dave
Well-known member
If you need or want real accuracy from the vet in preg checking find one who does ultra sound checking. They will be a lot more accurate and can even tell you the sex of the calf if it is far enough along.
