Went exploring this morning

[slick4591]

Okay, I've never had my arm/hand up a cow's ass before this morning. She's five days overdue by the calendar (I know, she doesn't read calendars :mrgreen: ).

I thought it was a sure thing when she started swelling on Monday and even got larger on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning she appeared to have slacked off some on the swelling and I thought she might have calved during the night. Teats weren't sucked so I went looking for a carcass, not finding one. I left her alone and this morning I saw no change.

Decided to go in and feel whatever I could. I think I felt the head as there was a hard object to the right and down a little. Didn't get too intense with feeling around for fear of causing damage. I felt it move, but truthfully don't know if that was the cow moving or the calf. Can't think of anything else it could have been.

I guess just waiting is the best thing to do at the moment.

 

[Nesikep]

I'd have figured you had more experience with that sort of exploring... I guess I figure most of the people on here have done it a bunch of times, though perhaps CP would be the most obvious person to have a map of that area!

 

[slick4591]

I'd have figured you had more experience with that sort of exploring... I guess I figure most of the people on here have done it a bunch of times, though perhaps CP would be the most obvious person to have a map of that area!

I've only had cows since late 2010 and the only need I've to go there was palpating and AI. I let the vet/tech with experience do that, although one of these days I'll learn that too.

 

[inyati13]

Slick. I think you were in the right place and that would be the calf's head. I can feel the calf if they are about due but if they are only 7 or fewer months I cannot read what I am feeling. I can usually feel the horns and if one is larger. My vet palpated a cow 6 months pregnant for me today. I palpated her yesterday and concluded that I had missed her. But in fact, 6 months was just exactly what I was looking for. He told me a story that he recently went to a farm to palpate 20 cows that the producer bought as open. Every single cow was at least 6 months pregnant. The guy that sold them had them palpated by a cow hand who said he knew what he was doing. He didn't.

 

[greybeard]

Buying 20 open cows that turn out to be @ least 6 months bred, in today's market, ain't altogether a bad thing at all. cha ching $ cha ching $ cha ching!!
beats buying 20 breds that turn out to be open.......

 

[slick4591]

Slick. I think you were in the right place and that would be the calf's head. I can feel the calf if they are about due but if they are only 7 or fewer months I cannot read what I am feeling. I can usually feel the horns and if one is larger. My vet palpated a cow 6 months pregnant for me today. I palpated her yesterday and concluded that I had missed her. But in fact, 6 months was just exactly what I was looking for. He told me a story that he recently went to a farm to palpate 20 cows that the producer bought as open. Every single cow was at least 6 months pregnant. The guy that sold them had them palpated by a cow hand who said he knew what he was doing. He didn't.

Figured it was the calf as that's the only thing hard that's supposed to be there as far as I know.

 

[Jake]

Slick. I think you were in the right place and that would be the calf's head. I can feel the calf if they are about due but if they are only 7 or fewer months I cannot read what I am feeling. I can usually feel the horns and if one is larger. My vet palpated a cow 6 months pregnant for me today. I palpated her yesterday and concluded that I had missed her. But in fact, 6 months was just exactly what I was looking for. He told me a story that he recently went to a farm to palpate 20 cows that the producer bought as open. Every single cow was at least 6 months pregnant. The guy that sold them had them palpated by a cow hand who said he knew what he was doing. He didn't.

The biggest mistake that people make when calling cows open is not taking the time to feel the uterus and the oviducts completely and making sure there is no fluid and that they truly are open. Lot of people assume since they can't feel a calf she must be empty when from 4.5-6 months they likely are dropped low and you need to lift on the repro tract and feel the weigh associated with the pregnancy.

 

[inyati13]

Slick. I think you were in the right place and that would be the calf's head. I can feel the calf if they are about due but if they are only 7 or fewer months I cannot read what I am feeling. I can usually feel the horns and if one is larger. My vet palpated a cow 6 months pregnant for me today. I palpated her yesterday and concluded that I had missed her. But in fact, 6 months was just exactly what I was looking for. He told me a story that he recently went to a farm to palpate 20 cows that the producer bought as open. Every single cow was at least 6 months pregnant. The guy that sold them had them palpated by a cow hand who said he knew what he was doing. He didn't.

The biggest mistake that people make when calling cows open is not taking the time to feel the uterus and the oviducts completely and making sure there is no fluid and that they truly are open. Lot of people assume since they can't feel a calf she must be empty when from 4.5-6 months they likely are dropped low and you need to lift on the repro tract and feel the weigh associated with the pregnancy.

Jake:
Day before yesteday when the vet palpated my cow. I ask him to give me some instruction. He said, "No way, I paid $185,000 to learn this, I am not giving it away." Of course, he was laughing. But he never gave me any hints.

 

[Jake]

Jake:
Day before yesteday when the vet palpated my cow. I ask him to give me some instruction. He said, "No way, I paid $185,000 to learn this, I am not giving it away." Of course, he was laughing. But he never gave me any hints.

I was lucky that my repro classes included a lab which consisted of going out to a guys place who had a couple thousand cows that were running with a bull year round. Got good practice guessing all stages and have been pregging our own for the past 6 years since. I am comfortable past 40 days, don't like calling them under that as it is so hard to tell without chancing an abortion.

 

[Hook]

Good advice jake. The AI class I took also had palpating and staging as part of it. I'm confident from 60 days out but i still back it up with a Biopryn test.
Slick, te only other thing in there that confuses some people is the rumen which is on the left side and feels like a bag of rice

 

[slick4591]

Good advice jake. The AI class I took also had palpating and staging as part of it. I'm confident from 60 days out but i still back it up with a Biopryn test.
Slick, te only other thing in there that confuses some people is the rumen which is on the left side and feels like a bag of rice

Thanks, Hook. Didn't venture to the left as I knew the calf would be on the right side. Guess I should have just so I know what's over there. Not sure how strong the anal canal is so I was uneasy about being in there.

Since you mentioned Biopryn... I got results back this morning that my recip cow stuck. :banana: Now, if this girl will just have the calf I can drink a beer in celebration.

 

[slick4591]

Delivered a dead bull calf this morning. Had that feeling when she went 7 days over. Guess that's the cattle biz. :frowns:

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Delivered a dead bull calf this morning. Had that feeling when she went 7 days over. Guess that's the cattle biz. :frowns:

Sorry to hear that Slick.

 

[Hook]

Dang slick. Sorry

 

[TexasBred]

Jake:
Day before yesteday when the vet palpated my cow. I ask him to give me some instruction. He said, "No way, I paid $185,000 to learn this, I am not giving it away." Of course, he was laughing. But he never gave me any hints.

Most vets I've known are worthless at palpating cattle. Don't get enough practice at it.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Day before yesteday when the vet palpated my cow. I ask him to give me some instruction. He said, "No way, I paid $185,000 to learn this, I am not giving it away." Of course, he was laughing. But he never gave me any hints.

That's too bad. My LA vet has always been willing to show, direct, explain etc. Every time he's had an arn up one of my cows he has asked if I want to take a feel at what he's feeling in there and explains how different each of them are.

I guess I'm just lucky.

Slick-----I'm sorry to hear about the calf. That bites. I hope your recip gives you the calf you want.

 

[inyati13]

Delivered a dead bull calf this morning. Had that feeling when she went 7 days over. Guess that's the cattle biz. :frowns:

Slick. Makes me sick to hear that. But 7 days is not unusual. What gestation period are you using? Number of days? I have simangus and Fire Sweep Ranch says to use 285 to 287 days. Bull calves cook a little longer she says.

Sorry. Look forward to your recip cow.

 

[slick4591]

Thanks. Not crying to bad since it was a bull. Had it been a heifer...

Ron, I'm using 285 days. The recip is carrying our normal genetics and a heifer we could retain.

 

[Ferd]

Sorry to hear that you lost the calf, bull or not.

I just got back in the business, and have bought nine open heifers (8 black, 1 baldy), a bred heifer (3/4 jersey - 1/4 angus), and three bred registered Hereford cows. It's hard to tell what adventures I'll have with them. Of course a bull. With all of the heifers, I bought a black angus with who will throw low birth weight calves (I hope). He is not related to any of the females.

Looking for more pasture close to home.

 

[cow pollinater]

That sucks, slick. At least it wasn't a dead heifer.