Holy Crap!!!!!!!!!

We never used the blood test. What all can it tell you? A experienced vet or tech can tell you how many months along a cow is (although sometimes this can be off a month or two). Does the blood test do this too?

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-

Unfortunately up here in Canada it's nothing to do with the vet's schedule, but how long it takes to ship the samples to a certified lab. The closest lab for blood testing is Lethbridge, Alberta, which is over 600 miles south of us. And that's the only place where the BioPRYN affiliation BioCHEK is located in Canada. There's another blood-testing company called Conception in Canada but it's only based in Quebec. So for me it's nothing to do with the vet's schedule, but how long it takes to ship the samples down there.

But thanks for the info anyway. At least you folks down in the States have more of a wider range of choice of how to preg-check your livestock than most of us farmers/ranchers do up here in Canada. Not that I'm jealous or anything.

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There are classes for learning how to palpate a cow. The cost of a class would probably be about the price of one vet call.

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Libertarindependent

Not to mention a class of learning how to palpate a cow means the ability to palpate your own cows without having to pay a vet to come out and do it for you. One class of learning to do RP = free preg checking as done by you for every cow every single year.

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How do you find these classes?
I'd love to go to one.
Thanks,Chris

Thanks all for your reply's. I do not think there is any dexter in it, he has mostly herefords with a few limousine and and a couple long horns. They guy I buy from is an old timer that doesn't really track much in way of his heard. He lets them do what they want when they want. Only separates the cattle when he sells them. He has over a 100 cattle so there we no way he would have known when he sold it, or I am sure he would have asked more for it. My biggest issue is I was not expecting any calves or ready for them. I guess it is not a big deal, that just means i have to keep a few over winter.

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Can you smell what I'm standing in?

I've heard from a colleague that semen companies like Genex, Semex or any of those host classes for producers who wish to learn how to preg-check and AI cattle. The woman I talked to who has the certification for being an AI tech got hers at one of these companies, and she says the cost of the two or three-day course pays for itself when you don't have to rely on paying for a vet to do the AIing or preg-checking for you. I'm not sure what the cost is, nor how long the program is (I think she told me but now I can't remember), but it's something worth checking out. There may be some ag colleges that have classes for people wishing to learn how to AI and preg-check as well; here in Alberta the Lakeland College in Vermillion hosts a two-day class for learning how to AI livestock once a year. But I don't think you would qualify as a certified tech; only if you go through the companies that sell semen would.

FWIW.

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Agree. Just knowing pregnant or not from a blood test doesn't help much in planning. Alot of difference between 2 months pregnant and 8 months pregnant. Though rectal I believe you can't feel them before 40 some days, and slight risk of causing loss of early fetus, which might not be bad in this case.

The the thing is, risk increases if you don't know what you're doing.

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You are probably right. If you don't know what you are doing , maybe you shouldn't be doing it.

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-

Thanks Karin. We don't have an ag college around but I'm going to ask around and see if I can find some. I only have a few cows but if it's not too much it would be great to learn.
Thanks,Chris

Your very welcome Chris.

KS, the vet I had worked for has said that lots. He's got huge arms, as he's a big man, but never once have I heard of any of his or his clients' cattle that he preg-checked ever aborting their calves simply because a preg-check was done on them. He's real quick and professional about it too, and has been doing it for YEARS. I think the thing that will cause abortion is if the person who is doing it has no prior training went into the wrong hole. I could be wrong, but that's just a hunch.

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I asked a Farmer I know and he said that around here The AI companies like COBA give them sometimes and he will lmk when he hears of the next one .
He thought they would be around $50 but I'm sure it's more ,it always is more then what someone tells you LOL, but I'd be happy with $50!
Thanks,Chris

well around here you almost have to give away pregant yearlings, I've seen 1 1/2 yr old 3rd period heifers go dirt cheap. I know I wouldn't buy one on purpose, to much risk involved IMO. but honestly I'll give the farmer the benifet of the doubt and say he probley didn't think she was bred. I've seen heifers go into heat at 4 months old before and the outcome was not favorable (broke back, or die trying to give birth) , I heard plenty of stories like yours though where the outcome came out OK. one problem you may have now is that the growth will be stunted on your cow and she won't grow much if any now.

but hey steer that calf and it should be weaned by the time hay feeding starts and you can either hay it through the winter or sell it for christmas money.

Can your local auction palpater let you go in after him/her so you gain the experience? maby offer lunch or a nomanal $ amount. Its worth the ask, all they can do is say no. I would hang around and watch anyway. I did and the guy caved and let me try it.

Pregchecking is both easier and harder than it sounds. I know, I do it. Sometimes that calf is right there to greet you, the next time you swear that cow has no reproductive organs, even though she's had several calves before. Up here in Canada, I really don't know of too many programs where they really teach you how to pregcheck. I took a really god AI course in Lethbridge, AB a few years ago, and they did teach me how to pregcheck in addition to AI'ing. But, it was a week long course, with a ton of hands on work. I really doubt that most people would be able to learn in much shorter of a time frame. I've pregchecked our own herd over the last 5 years, that is 100+ head a year, and still I have some trouble being sure. After 90 days is the easiest time for me to check.

As far as abortions, they do happen, but I have only ever seen 1 that I could definitely attribute to the pregchecking. It was a yearling, bred heifer, and we found the fetus the next morning. So while they can happen, as long as the pregchecker is being reasonably cautious I wouldn't get too excited over the idea.

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