How do you know if your heifer is pregnant?

[cow whisperer]

Well thought I'd give this a shot.... We have 4 heifers and a bull.... All about the same age, 12 months old..... I have noticed Mo, my bull trying to mount the girls on several occasions..... Now of course I cannot be out there watching 24/7, so he may have got the "job" done, and I wouldn't know......

Is there any signs that a heifer is pregnant? I know they are pregnant for about 9 months...... This is a first for us....

Thanks in advance for any help.....

[john in la]

The only ways to tell in the early stages of pregnancy is to have vet check her or to notice a lack of heat cycles. Basically the same way a woman would know if she is pregnant.

Since you mentioned that they are all 12 months old may I suggest that you separate the bull then give all the heifers a heat cycling shot you can buy at the vets. If they are pregnant this drug will force them back into heat causing them to abort.
12 months is to young for them to be pregnant. They will most likely have problems giving birth because they will not be of proper size to do so even if fed well.
Depending if they are grass fed or given feed daily you can introduce the bull again at 15 to 24 months.

[JeffNY]

Originally Posted by john in la

The only ways to tell in the early stages of pregnancy is to have vet check her or to notice a lack of heat cycles. Basically the same way a woman would know if she is pregnant.

So your saying have a vet check your wife? Now I hope anyone with a wife doesn't take that advice to heart, or you might have some pretty sore guys running around, perhaps with high voices .


On a more serious note. The best way to check is as john said, vet. Estimate 40 days from the time you saw the bull jump the heifer, and get them checked. You could even check now, could be some that were bred (they can breed under 12 months, some).



Good luck.


Jeff

[okie-guy]

I agree with John in La. ; the youngest you want your heifer to give birth is 24 months old , and 28 to 30 months would be better.

[ozark_jewels]

Our Jersey heifers calve out between 20-24 months. We prefer it that way. But we know these cows and have been working with Jerseys for many years. We breed by weight and size rather than age.
Anyone new to cattle would do well to wait until they are calving out at no younger than 24 months. Unless there are extinuating circumstances, I don't like to wait much longer than that though.

[JeffNY]

Dont let them get too old, or they will get fat. Typically 24 months is ideal, range is 22-26, ideally if you can, 24.


Jeff

[john in la]

Originally Posted by JeffNY

So your saying have a vet check your wife? Now I hope anyone with a wife doesn't take that advice to heart, or you might have some pretty sore guys running around, perhaps with high voices .

With the price my wife pays to go to the doctor I kind of wish I could get the vet to work on her. He even makes house calls. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a more serious note; I feel a vet visit is not cost effetive in this case. Just give the heifers a heat cycling shot and be done with it. You will be sure they are not pregnant any more and if they never were you have done no harm.

[willow_girl]

I had a heifer on one of my farms give birth at age 16 months!!!!
Poor lil thing ... she was soooooo tiny!
Never seen anything like that before ...
Farmer said he put her in with the bull to be bred, but she dropped a calf instead ... OMG!

[JeffNY]

Willow girl,



Was she a Jersey? We had a JerseyXbeefer cross calve at 14 months. She did have trouble, no surprise. The interesting thing is the fact she was as big as her mother at 14 months of age. It was one of those, bull out in the pasture, she was there...



Jeff

[cow whisperer]

I guess I should have told you that these heifers are White Face Herefords...... and are at about 700 - 800 pounds.....

Was told that makes a diffrence in breeding ages.....

[willow_girl]

Jeff, nope she was a straight Holstein!

I didn't have a chance to ask the farmer whether she'd had problems or if the calf survived ...

I felt so sorry for her, she was really a nice-looking cow, just TINY, and didn't seem to be giving a lot of milk ...