Free martin questions....

luvrulz · #1 03/01/11, 08:50 AM

GM! I have a Holstein/Jersey cross heifer and she's a little more than 2 yrs old. She's been running with the bulls and we pen everyone together and she just recently came into heat. Since she's been with the bulls all along and has never bred - could she be a free martin? Do they come into heat and just not get pregnant? Will she have regular cycles if she is a free martin? And how can you tell if you have one? We bought her @ 3 mos old at an Amish auction and were surprised that she hasn't had a calf yet-

TIA - any info appreciated,
Joellen

randiliana · #2 03/01/11, 09:05 AM

She sure could be a freemartin. Freemartins, depending on how badly they are affected may do anything from not coming into heat at all, to coming into heat but not breeding, to breeding but not being able to carry a pregnancy. She may or may not have regular cycles. You could have a vet palpate her, they should be able to tell if she is or not. There is also a test for it, but I don't know much about that. Hopefully someone else can tell you more about that.

linn · #3 03/01/11, 09:11 AM

You can have a blood test done if you are not sure. Here are some links with information:

http://www.27januari.co.cc/2010/11/freemartin_27.html

http://beef.unl.edu/FAQ/200701090.shtml

myersfarm · #4 03/01/11, 10:47 AM

take a picture of her udder from behind...it could be really obvious to me IF she is...and it might be just her time to bred ...if she has not been on Protien other then grass..she might be a late bloomer..but post a picture from behind

Tad · #5 03/01/11, 02:59 PM

Free martins don't USUALLY cycle but you never know I guess. Have her checked out by a vet if you really want to know for sure. It does seem odd that she is 2 and you haven't seen her in heat, was she standing for the bull? She might be a late bloomer but there are more questions than answers at this point. Maybe 9 months from now you will have a little one!

topside1 · #6 03/01/11, 07:02 PM

I'd like to see that photo? Hoping to learn something today.

myersfarm · #7 03/01/11, 08:24 PM

OK everybody wants to see this picture....I can decribe this and then you decide....short teats I mean short I call them BULL TEATS..teats usually FLAT...not round.........no udder it will be smooth if looked at from behind it will hug the belly the back tits will be 3 inches higher then the front tits no sag no wrinkles..no nothing.....

now Everybody should be able to tell if it is a !00% freemartin..but if it has a nice udder it can still be a freemartin...

If you google freemartin on most of those post it is me that responds to them..

People say why not run the blood test....but if she looks like I decribe why waste your money testing ...she is a FREEMARTIN

if she had a normal udder spend the money and do the blood test if in doubt

Ronney · #8 03/02/11, 06:07 AM

Joellen, when in doubt about something like this, talk to your vet and get them to come out. They are the one that can see her, advise about blood tests, do a physical examination, something that none of us on here are able to do.

I say that because I nearly sent a 2.50 year old Friesian to the works because despite running with a bull all the time, she was no nearer to calving than she had been as a calf! She looked like a cow, acted like a cow, cycled like a cow but to see her teats you had to stand on your head. She had no udder to speak of and her teats were no bigger than the first joint of my thumb. At the last minute I got the vet out to her - she was approximately 4 months pregnant and calved at just over 3 years old. She continued to calve annually until she died.

The point is that there are no hard and fast rules for anything and for the sake of some professional input and the cost of it, you will know exactly where you stand and can then make informed decisions as to what happens to her.

Cheers,
Ronnie

luvrulz · #9 03/02/11, 08:15 AM

She's been small for her age, and we're thinking now she just might be a late bloomer -

I've set up a photo bucket acct and will get the photo today! Thanks for the help - we wouldn't send her to freezer camp without a couple months of tracking this. She's a sweetheart and we're planning on milking her! Hopefully -

We have cow practioners around here - not really a vet that comes out to do house calls.... We will take care of the photo today tho;

Thx again -
Joellen

Jennifer L. · #10 03/02/11, 09:37 AM

Freemartins sometimes are very tall and leggy, so that's something else you can look for. Not all, but a good percentage that I've raised.

Awfully good eating. I'm never too upset to raise one and find out she won't breed. Some of the best meat for the freezer there is going.

Jennifer