question on young heifers

hyamiranda · #1 04/13/11, 10:34 PM

We have two heifers, both right at 2 years old now that, as far as we've been able to notice, have not started cycling. Well, I should say, as far as my father-in-law has noticed, he hasn't seen anything that to him would indicate they have matured sexually. They are unrelated, they came from two separate places. One heifer is a simmental/angus cross and the other is either a black angus or red/black angus cross. What could be the cause of them not to mature sexually and is there anything that can be done?

willow_girl · #2 04/13/11, 10:44 PM

Are you sure they're not freemartins?
Or already bred?

**gone-a-milkin** · #3 04/13/11, 10:44 PM

Surely they have matured by now.
Honestly, a lot of people really dont pay much attention to their cattle.

If all he is doing is going out there for 5 minutes a day...he wont see much of anything.
What 'signs' is he expecting to see?

Does he plan on breeding them somehow? They sound plenty old enough.

He could get an AI technician to synchronize their heat cycles and thave them bred that way.

I find it unlikely that both of them are somehow immature at 2 y/old.
I suppose they could both be freemartins, in which case they are ready to go off to freezer camp.

MO_cows · #4 04/13/11, 10:47 PM

1) Is he sure they are not freemartins?
2) Are they in poor condition? If they are not receiving adequate nutrition they might not cycle.
3) They are cycling and he just isn't catching them in heat. Some show more signs than others. We have one meek little heifer that we never saw anybody trying to ride her, never saw her ride anybody else, also we never saw the bull pay any attention to her. She delivered a calf last Friday. She is also 2 yrs old.

matt_man · #5 04/14/11, 12:02 AM

Although it is unusual, we had a heifer that was not cycling that we had ever noticed and she was 18mo old. She ended up being cystic and was given some lutelyse and then ended up breeding on her next cycle.

I would seriously ponder the possibility of freemartinism or nutritional deficiency and watch them closely to be really sure they are not showing signs of being in heat. Are they by themselves or with other cattle or a bull? Could they have been bred when you got them?

Ronney · #6 04/14/11, 06:43 AM

Miranda, a lot of cows don't make a song and dance when they come into heat and often their paddock mates won't take much notice either so it can become very hard to detect heat. As a good example of this, I've got 5 milkers that spent two months RWB. I was milking them twice a day, every day and probably spent 3-4 hours a day in their company as well as being able to see them some of the time from the house. I know they are all pregnant but I only saw two show signs of heat and only one actually go to the bull.

I doubt that there is anything wrong with your cows other than the lack of a bull.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Allen W · #7 04/14/11, 08:38 AM

Ronney is right, cattle don't show much when they are in heat. As long as they are in good body condition and not overly fat they are more then likely cycling.

spinandslide · #8 04/14/11, 12:25 PM

sometimes you;ll see cattle riding one another when in heat..but I honestly have never seen it with mine..if you are concerned, have a vet test them for freemartin-ism..but Im inclined to think they are probably just fine..and DEFINANTLY old enough to be bred.

francismilker · #9 04/15/11, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronney

Miranda, a lot of cows don't make a song and dance when they come into heat and often their paddock mates won't take much notice either so it can become very hard to detect heat. As a good example of this, I've got 5 milkers that spent two months RWB. I was milking them twice a day, every day and probably spent 3-4 hours a day in their company as well as being able to see them some of the time from the house. I know they are all pregnant but I only saw two show signs of heat and only one actually go to the bull.

I doubt that there is anything wrong with your cows other than the lack of a bull.Cheers,
Ronnie

What he said!

hyamiranda · #10 04/15/11, 06:21 PM

These heifers are on my father-in-law's farm. I don't have much to do with the cattle side, I stick mostly to my dairy goats. However, we've raised these two heifers from a week old. They are currently with two steers that are being kept for beef that we got around the same time. I wouldn't doubt that the signs have just not been noticed.

We are going to be running them with their neighbor's bull, but I think he was waiting for signs of them to be in heat. I think I'll make the recommendation that he get them over with the bull and let nature takes its course. Thanks for all the answers. I love sites like this were folks can go to get information.