Free Martin Jersey?

[farmgirl6]

I have a pet Jersey Steer, but have always wanted a milk cow so when purchased a 10 day old Jersey heifer for $250 who was very ill. She is doing fine now, but I am starting to wonder if this fellow stuck me with a free martin, as her whosis is pretty hairy, having never driven about looking under cow skirts to see what they are supposed to look like, am not sure if I am worrying about nothing..our vet here does not even know how to test for one. She is three months old today...what are the odds she is? its not long hair, just lots of it. and she butts the milk bucket alot, is that boy calf activity? Any advise for this new cow owner would be greta...

[Karin L]

Any calf, be they male or female, would butt the milk bucket either out of play or because they're hungry. Even female calves head-butt each other like bull calves would. And I would believe that excessive hair is more due to some other breed she's got in the woodpile, like Highland or Galloway. Nothing that even is close to telling whether she's a freemartin or not.

Some folks on here said something about doing the test-tube test, but I'm not familiar with that.

[farmgirl6]

Hey, you may be right, I never thought about it, but here coat is much shaggier and curly red, Norman my steer even as a baby was fairly slick coated....wouldn't that be wonderful, I am so attached to the little bugger!

[Timberline]

I hope she's not. Your vet might be able to do a probe test. Butting the bucket is normal for all calves.

This site has some good pics of the differences between normal and freemartins.

http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansci...martinism.html

There is a blood test for, here's just one lab that tests for it.
http://www.biogeneticservices.com/freemartin.htm

[farmgirl6]

Thanks for link CC, Well, her neither regions don't really look like either, the tip at the bottom of her vagina portrudes a bit after she pees, but nothing like that picture and mostly it doesn't show at all (I am not sure the skin at the bottom might not just be a ligher color) but my goodness she has a lot of hair under her tail top to bottom, though nothing very long. I am starting to wonder if she is all Jersey, trying to figure out how to post a picture easily, now that I think about it she does not look much like Stormin Normin my steer. And she is tiny for her age, I think, she turned three months old on the 10th and probably doesn't weigh much over 150 pounds. Healthy and cheeky though! a foal halter is way too big to fit her. She developed four teats, but seems to have a small swelling beneath and I have read FM sometimes have a bump where they would have a scrotom...I may try the blood test...she was sick for a long time also, I drove to several business meetings and even out of state with her lying in the back of my Hummer with an IV hooked to her in a catonic state from a resp infection, so you can see why I am so attached....

[CarolT]

Do the test now, before you get even more attached. Tubing isn't 100% sure but the blood test is. The test isn't too expensive. And if she's not freemartin, the peace of mind is priceless :-)

[farmgirl6]

Carol, am going to have her tested, but regardless of the results, she stays...one of the benefits to being a graphic illustrator for my profession and a farmer as a hobby I guess I will teach her to pull the cart It just means I need to start over with another calf...sigh...I was very fortunate with my first bottle calf Norman, I knew nothing but he was a healthy as could be. This little buggar has gone from one illness to another, nearly died at least three times, given up as a goner by the vet (thus the rides in the back of my vehicle with the IV while I was on travel, I never give up) cost me an arm and leg in vet bills, so I am a bit gun shy..but most folks here don't break their cattle to hand milk or handle, so it seems I have to start with a youngster.

[topside1]

Calves are tubed at less than 30 days of age...Blood test is the route to go..

[wendle]

On the subject of freemartins, when the heifer is a year old is it easier to tell, or would the blood test be needed to be sure.