FF springer?what are the signs

[Jcran]

I've been away from HT for ages and am glad to be back! My daughter traded her pony for a "small framed" Hereford. THAT heifer is going on 3 and been with a little bull since June and despite regular cycles, hasn't settled. The breeder has become a friend and gave my daughter a 2yr old heifer who is due to calve anytime from now up to March. I'm supposed to watch for her to get "sloppy in her jalopy", lol, but I'm not sure WHAT that means...I know goats and loose tailheads and tight shiny udders. What does it look like in a beef heifer? Another friend who has angus said the udder doesn't bag like a goat...she has a bag now, or at least tissue, but will it get tight?

[Jcran]

[suzyhomemaker09]

there is generally a mucous type discharge that is evident close to calving.

[MDKatie]

She'll also hold her tail away from her body a bit when she's getting close. They will bag up, so just keep an eye on her udder so you notice changes. Mainly, look for the tail away from body, any mucousy discharge, not eating, and just changes from her normal/regular behavior (isolation, etc).

[G. Seddon]

Was her pregnancy confirmed? Here are a couple of articles for you that might help:

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/e-newsl...137434583.html

http://www.noble.org/ag/livestock/mi...alfdifficulty/

[Jcran]

Oh yes, THIS heifer is bred and deep...she's a mini Hereford bred to a mini Hereford...sadly, with the horrific drought here in California, we may put her in the freezer next summer after weaning the calf and putting a little grain finish on her. She turned 2 on January 11. Where we live its just too hard to find a similarly sized bull to safely breed her to. The breeder is 4 hrs away...feed prices are scheduled to go through the roof, etc

[postroad]

The tendons by the tail will soften in preparation for delivery.
Easy to feel the difference if she will stand for it.

[barnbilder]

I would say that one is definitely bred, but I think it will be toward the later end of your timeframe. Unfortunately, heifers are hard to tell about. They might not bag up until they have calved. When they calve after spring grass comes, it seems like they bag up more and longer, but this time of year it seems like they can do it in more like a couple of days. Her "jalopy" should get "sloppier", when viewed from profile it should protrude out toward the tail some, the actual opening should get longer top to bottom, and the tissue around it should look wider. How much depends on the cow, not so much with a heifer. An old cow might get so loose it looks like you could drive a truck in there, three weeks before she has a calf. Mucus stuck to the tail is a pretty sure sign you are going to have a calf within a couple weeks.