Calf Watch...Guess with me....

[cjc]

I have a Jersey Heifer that is about to calf what I thought was any minute now about a week ago! Her back end is swollen, 2 days ago there was a fair bit of clear mucous (mucous plug maybe?), her teats are not full with milk but her udder is getting tighter. But she's a heifer and most likely to confuse the crap out of us! This cow follows us everywhere and she hasn't changed in that sense. Sometimes our cows will isolate themselves. I can feel the calf's hoof right below her hip bone. Here are a few pictures. What's your guess? Her vet due date was a week ago:

Now I have this other cow. Shorthorn, 8 years old. I am not sure if she is pregnant. I really thought she was but now I'm super confused. She was with a bull for 7 months! All the other girls have calved now but the last time I saw the bull on her would put her at about 8.75 months pregnant. Her and our Hereford, who didn't take, were jumping on each other the other day. I assumed our Hereford was in heat as the Shorthorn wasn't standing still. But now I am really doubting this girl is pregnant! I didn't get a picture of her back end as really there is nothing to see! What do you think of this udder? Old saggy bag or is this milk coming in?

 

[TAH]

I have no idea. But I am watching for calves.

 

[AClark]

Your Jersey looks close but not bagged up enough to me? Maybe because she's a heifer, but I'd bet within the next 2 days or so as sunken as she is in the back end.

ETA: Have any bad weather coming your way? If so, I'd bet on that day, lol. Usually how it works.

 

[cjc]

Ya I thought she would have had a bigger udder but all of our heifers seem to get that big tight udder the day after the calf is born. She is our only dairy cow though so I only assumed hers would get even bigger but maybe not. She has been laying down for most of the day today.

And yes! haha. Always seems to be that way! Although this season all of our babies were born on smokin' hot days!

 

[Bernard]

Glove up and palpate or get someone to do it. By far easier than guessing

 

[cjc]

@Bernard it was done a month ago. That is not my specialty. I have a vet coming over on Thursday to look at the shorthorn if the Jersey doesn't calf by then ill let him have a gander at her.

But, come on, there is no fun if there is no guessing!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Really hard to tell with the shorthorn. But her teats do look saggy and not filled with milk. A preg-check will verify if she's open; get them to check too if she's cystic, because that might be part of the problem that she's not catching.

With the Jersey, golly, she'll be calving any day, it's just a matter of time when the calf decides to tell her it's time to come out. Hopefully you don't have to wait any longer!

 

[greybeard]

@Bernard it was done a month ago. That is not my specialty. I have a vet coming over on Thursday to look at the shorthorn if the Jersey doesn't calf by then ill let him have a gander at her.

Are you saying the shorthorn was palpated a month ago? If so what was the result?
(The 'fun' in guessing disappeared for me long ago)

 

[farmerjan]

Not much fun in the guessing when you are putting all that feed and time in them. If the hereford was diagnosed open, I assume you are going to eat her? I think that you said the shorthorn was 8.75 according to the last time you saw the bull on her? Beef cattle tend to run a bit over on the normal charts for dairy gestation, and swiss are the longest of the dairy breeds with jersey's being the shortest. Since you are not doing alot of grain, the jersey won't bag as tight or get as much edema before calving usually, I would say 2-5 days more. the loose clear mucous can come as much as 5-8 days before actual calving; see it with the beef heifers alot 2-5 days ahead. I would get the shorthorn palpated, and have the vet check the jersey if she hasn't had it by then. Since you only have a few animals I know it is easy to get attached, but don't let yourself spend a ton of money on animals that are hard breeders and such. Cystic ovaries happen and they aren't the end of the world, but anytime you keep hard breeders and then keep a calf out of them you are perpetuating a problem and that is defeating the whole purpose of being self-sufficient. And if an animal is checked preg then loses it, and rebreeds and loses it again, get rid of her. Abortions happen, but more than once you are asking for trouble.

 

[farmerjan]

Older beef cows usually bag up and calve in 24 - 48 hours, they don't get much udder until it is time to use it!!!