Close to Calving??

[hiddenhillfarmsllc]

My Highpark was estimated at the vet to calve mid May and here we are lol. I feel like I got another couple weeks left. She has had a lot of discharge and she is pretty loose back there but she ain’t as full as I would have expected. She is a heifer so a first timer. Any guesses?

 

[Mini Horses]

If mine, I wouldn't be losing any sleep with night checks. I'd say at least a couple weeks, more like a month.

 

[hiddenhillfarmsllc]

If mine, I wouldn't be losing any sleep with night checks. I'd say at least a couple weeks, more like a month.

Yeah I definitely figured it was at least 3 more weeks but figured I’d see if anyone else noticed something I didn’t. I’ve had a few people tell me now don’t go by the udders go by the ligament and vulva. So I’ll keep on waiting

 

[Mini Horses]

It's both -- esp with a FF. I watch udders on my goats more than anything else. When teats are full, they'll kid shortly after

 

[peteyfoozer]

On my Jerseys I always looked for the ligaments to sink between the tailhead and pins

 

[farmerjan]

Although I can't see the udder as well as I would like, I would say within a week/10 days tops. Beef animals are different than dairy in they won't fill as hard or as tight as most dairy animals before calving... the teats look pretty well filled/ firm but not tight. Most beef calves cannot deal with the hard tight udders on a fresh cow and for the most part I think that is nature's design to not have them quite as tight.
If you are seeing a good amount of discharge, and she is pretty loose... that is a good sign in my book to watch a HEIFER close, and a calf is probably within a week or so.
When the vet diagnosed her due date, did you have an approx time frame of when she was exposed? Also, how far bred was she... they are much more accurate of how far along they are if checked before 90-100 days... after 3 +/- months pregnant, the calf is more over the pelvic bones, and they are very hard to be very accurate if 5 + months bred...
Another thing... was she "wider" and now actually seems slimmer on her sides? That often means the calf has turned and is more position to calve....she will actually look "less pregnant" just before she has it.....

 

[hiddenhillfarmsllc]

Although I can't see the udder as well as I would like, I would say within a week/10 days tops. Beef animals are different than dairy in they won't fill as hard or as tight as most dairy animals before calving... the teats look pretty well filled/ firm but not tight. Most beef calves cannot deal with the hard tight udders on a fresh cow and for the most part I think that is nature's design to not have them quite as tight.
If you are seeing a good amount of discharge, and she is pretty loose... that is a good sign in my book to watch a HEIFER close, and a calf is probably within a week or so.
When the vet diagnosed her due date, did you have an approx time frame of when she was exposed? Also, how far bred was she... they are much more accurate of how far along they are if checked before 90-100 days... after 3 +/- months pregnant, the calf is more over the pelvic bones, and they are very hard to be very accurate if 5 + months bred...
Another thing... was she "wider" and now actually seems slimmer on her sides? That often means the calf has turned and is more position to calve....she will actually look "less pregnant" just before she has it.....

I need to get a better pic but she is laying a lot more lately so I miss many chances. The vet check her and performed an ultrasound in November and said she was about 2-3 months then. The last heat cycle I observed was begging of August and she was exposed then. I saw the bull actively interested but unfortunately did not see the actual deed to verify it. She does seem a bit thinner than she was in the last couple weeks. She still comes up for feed time. She is still coming over to me for brushes and petting too. Idk I’m all over with being overly anxious since it’s her first.

 

[farmerjan]

Have had some issues with my computer... it needs replacing..... and tonight it was "acting better" and I got to get your pictures to enlarge so I could see the udder and the "looseness" .... I would say that she might be 2-3 weeks out...BUT.... heifers can really fool you... she might udder up a whole bunch and be that way for days or weeks... or not udder up near as much as you think she should be and drop a calf the next day... Once their mammary system gets "started"... the next lactation is usually more accurate and they udder up faster and closer to calving...
Still would like to know when the vet preg checked her; when was her exposure dates... how far along was she supposed to be ... or possibly was..... when she was checked.... Did the vet do palpation or use ultrasound????

Another thing, from your post in the "introduction thread"... I think you said that your cows/heifers are bred to a "mini" bull???? The calf could be smaller also so she might be off from the vet estimate as they sometimes carry smaller calves due to genetics... sometimes the mini combination with standard size seems to throw off the gestation timing....
My vet is very accurate with ultrasound up to about 3-3 1/2 months.... "close " up to 5 months... anything over that it is a "she's very preg and I would hazard a guess at 7 months maybe more.... and some have been big calves that were not as far as he said... and some small calves that he said were not as far and calved sooner than expected...

 

[farmerjan]

If the exposure was the beginning of Aug... 270 days m/l.... mid May is a ball park. If she had another heat after that one then end of May is more like it.... If the vet ultra sounded her in Nov... 2-3 months is way too "generalized"; at that point they should have been able to say 75 or 90 days or something... our vet is very precise up to about 100 days.... but then he does alot of cows regularly....
Bred to a mini I would not get too worried... if the calf is normal, then she should "spit it out" with no big deal...

 

[hiddenhillfarmsllc]

Just an update…..no calf yet. Bag is getting a bit fuller and she seems to be laying more. She was not up to photos when I went to check on her this afternoon.