False Pregnancy?

[swiss.susan]

Hello cow people! I have yet another question. I have done internet searches and am really not coming up with very much. Can someone describe to me the symptoms of a false pregnancy in cows? I have one, 25 mos old that I really thought was bred before my other heifer. The other heifer calved a month ago. There is udder activity, and her gut is huge...I just really, really thought she was bred first. I know I could have her vet checked but I don't need instant gratification, I can wait her out. My other concern is if they do this once, does that indicate a problem? Is she likely to do this again? Or am I probably just wrong about dates? She has not cycled either.

 

[Cricket]

Was she with a bull? I would wonder if she maybe aborted early on and then got bred back quietly?

 

[WildRoseBeef]

You know that doesn't sound like a false pregnancy at all, it sounds like she's certainly bred, but set to calve at a later date, just like what Cricket proposed. Heifers (and cows too!) are most certainly able either abort early or the embryo dies at an early date, gets reabsorbed back into her system and she's gets open again, which lets her be bred after your other heifer was bred.

False pregnancy is actually nonexistent in cattle. Cattle either have a period of anestrus, false heats, silent heats, or cystic ovaries which may make cows either be in heat all the time or not at all, hence the "false pregnancy."

In your cause, it definitely sounds like she's bred. You could get her preg-checked by a vet to make sure or even send a blood-test in to a lab that specializes in verifying pregnancy by progesterone/estrogen levels in the blood. Would love to see some pictures of this heifer, like her "girly" parts and a side/rear of her showing her sides, etc., too.

 

[swiss.susan]

Yes she was with a Bull so it's very possible that she aborted and was rebred. That didn't even cross my mind I think I have figured out how to get pictures on here, I have recently taken pictures of the first heifer that calved so I am going to try and upload one of those and if it works I will go out tomorrow and take pics of the other one.

 

[swiss.susan]

omg it worked! Look at me go, uploading pictures and all. Is this heifer to thin? I didn't think so when she was pregnant but after calving...she is eating about 15 lbs of grain a day and all the pasture she wants. good pasture too. Tomorrow I will take pics of the other girl in question.

 

[swiss.susan]

 

[WildRoseBeef]

She don't look thin to me, looks like she's in good shape to be calving soon...my guess is in a month or so.

 

[redtailgal]

SHe looks like she has already calved........Are you sure that the calf standing with her is not hers?


http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/6806_dscf5273.jpg

 

[Cricket]

She looks fine to me--plus if she's getting that much grain and good pasture she'll put weight back on. It's probably that you got used to her 'in calf' look. On the other one--can you bump a calf? Put your fist low on the right side of her belly right up against her and punch. If she'd due within a month or 2 you should feel the calf bounce back. (I can't do this, as I don't ever punch hard enough!) If nothing else, it sometimes wakes that sleeping baby up and it'll start kicking. Good luck! (How is the cow you are milking by hand going?)

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Your first momma that calfed pictured here looks great. Congratulations!

Can't wait to see the pictures of the momma in question.