looking at a bred heifer - even More questions added! About $$$$$$$$$

[kelsey2017]

Hi I am inquiring about a Jersey/Shorthorn cross heifer that is 15 months old and is thought to be bred. She would be trained to be our family milk cow and be a cowshare with a neighbor. I Have never had a bovine before but have other animals and am not worried about the commitment required to raise one and all that, but I do have a few just general questions that a book won't be able to answer.

She won't be kept with other cattle but won't be alone either, she will be in with our two sheep and my very gentle TB gelding. There are beef cattle that live right next door and I am wondering if she will be upset by seeing and hearing other bovines but not getting to live with them? I don't want to try and catch her if she gets loose with them on 80 acres!

The man I would be buying her from just has family cows for their use and is selling her because they don't need her but she is too nice to just butcher. He SAYS she was in heat (just this last month) and has been running with the Jersey bull and hasn't come back into heat. I don't know this man and have no reason to take his word for anything at all. So my question is if she were a free-martin could her body still think she was bred (like a false pregnancy- or phantom pregnancy) even though she would be infertile? Is there anyway to tell at all or am I completely at the mercy of this mans honesty?

And then the price- He was asking $750 on CL but when I called he said $650 if I paid him cash. I do think that in my area that seems like a fair price for her if she truly is bred and I will have two bovines and MILK (yay!) in May, but it is a big gamble if she isn't bred. I do plan on asking my friend, a 50+ years of experience, cattleman to come with me when I go to see her. But I don't want to pay for a vetting. Any opinions? Thanks guys!

P.S. This site and BYC are dangerous. I found BYC for the chicken forum and have since acquired turkeys, ducks, and sheep as well! Look out - here come cows!

 

[herfrds]

A free martin is a sterile female. I've heard people say they can be bred, but we had one and she was unbreedable. Vet tested her.

If she was in heat and running with a bull does not mean a whole lot. Some cows won't stand for the bull or the bull might have no interest in that particle cow. I've seen that happen.
Best way to tell is have a vet palpate her, but if she is only less then 30 days it would be hard to tell.

You may not want to pay for the vet, but if you do not know how to palpate for an embroy then you will be running the risk of having an open heifer you poured a bunch of time and feed into and no calf or milk to show for it.

Did this guy tell you she was a free martin? If he did run the other way.

 

[jhm47]

A freemarten is a heifer twin to a bull calf. Doubtful that this is the case here. If the heifer actually came into heat, she is definitely NOT a freemarten. They don't cycle at all. If you have all these doubts, I'd scratch up the $$$ to have a vet check her. Cheaper in the long run. There is also a blood test that can be done to establish pregnancy. Costs around $20. Good luck!

 

[kelsey2017]

Thanks do much for your replies. No he did not say she was a free martin. I do know that they are sterile but I didn't know if they cycle at all. And I wanted to be armed with some knowledge of how that worked. So the info was great!

Any opinions on her sharing fence lines with other cattle? The beef cows and their calves are next to us two or three times a summer and will be going home soon, so maybe if they are gone before I bring her home and not back until next spring it won't be a problem. I just don't want her to be lonesome for bovine company! I have two (at least) of every other species for that reason. I do think though that I would like the time she would be away from other cows to help her bond with me and my children. I know that I needed to have my TB alone so we could bond, because it seems that an unhandled animal needs to be looking for companionship and only have their "new" human for it until they learn to trust you.

Oh and I do think a vet 'round here would be considerably more than $20! BUt I will look into it because I don't know anyone with a small Bull to breed her and the seller does have a Jersey bull which would be what I want at least for the first and second breedings. She will only be about 750# full grown so the neighbors HUGE(!!!) black Angus just won't work!

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

You may also be able to get another cattle farmer to preg check her. They glove up, reach in the upper hole and feel downwards for a baby. Some of em skip the glove.

 

[kelsey2017]

What would you be feeling for in real early pregnancy? He said she was in heat in Aug. I probably wouldn't think it was too gross if I did it.

 

[Okie Amazon]

It sounds like a vet exam might be money well spent, lest you end up with a "milk" cow with no milk and no baby! You can send blood in to Pan American Labs in Texas for a pregnancy test very cheaply.

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

I'm a goat person not a cow person. All I know is there is a way of feeling for the pregnancy. It may have to be further along than a month to tell though.



Found a site on it.

http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/eiltslotus/theriogenology-5361/bovine_pregnanacy.htm

 

[kelsey2017]

I am going to look at me prospective heifer, what should I make sure I ask about? I don't know what vaccinations cows get and what tests they should have. I think I can figure out from my reading what things to look for as far as conformation, temperament, condition etc. I will be able to see the heifers mother and hopefully get to see her milked and also see the bull that she was bred to as well. What things should I MAKE SURE I ask?

 

[jodief100]

I recomend a TB and burcilious test. Both of those can be passed to people from the milk. I am a goat person, do not know much about cows. There may be more I don't know about.