Breeding[edit | edit source]
Whether we are using AI or putting our cow to a bull, we need to be identify the right time in her cycle to do it. A cow normally comes into heat every 21 days, which lasts for an average of 16 hours. During this period you will see a marked change in the cows behaviour, some things you might notice:
- She is restless, and lows as if looking for her calf. She sometimes wanders away.
- She urinates only a little at a time and sniffs the air.
- Her eyes have a wild expression and she flicks her ears actively.
- She licks other cows, tries to mount them and allows other cows to mount her.
- Her vulva is swollen and mucous sometimes hangs from it. The tail hangs next to the vulva and is slightly lifted.
Source: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/farm-basics/how-to-livestock/5-signs-your-cattle-are-on-heat/
This is the ideal time to AI your cow, you stand the best change of successful insemination. If she was living with a bull then you wouldn't need to monitor her cycles, nature would handle it for you.
Pregnancy testing[edit | edit source]
After servicing our cow, we are going to want to monitor her progress to ensure that she is indeed in calf. There are many ways to do this but I will outline the ones we would use:
- Return to oestrus. The cheapest approach, simply monitor the cow and if she returns to her normal oestrus cycle then she isn't in calf.
- Rectal palpation. If the person doing it is experienced, this can be an extremely effective way to detect pregnancy, sometimes as early as 1 month.
- Ultrasound examination. More expensive but the most accurate and provides the earliest detection.
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