How Much Does a 9 Month Old Beef Calf Sell for

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Determining pregnancy in cattle has many benefits. You tin can get twice the meat then when the cow wasn't meaning and a producer is able to know which cattle will be the keepers and which will need to be culled as soon as possible. All this because an open, unbred or non-pregnant cow is unable to produce returns in the form of a calf in commutation for the costs incurred and associated with keeping them on the farm, mainly in the course of feed, labour and upkeep on equipment and facilities, unlike a pregnant cow which tin can give birth to and raise a calf to weaning where it can be sold as either a food beast, or breeding stock; and by understanding the physical characteristics that shows how a moo-cow or heifer could possibly be bred or significant, diagnoses of in determining the increased or decreased probability of pregnancy tin can be made without the often costly consultation past a veterinary.

This article, and then, is based on detecting pregnancy by determining whether a heifer or cow should exist culled particularly in a medium to large-sized cattle herd. "Open" (not-pregnant) cattle cost money to feed and intendance for because they are not carrying whatsoever potential--in the form of a calf--income to make whatever returns on the costs incurred with keeping them. Exceptions are if a producer has a special emotional bond with one or more heifers or cows as a pet, or if they just a small-scale herd of only one to five animals. In these cases, most of the fourth dimension second and third (or quaternary and 5th so on) chances can easily be given without much worry of whatsoever potential fiscal brunt associated with keeping a female person bovine that may not calve on time, if at all. (However, even if one cow comes up open for a farmer that has a tiny herd to rely on for income because [due south]he is non fifty-fifty considered financially well off, such exceptions do non and cannot exist for that producer.) Dairy operations also are relatively more lenient on keeping poor-conceiving heifers and cows than beefiness operations because of the normally low conception rates associated with having a dairy herd. Usually cows and heifers take about two to three chances at successful conception-to-pregnancy earlier they too may chance being culled from the herd.

This commodity contains two sections. The starting time helps you empathize the physical characteristics cows and heifers bear witness when they are pregnant. The second explains the various methods available to perform manual checks to ostend if ane or more cattle are pregnant.

Note: With the second department, the general descriptions of the mentioned commercially available tests are only offered in this article. If yous have any farther and/or more in-depth questions well-nigh any test or method mentioned here, delight make sure that yous first talk with your bovine or large-animal veterinarian virtually your options before making a final decision based on what you take read here.

1. 1

   Observe the behaviour of cows and heifers. The behaviour of cows and heifers after they have conceived is one of the all-time non-invasive means of determining pregnancy in cattle. Simply put, meaning cattle will non (or should not) come into estrus or "rut" for the entire duration of the 9.34-calendar month (285 day) gestation period.

   • The estrous wheel in cattle occurs, on average, every 21 days. If a cow or heifer has aborted or captivated the embryo, she will soon come into estrus and continue regular cycling until she conceives again. Embryo absorption, early embryonic expiry, or fetal abortion can happen at any time during a cow's pregnancy and can be caused past annihilation, from extreme stress to a illness a cow acquired earlier or during her gestation. How to Tell when a Moo-cow or Heifer Is in Estrus fully explains the rut activeness shown past such cows. Thus if a cow unexpectedly starts to behave like she's in estrus during her pregnancy, particularly if she is several months forth, chances are she aborted the fetus and is beginning to become back into regular cycling. Assimilation of the embryo occurs within the get-go ii to three weeks subsequently convenance.
     • False heats may be experienced by females during the first few weeks mail-conception, and though they are rare, they can be hands misdiagnosed by the producer equally an actual rut period. Such suspicions can only exist confirmed or rejected if follow-upwardly with a proper test (come across below) is completed at least a month and a one-half after breeding.
   • Observing behaviour also applies to cows' and heifers' male person counterparts. Bulls will not show any interest to any cows that maintain pregnancy. They but testify interest if a cow comes into heat and when she's set to calve. This is considering, during both periods, estrogen levels increase every time a cow is ane to three days away from coming into heat, and when it's fourth dimension for the calf to be born. (At birth, the fetus sends stress signals to the dam'southward nervous organisation which starts a cascade of hormonal events, such which largely includes progesterone levels decreasing and estrogen increasing.) A bull can sense this through performing what's known as the "flehmen response" where he "tests," via drinking, the urine of a female person to check for pheromone activity. The bull tilts his head up loftier and dorsum as far as he tin to let the fluid to drain into a sensory organ in his nasal passage chosen the Jacobson organ. Crimper his upper lip upwardly allows the urine to menses into this organ as deep as possible to meliorate test for pheromone activity. High levels of progesterone in the moo-cow's arrangement, which would be nowadays in the urine, will tell a bull that she is not bachelor for his services. Besides getting a piffling bit of a head-butt to the ribs from the cow herself in displaying her disappointment in his flirtatious advances, it also tells him that information technology's probably best to find another female that would potentially be in more than need of his amorous intentions.

2. 2

   Pay attention to physical changes of cows and heifers. Changes to size and shape of body parts can exist noticed in both cows and heifers, primarily with the belly (or "barrel"), and the udder.

   • Unlike humans, cows do not typically show their "baby bump" until they're almost half-way through gestation. Just subsequently then do you lot begin to run into how the moo-cow or heifer is getting larger in the abdominal region. By mid- to late-third trimester when a cow or heifer is considered "heavily meaning," she synonymously looks quite similar a big, round barrel with a caput, a tail, and four legs.
   • In heifers, the udder begins to fill out more than and attain maturity. Heifers that are "virgin" or not withal conceived volition have an nether-developed udder that is simply resembled past the presence of 4 small teats tucked up under their abdomen between their hind legs. As they progress into their gestation period, the udder gradually becomes more prominent until she gives birth. A heifer will not take as defined an udder as a mature cow will (nor even a mature dairy moo-cow), but it will be equally big an udder as a heifer will need to feed her newborn dogie.
     • Mature cows already have a fully developed udder so there will exist no change in the physical structure of the mammary organ as in the bred heifers. Cows likewise will not begin to fill upwards with milk until they are showing signs that calving is imminent. Nonetheless, a moo-cow that is pregnant and all the same has a calf to suckle will continue to produce milk until that calf is weaned. With dairy cows, when they successfully conceive and get pregnant they will continue to lactate until they are "dried off" or, essentially, forced to stop producing milk by not taking any more than milk from them for the next ii months until they calve.
       • The belief that a moo-cow must get pregnant in order to produce milk is purely myth . Cows simply become pregnant to produce a calf, and simply produce milk with the intent to feed that calf. That a cow becomes significant and is producing milk is purely coincidental due to the overlap of the length of lactation period (6 to eight months for beef cattle, 10 months for dairy) and the gestation menstruum (approximately 9.five months in all female bovines).

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3. iii

   Fetal responsiveness to concrete or observational pregnancy testing. The beneath pregnancy tests, if they can be called that, are inaccurate as best and should merely performed on females that are in late pregnancy, i.e., from months five to 9. They should not exist counted as reliable tests for determining pregnancy especially with disability to perform such tests at early on gestation, and because results confirming pregnancy are less of a guarantee than other more reliable methods mentioned in the adjacent department. However, they can be done purely out of marvel and involvement in seeing the physical responses of the fetus when one or more of such tests are performed.

   • Abdominal ballottement (bumping). This can only be used in females that are five to 7 months into their pregnancy. To experience for the fetus, apply the following technique:
     • one. Place your manus or fist against the lower right flank region of the abdomen, so
     • two. Make a short, vigorous inward-upwards thrust and keep your manus in place. You volition feel the hard fetus come back confronting your hand. The amniotic fluid will let the fetus to recede against your bump but autumn back in place almost immediately.
     • The size of the fetus determines the effectiveness of this technique, which ways that it tin only be washed when the cow is over halfway through her gestation menstruum and not one and a half to three months (45 to ninety days) post-convenance. Because of that it's not an effective technique for early-detection pregnancy nor for large herds that need to be "preg-checked" in a brusk thing of time. It'southward best for minor herds and for producers that would want to feel for a fetal calf that is but a few months away from birthing for curiosity'southward sake.
   • Formation of uterine seal or mucosal plug in the cervix. Typically a pregnant cow will form a seal in the cervix to protect the fetus from foreign bodies (leaner and soil, mostly) entering the uterus. The plug can only be seen with a speculum and low-cal that is inserted in the vaginal canal. The mucosal plug can besides be felt via rectal palpation. This method is non always reliable because the plug is not ever readily observed because information technology may course deeper in the cervix than throughout the unabridged organ.
   • Fetal heart shell. This is all-time performed after the sixth calendar month of gestation, though detection tin can be unreliable as information technology is not as certain equally with other classes or species of farm animals as in cows. Use of a stethoscope is recommended fifty-fifty though pressing an ear against the right lower abdominal region and listening volition also yield good results. The fetal center trounce can be distinguished from the dam with its greater frequency and higher and lighter pitch. This method is not recommended if the cow is not cooperative nor accustomed to human touch. Do this merely on cows or heifers that are accustomed to your affect and you trust each other plenty to be able to practice this without a stethoscope and without getting kicked. Similar with bumping cows, this can simply be done on those cows in the final two-thirds of their pregnancy, and is not ideal if early detection of pregnancy takes higher precedence than mere marvel and a willingness to await for a long menstruum of time earlier being able to make up one's mind pregnancy of a cow or heifer.
   • Fetal motion. Patience is much needed to observe voluntary fetal movements on the right side of the cow through the abdominal wall because you just need to wait see such movements. This can only be done when the moo-cow or heifer is in the latter half of pregnancy, and is certainly not ideal for either early detection or if you wish to have results without waiting for either the right fourth dimension to detect nor to see whatever results.

4. 4

   Perform an authentic scientific pregnancy diagnosis to ostend observations. Four primary pregnancy tests are available for producers to choose from in guild of cost to use: Rectal palpation, PAG ELISA with blood and milk samples, and ultrasound. Such pregnancy tests can be utilized based on the type of cattle (dairy or beef, and fifty-fifty purebred versus commercial), and level of tape keeping done. Some tests are better to use than others based on expense and ease of use, and how well breeding records are kept. For example, PAG ELISA via either milk or claret testing is not recommended if inadequate and imprecise records are habitually kept for either beefiness or dairy operations. The second section below describes the methods to use, what is involved with carrying out such methods and whether it may be right for your herd or not.

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1. 1

   Catch and restrain the cow or heifer . Pregnancy testing often cannot be done while an animal is loose for several reasons, including the moo-cow or heifer is non accustomed to being in close proximity to humans, and safety to both the man handler and the animal in question. A squeeze chute is ideal, though a 6' by 3' box with a head-gate is also preferable. A "medina" gate or a gate that confines a moo-cow and so that she has no choice simply to back out to escape is too good for a small number of animals that need checking.

2. ii

   Choose your method of pregnancy detection. At that place are several methods bachelor to check pregnancy, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

   • Rectal palpation. More unremarkably referred to every bit "preg-checking." Delight see the commodity How to Perform Rectal Palpation in Cows and Heifers for more comprehensive data.
     • This is the most popular and mutual method used by large animal veterinarians, artificial insemination technicians and cattlemen for both beef and dairy herds, primarily because of its timeliness--it guarantees early diagnosis at 45 to ninety days post-breeding, and information technology allows results to exist determined within seconds compared with other methods mentioned hither. An experienced technician or large-beast veterinarian tin can perform this method and determine pregnancy with 98 per centum accuracy in about five to 10 seconds, however technicians with less experience typically take longer to make a diagnosis, and accuracy may be lower. It's as well the cheapest form of pregnancy checking compared with the other master methods similar milk pregnancy testing, blood testing, and ultrasound.
       • Hazard of ballgame is quite minimal peculiarly when performed by experienced operators, nonetheless information technology is a run a risk with this form of pregnancy checking. Other risks associated are spread of disease from cow to cow particularly if shoulder-length gloves are non changed after preg-checking each female person. If there are many females to check (well over 100 cattle, for example), that means a lot of dirty gloves to throw away. Thus, as far as take chances of disease transfer is concerned, it's a hazard to consider if you lot don't want to accept to switch to a new glove after checking every cow.
     • The operator applies this method to recognize any changes in uterine arteries and the tone, size, and location of the uterine horns through the rectal wall. Oftentimes only i of the uterine horns (out of only two) will be either more bloated or lowered deeper into the trunk cavity of the female person, and the uterine arteries may exist more distended with extra blood pumping to the newly formed placenta connecting the fetus to the dam.
   • Claret test. Claret tests are used to test for pregnancy-specific proteins found in the serum of claret. Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are placenta-expressed inactive aspartic proteinases frequently referred to equally pregnancy-recognition markers^[one] . Different the hormone progesterone which is commonly known to be associated with pregnancy, PAGs are present simply during pregnancy (and around 60 to 90 days later calving), thus are the all-time means to decide pregnancy condition in cows. An ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay) or RIA (radioimmunoassay) test singles out these proteinases and shows their concentration levels in both milk (see below) and blood samples. ELISA testing is more popular to use considering results tin can be obtained faster than RIA, generally. Yous will not get the time frame of how far along in gestation a moo-cow or heifer is, simply you will get a yes-or-no reply on whether the female person is pregnant or not, or if the female needs to exist rechecked (another sample of blood is drawn from the animal in question and sent back to the lab).
     • Platonic for both beef and dairy herds. Blood testing is gaining popularity over palpation per rectum considering of less stress and trauma on cattle, significantly reduced disease run a risk, and more accurate diagnosis. Blood samples are too relatively easy to become, provided a veterinarian tin can show you how to properly take them so that you do non demand to call out a vet every time. The lab you lot are planning on sending your blood samples also will supply you with the tubes, the box those tubes are in and the bubble wrap they are independent in. The companies that offer these tests include BioPRYN - Biotracking LLC (Moscow, ID), PAG-IDEXX Labs (Westbrook, ME), and DG29 - Genex, CRI (Shawano, WI).
     • Timing is important. Cattle should not exist blood tested until they are both 90 days after calving and around thirty to 50 days into gestation for optimum results.
       • Blood samples can be taken from either the cervix or the tail. The cervix offers the big jugular vein, and the tail the coccygeal vein, which is a chief vessel that runs underneath the tail. Basically a sample is taken by inserting a needle straight into the vein and drawing back on the plunger until you go effectually ii to 5 mL of blood. A vacuum-sealed tube with a rubber top is used to collect the blood from the syringe, merely by poking the needle into the rubber summit and allowing the sample to vacate into the tube. The vacuum in the tube should be enough that you don't need to utilise any pressure to the syringe to put the blood into the tube. When all samples are taken enough to fill the box supplied by the lab where you are to send them, wrap them in bubble wrap and mail your samples the very day you've taken the samples. If you cannot mail them immediately, like on a Friday or on the weekend, put them on ice or in the refrigerator until y'all tin can mail them Monday forenoon.
       • Samples must be properly labelled and accurate and precise records must too exist kept in society to avoid any potential and inadvertent culling of cows that may really be pregnant. Tag numbers (also other identification names or numbers) tin exist used, every bit long as all cows and heifers are re-tagged if they accept missing tags. Retrieve to label the sample with which farm, which sample, and which cow it came from.
     • The ELISA test is generally performed as follows: PAGs are detected with anti-PAG antibody-coated plates, a detector substrate, a conjugate, and a dye with wash and incubation periods in between earlier results are analyzed^[2] . The dye allows the technician to approximate the amount of PAG in the blood sample, since the deeper coloured the sample, the higher the concentration of PAG. Accuracy of such results are high, nigh samples have an accuracy of at least 90 to 99%. Sensitivity tin can much college, from 97 to 100%.
       • Results from blood tests more often than not won't be sent back to the producer immediately. At the earliest, results can be expected 2 to 3 business days after the samples are sent in.
   • Milk Pregnancy Test. Every bit with the blood exam above, milk pregnancy exam uses a PAG ELISA (Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test to affirm pregnancy in cows and heifers.
     • Recommended for herds with authentic breeding and artificial insemination (AI) records. I'south a examination primarily for dairy herds, still enquiry has establish equally accurate results can be had with beef breeding herds every bit well. Samples must be sent to a laboratory that volition do this test for you. Cost per sample depends on where you are sending samples to, and through whom (i.e., for dairy producers in the US, through DHIA [Dairy Herd Improvement Association], or for Western Canadian dairy producers, Tin-West DHI [Western Canadian Dairy Herd Improvement]). You lot tin can expect to pay anywhere from $three.00 to $4.50 per sample. The predominant visitor that can commercially perform this test for you is IDEXX Laboratories (via The IDEXX Laboratory Milk Pregnancy Test). The test itself and how it's done is exactly how PAGs in blood are tested, as described in a higher place.
       • Results can be obtained within 3.five hours from the start of testing, and sent to the producer just as before long via e-mail. In the mail, though, y'all should expect to get lab results back in two to three business organization days. Testing can exist done from 28 days mail service-breeding until cows are dried off, even though sensitivity and specificity averages increase when cows are around 60 days into gestation. For best optimum results and to reduce chances of imitation positives (or even false negatives), samples should be obtained when cows are at least 90 days post-calving.
   • Transrectal Ultrasonography. Also known as ultrasound, this method non only determines condition of pregnancy, just fetal age besides. The method utilizes a computerized unit that allows the operator to literally see what's inside the moo-cow. There are 2 major parts to this ultrasound unit--the console which is the screen, and the transducer, or the probe that is inserted in the rectum of the moo-cow. The electrically-powered panel is continued to the probe via a cord so that the row of crystals in the probe can emit ultrasonic sound waves (the electricity actually causes them to change shape slightly assuasive such sound waves to occur), which focuses on the tissues focused below the probe. The sound waves billowy off the tissues dorsum to the probe provides a visual image that can be seen on the console screen. The density of the tissues varies with os, muscle, tendons, and fluids within the body. The more dense the tissue, the more rapidly sound waves return to the probe and the brighter they appear on the screen. Bone shows upwardly bright white, whereas fluids like urine, follicles, amniotic fluid, blood vessels, etc., testify up blackness. Because of the differences in tissue densities, the probe allows the operator to visually identify different structures, muscles and parts of the fetus.
     • The optimal age to perform ultrasound is 26 days mail-convenance in heifers and 28-days mail service-breeding in cows, notwithstanding skilled operators can identify pregnancies with this method once the fetal heartbeat starts, which is around 21 to 22 days mail-breeding.
       • Ultrasound can observe fetal heartbeat and move, which is a way to determine if the fetus is alive. Live fetuses point the moo-cow or heifer is pregnant and is very probable to stay pregnant throughout the term. Dead fetuses mean that the cow or heifer will need to be rebred soon, and given a hormonal shot like Estrumate® or Lutalyse® may demand to be given to go the female person to abort and so that she tin can be rebred soon. This is especially truthful with dairy herds.
     • Fetal age can be determined past measuring, or estimating using what is seen on the screen, specific body parts like length of body (from the height of the head to the rump), and diameter of either the skull or the chest. Non all operators have the same preferred method for determining fetal age, some like to utilise more than one.
       • Check with your veterinarian to run into what age of fetus (and hence corresponding days mail-breeding) they're comfortable with identifying. Note, though, that the measurements and age relationship are the most accurate in early pregnancy, and using that means that predictions of the anticipated calving date will too be more accurate.
         • However, the exact time a fetus volition be ready for birthing is highly variable amid individuals, with frame size, fatness and other factors affecting when and if it volition happen.
       • With fetal age also comes the possibility of sexing fetuses. Fetal sexing techniques are highly precise, notwithstanding they depend on fetal age. Best times to sexual activity a fetus is from day threescore to 65 to when it is besides large or drops over the pelvic rim.
         • A single scheduled ultrasound date for an entire cow herd to decide fetal sex would be very difficult because of variability in age of the fetus, even if the breeding season of said moo-cow herd was confined to 60 days. Information technology mayhap would be best to fetal sexual activity the entire herd when cows are at least 90 to 120 days postal service-breeding.
     • Historically transrectal ultrasound involved the technician to gain access to feel the reproductive tract of cattle via the rectum, very similar to rectal palpation described above. Recently several types of rigid probes and probe extenders have been developed to avoid run a risk of injury to technicians that have had to repeatedly identify their arms inside of cows that take the potential to exist quite uncooperative while being preg-checked. The increased safety is prevalent with optional employ of a probe fastened to a rigid wand, merely some of the sensitivity and mobility required to perform all diagnostic techniques accurately is besides lost.
     • Ultrasound is expensive and requires hiring a technician or veterinary to perform this type of pregnancy diagnosis.

3. 3

   Record the results. Records are important to continue so that you know non only which females don't need to be culled, but besides how far along they are, especially if yous have left preg-checking to less than v months post-conception, or demand to confirm which females are bred (meaning) and which are not.

4. 4

   Release the cow/heifer. If all other things that needed to exist washed have been done--such equally vaccinations, re-tagging, and deworming--the animal tin can be released back into the herd.

5. five

   Repeat with other cows and heifers every bit necessary. Ensure what you practice with 1 female person you try to practise with all of your herd, and in a short period of fourth dimension. The shorter the time between animals y'all have the sooner you can brand the necessary decisions that need to be made. In other words, if yous have to claret-examination or preg-check 100 or 200 cows, make sure you practise it in ane 24-hour interval, not over an entire month. The fundamental affair to remember is to never exist in a rush to get things done: Quality takes far more than precedence over quantity!

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Add New Question

• Question

  Will a heifer start producing milk if a calf starts nursing?

  

  Yes, a heifer other than the mother tin first producing milk if nursed upon past another'due south calf.

• Question

  Can a heifer have an udder showing with their outset pregnancy?

  

  Yes. It's normal for a heifer to start showing a total udder when they're effectually four months abroad from calving. Some heifers don't testify whatever udder until after they take calved, and that is normal also. Unlike cows, heifers are unpredictable with udder development and signs that they're set up to calve.

• Question

  What is the difference in an ox or oxen and a cow or heifer?

  

  An ox is a bovine that is used for work. Most commonly they are castrated male person cattle, but they can be cows, heifers, steers, or even bulls. Cows are mature female person bovines that have had a calf; a heifer is a young female person bovine that has not yet had a calf.

• Question

  If in that location is blood seen on the tail several days after breeding, does this mean that the cow has not conceived?

  

  No, it merely means the corpus luteum ruptured releasing the ovary. It has aught to do with telling if the cow conceived or not.

• Question

  At what age and weight is a heifer capable of having a calf?

  

  A heifer should be ready to breed effectually 15 months. That ways she'll exist having a calf at 24 months. Regarding weight: heifers should exist bred when they're no less than 65% of the mature weight of the cow herd.

• Question

  What is the youngest age an Angus heifer dogie can become pregnant?

  

  The average historic period is 15 months, but heifers tin become significant much earlier, even between vi and 9 months. Typically this is considered too young, every bit they have not filled out plenty in frame and their reproductive organs are not quite ready even so to acquit a fetus.

• Question

  At what age does a heifer accept her first bike?

  

  A heifer may outset having her showtime cycle (signs that she's reached puberty) by the time she'southward 6 months old, simply she shouldn't be bred until she'south around 15 months old.

• Question

  Why is the ultrasound probe inserted in the cow'southward rectum and not the vaginal canal?

  

  Inserting the probe into the vagina would disrupt the natural barrier in the cervix that is supposed to protect the dogie. If this barrier is disrupted, the health and life of the fetus could be compromised, and it could exist prematurely aborted. You are also very likely to introduce unnecessary foreign bodies, causing infection into the canal and the uterus. Via the rectum maintains that bulwark and does not impede the tech or vet's ability to "encounter" the fetus with the sensitive crystals in the probe.

• Question

  Is information technology possible for a pregnant cow to be bred again during pregnancy?

  

  Yes, but not to go pregnant. She tin can have fake heats during pregnancy, which volition crusade the bull to renew interest in her, but she won't get bred to have a second dogie in addition to the i she's already carrying. Then once more, if in fact she is in rut during a time she ''should'' be meaning, that could mean she's not meaning merely cycling once again and getting bred afterward than y'all had thought.

• Question

  When does a heifer begin to develop her calf?

  

  Equally soon as she'due south been bred by a balderdash. If she "takes," or the sperm of the bull has successfully fertilized the ovum or egg in her, so it will begin developing into an embryonic then fetal calf.

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• No matter the method, records must be kept up to date and equally authentic as possible to make the most out of whatever pregnancy checking method chosen. The more than precise your records are, the better you know when cows volition calve and how many remain meaning to the outset of calving season.

• Bank check all of your heifers and cows, no matter how certain you are that a item female is significant or not. All cows and heifers need to be checked in ane or 2 days, depending on the size of the herd and the method used. The larger the herd, the longer the time will needed to preg-check all females.

• Know your limitations and the limitations of each method of each pregnancy examination. Take on a method that y'all are confident will give you the results yous desire while keeping in mind the costs (financially and economically speaking) and availability of such a method. Don't decide on a method that you'll regret later 1 because of poor record keeping, missing ear tags, high cost, or risk of illness or injury to you or the operator.

• Talk to your veterinarian about which method of checking pregnancy is right for you based on costs and time allotted for knowing the results. [S]He volition recommend a method based on your operation, your level of record keeping and how attainable the aforementioned methods will be for you.

• A couple of terms to know in reference to telling if a female bovine is pregnant are:

  • Bred: By and past-participle tense meaning a female person animal has conceived naturally or artificially to propagate or acquit offspring. "Bred" tin also refer to a cow that is already pregnant, via the article How to Tell if a Cow or Heifer Has Been Bred.
  • Open: A female person that is not pregnant and set up to or have already started estrous cycling to perhaps conceive over again. Cows and heifers confirmed open need to be culled as soon every bit possible to reduce feed costs associated with keeping them. Such animals are known as "gratis-loaders" considering they can swallow all the feed they desire only don't give anything in return. It sounds crude, but in the cattle business, a producer that is earning a living on raising cattle needs to accept income coming in in the form of selling calves and cull cattle.

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• If bulls are with the moo-cow herd on a continuous footing or are being pulled the same twenty-four hour period equally the pregnancy exam, you lot have no way of determining the truthful pregnancy status of all females. Cows that become pregnant early in the breeding season will be easily identified in these instances, whereas cows that are open up may accept been bred only recently. These newly-bred cows may have an embryo or fetus that is just too young to feel with rectal palpation, to visualize with ultrasound, or is not producing sufficient levels of PAGs to exist detected in the claret or milk.

• Risks are associated with any method used, and these risks vary from misdiagnosis to illness transfer. All of the methods mentioned above have the potential to carry these risks. Examples are if examination tubes are non labelled properly (blood and milk pregnancy PAG ELISA tests), and if new needles or new gloves or sleeves are not used for every brute (blood test and rectal palpation).

  • PAG ELISA tests can reveal false positives or false negatives if tests are taken at the wrong time in a cow or heifer's pregnancy state. False positives (tests revealing that a cow is pregnant when she is in fact open up) tin occur if a sample is taken when a cow is less than xc days post-calving, no thing if she has been re-bred or is however open. PAGs stay in a cow'due south system for six to 12 weeks (~45 to 90 days) after she has calved, and return to the system fifteen to xx days postal service-breeding. Hence, false negatives (tests revealing that a cow is open when she is in fact bred or pregnant) come about when a cow has passed the 90-day post-calving mark, but has been bred less than 28 to 32 days ago.
  • Mislabelling can consequence in certain females beingness kept back that terminate upwardly beingness open, or females beingness culled that are in fact pregnant. Mislabelling can consequence if identification numbers of females are similar, test tubes are non labelled sequentially (and how the sequences place with which cow [via identification number[s] and/or name or letter[s]] the numbered sample came from), labels are not legible, or ear or brisket tags accept fallen off prior to or after testing (and before tests, like blood, have come up dorsum) and guesses have to exist made on what identification proper name/number[s]/letter[s] a cow is. The latter is a significant consequence if herds are over 100 caput and the producer doesn't know each cow or heifer individually with features other than what they read on the ear tag, or tin't tell the deviation because they are all one breed (such as with the Angus breed).
  • Rectal palpation can be rife with risks. Injury to the operator, affliction transfer, abortion, and misdiagnosis due to inexperience of the technician are primary associated risks.
    • Hazard of injury to the technician not merely comes from the potential of an unruly animal not standing all the same while being palpated, but article of clothing on the basic, muscles and ligaments of the tech'due south palpating arm can cause hurting and tissue damage as well as fatigue from having to palpate a lot of cows in ane day (for example, if a technician or veterinarian had to rectally palpate 400 cows in one 24-hour interval, that means a very tired arm indeed.) The cows themselves are unpredictable in their reactions to having a human stick their arm in their anus, and could react violently causing a dislocated shoulder or broken arm to that human.
    • Disease transfer is a significant take a chance of the operator isn't disposing of used gloves later checking every cow or heifer. Disease transfer run a risk is more significant if 1 or more than new heifers or cows have been introduced into the existing breeding herd and have not been tested for sexually transmitted diseases like BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhea), trichomoniasis, anaplasmosis, and others, prior to being preg-checked forth with the rest of the herd. Those untested cows could have BVD, for case, and preg-checking without switching new gloves every fourth dimension could result in the spreading of this disease.
    • Abortions tin occur in females that have been preg-checked. Depending on the technician, the risk of abortion in a herd may be associated with how the cows were treated earlier and during the palpation process. If palpation was very stressful and/or painful for the female, she may abort (or experience early embryonic death if she's less than 45 days meaning) due to hormone product, including cortisol, which in plough may cause her to go into premature labour. Heifers are more prone to abortions with preg-checking than cows are, specially with rougher handling.
    • Misdiagnosis past an inexperienced technician or veterinarian can result in cows that may actually be pregnant be put on the choose list, or cows that are not meaning exist confirmed as so and kept back. This tin can cost a producer, because these mistakes tin can hateful cows that are open are "allowed" to exist free-loaders, in a style of speaking, or cows that accept potential return are sent to the auction mart as "open" cows.

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