Palpation Results

We have 2 registered Jersey cows named Daisy and Rosie, along with a registered Jersey heifer named Amy.  All of them have been exposed to a registered Jersey bull.  Both Daisy and Rosie were exposed to Bully, our bull that we just sold a couple of months ago.  As far as Amy is concerned, once Bully was gone, we had to take her across town to a friend who has a registered Jersey bull.

So we're a couple of months past the point that they should have been bred, so it is time to find out if they are indeed pregnant.  We haven't seen any of them go in heat in a couple of cycles, but we want to know for sure.  Tricia called out the veterinarian whose office is only about a mile from our home and asked for a farm call.  A farm call is a house call - the way the old-time "people" doctors used to do where they'd show up with their black bag and examine you at your home.

Well, our veterinarian arrived, but not with a black bag.  He came with shoulder length rubber gloves to palpate the cows.  Rectal palpation is the cheapest, easiest way to determine if your cows are pregnant.  After putting on the gloves and lubricating them, the veterinarian puts his arm into the cow's rectum and begins manually evacuating feces to make room to go deeper.  Not an enjoyable job!  Once room has been cleared, the veterinarian locates the cervix and then moves farther to the uterus.

The veterinarian feels for a small oval floating in fluid or a fetus.  If the veterinarian doesn't find that, the cow is 'Open' or not bred.  To determine how far along the cow is in pregnancy, it takes lots of practice.  I saw on a website that a common guide for aging the fetus is:

• The size of a mouse:  2 months
• The size of a rat:        3 months
• The size of a kitten:   4 months
• The size of a cat:       5 months
• The size of a puppy:  6 months
• The size of a dog:      7 months

The gestation period for a cow is roughly 280 days, so its about the same as in humans.  We like to know pretty close to the due date because our cows are in milk. We like to dry them off 2 months prior to calving so that they can use the energy/nutrients in developing the calf versus producing milk.  So what is the verdict?  Were they pregnant?  Look at the picture of Rosie below.  What do you think she's telling you?

"I'm Pregnant!"

Based on size, we assume that Rosie was bred by our bull, Bully, on September 11th, and that puts her calving between June 18th - June 28th.  Daisy was also pregnant and based on size, we think she was also bred by our bull, Bully on January 24th, and that puts her due date somewhere between October 31 - November 10th.  Amy wasn't palpated, but she hasn't come back into heat and we think she was bred by our friend's bull on March 8th, putting her delivery date between December 13th and December 23rd.

Back to the drying off process.  We are currently milking Daisy once a day and Rosie twice a day. According to things we've read, if your cow is giving less than 2 gallons of milk a day, you can simply quit milking them.  Milk production is based on supply and demand, so they'll simply dry up. You must be careful, though, and inspect them as you don't want them to get mastitis during the process.  You simply feel the bag for heat and hardness.  We're going to be conservative and rather than quitting milking Rosie 'cold-turkey,' we are going to go down to once a day milkings for her for a week and then stop.  We'll start with the once-a-day milkings this weekend for her and that will put Rosie dried off for exactly two months prior her earliest due date.  That coincides with good grass growth in the pasture, putting Rosie in optimal condition at the point of calving.

2 pregnant cows and a pregnant heifer!  Exciting times, indeed!!!