Heifer Calves Getting In Calf Earlier

Frank-the-Wool · May 24, 2022

Found a 13 month old heifer that was showing signs of calving yesterday.
It hadn't bagged up or showed any signs of being in calf.
Ended up doing a Caesarean on it last night as the calf was a huge Limousin calf which was dead of course.
This was a bought in Heifer and the breeder was also surprised to have found out it got in calf at only 4 months of age. Its Father had got it in calf.
He is happy to reimburse the costs, which if the heifer dies are now going to be considerable.

It does make me think that all Heifers need jabbing at 6 months when they have been running with a Bull once the Bull has been taken out. £1500 buys a lot of Estrumate!
I don't remember this being an issue in the past.

Optimus · May 24, 2022

Are you sure it's only 13 month old?

Werzle · May 24, 2022

Frank-the-Wool said:
Found a 13 month old heifer that was showing signs of calving yesterday.
It hadn't bagged up or showed any signs of being in calf.
Ended up doing a Caesarean on it last night as the calf was a huge Limousin calf which was dead of course.
This was a bought in Heifer and the breeder was also surprised to have found out it got in calf at only 4 months of age. Its Father had got it in calf.
He is happy to reimburse the costs, which if the heifer dies are now going to be considerable.

It does make me think that all Heifers need jabbing at 6 months when they have been running with a Bull once the Bull has been taken out. £1500 buys a lot of Estrumate!
I don't remember this being an issue in the past.

You were quick of the mark contacting the seller

. They do seem to catch the bull earlier , Feb/march hfr calves are split from the stockbull and bull calves mid june here after having problems a few years back

Dchappy · May 24, 2022

Frank-the-Wool said:
Found a 13 month old heifer that was showing signs of calving yesterday.
It hadn't bagged up or showed any signs of being in calf.
Ended up doing a Caesarean on it last night as the calf was a huge Limousin calf which was dead of course.
This was a bought in Heifer and the breeder was also surprised to have found out it got in calf at only 4 months of age. Its Father had got it in calf.
He is happy to reimburse the costs, which if the heifer dies are now going to be considerable.

It does make me think that all Heifers need jabbing at 6 months when they have been running with a Bull once the Bull has been taken out. £1500 buys a lot of Estrumate!
I don't remember this being an issue in the past.

I hate to say this but the breeders have not tag the calf within the legal time frame and was probably up to 3 months old before it was raged and registered

Woolless · May 24, 2022

I was surprised to see an AAx 5mo heifer calf at least flirting with the bull last year. Also ran with a Red Poll bull calf for a while but thankfully not in calf. PD'd then estrumate to make sure.

onthehoof · May 24, 2022

What breed was heifer

Hilly · May 24, 2022

AAngus are terrible for taking the bull young age .

Woolless · May 24, 2022

Hilly said:
AAngus are terrible for taking the bull young age .

Early maturity is a good trait, just not too early!

Dchappy · May 24, 2022

Woolless said:
I was surprised to see an AAx 5mo heifer calf at least flirting with the bull last year. Also ran with a Red Poll bull calf for a while but thankfully not in calf. PD'd then estrumate to make

Was this one of yours or bought in ?

Optimus · May 24, 2022

I'll run my April/may born calves with bull in the shed till after xmas.might see the odd one get bulled but not very often.
Sure a 4 month old calf would get flattened by any of my bulls

Woolless · May 24, 2022

Dchappy said:
Was this one of yours or bought in ?

Homebred, born February but I wanted to slip her mother round to May calving. It seemed to me that she liked the idea of getting bulled but had the sense to get out of the way at the last minute!

BRB John · May 24, 2022

We've just had a 14 month Hereford calve itself. The calf didn't survive but still impressed she managed to get it out.

Dchappy · May 24, 2022

We are just a a small operation 50 heard moving up to 60ish this year
When our calf’s are born we take pictures on the day they are registered that week but I don’t tag till two weeks old and when I tag they get tagged /dehorned /jagged for black leg / and rubber ring if needed
I hated going to the market cause you could tell that by just looking at the cattle which ones dont get registered when they should

Hilly · May 24, 2022

Mine are registerd and tagged the day they are born, religiously , avoids any hassle and its done !

Werzle · May 24, 2022

Optimus said:
I'll run my April/may born calves with bull in the shed till after xmas.might see the odd one get bulled but not very often.
Sure a 4 month old calf would get flattened by any of my bulls

Yes i think bull calves are more likely than the stock bull

twizzel · May 24, 2022

We’ve just had an 18 month old heifer come back to us for the same reason. Even more annoyingly she got estrumated when she was tb tested to sell

The vets have suggested scanning all heifers and estrumate in future. She’s not calved yet, sat in isolation currently, I give it 50:50 whether it’s a c section, as she was on a finishing diet until 3 weeks ago.

Dchappy · May 24, 2022

Hilly said:
Mine are registerd and tagged the day they are born, religiously , avoids any hassle and its done !

Totally just the thought of sticking a tag in the day it’s born gives me shivers

Dchappy · May 24, 2022

twizzel said:
We’ve just had an 18 month old heifer come back to us for the same reason. Even more annoyingly she got estrumated when she was tb tested to sell The vets have suggested scanning all heifers and estrumate in future. She’s not calved yet, sat in isolation currently, I give it 50:50 whether it’s a c section, as she was on a finishing diet until 3 weeks ago.

Fingers crossed both are ok
You might get lucky if she has put more into her self and have a smaller calf but very unlikely but hope all goes well

Werzle · May 24, 2022

twizzel said:
We’ve just had an 18 month old heifer come back to us for the same reason. Even more annoyingly she got estrumated when she was tb tested to sell The vets have suggested scanning all heifers and estrumate in future. She’s not calved yet, sat in isolation currently, I give it 50:50 whether it’s a c section, as she was on a finishing diet until 3 weeks ago.

Unless you see blood in the days after using estrumate then it hasnt worked, i always think people are taking a massive risk selling cattle and just giving out they have been jabbed .

Truenorth · May 24, 2022

Your many lucky it didn't survive. Bcms didn't accept a calf we had out of a heifer that went incalf just under 5 month.
After being caught with 2 years ago we take all old calfs from bull end of August. But still been to late occasionally.
Some do carry on to be cows and mange fine.

Heifer Calves Getting In Calf Earlier

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