2 calves within 4 months...

Location
East Mids
One for @bovine or anyone else with better knowledge than me!

Talking to someone whose wife is a vet and the topic of BCMS queries came up. Apparently she went to assist at a calving, got a live calf. Then 4 months later she was called out again TO THE SAME COW for another calving, also a live calf. So obviously this presented some difficulties with registering the 2nd calf with BCMS. Fortunately as there was an 'independent expert' present on both occasions she was able to write a letter saying it was genuine and explaining how it was possible. One in each horn of the uterus, presumably she must have ovulated even when pregnant?

He did give it a technical term but I can't remember what it was but I gather it's pretty rare. Comments?
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
Seen it with sheep. Have a ewe lamb and either have a pre term lamb there and then or pop one out full term at a later date.
 

bovine

Member
Location
North
I'll bet it was a different cow. Someone has just mixed it up.
That too is my first thought. It sounds interesting, will do some digging.

I've calved a lot of cows over the years, but don't routinely record full ear tags. How could the vet be so sure it was the same cow?
 

bar718

Member
I have seen this once and also heard of another cow doing the same , very rare and long before bcms was even a twinkle in a civil servants eye so it didn't cause a clerical headache .
 
Location
East Mids
That too is my first thought. It sounds interesting, will do some digging.

I've calved a lot of cows over the years, but don't routinely record full ear tags. How could the vet be so sure it was the same cow?
Vet has recognised a cow at our place before now. And why would a farmer lie about it to the vet? Presumably there were records that showed a service could have taken place as well - eg AI dates (might have assumed embryo lost from earlier pregnancy) or running with bull.
 

Clay52

Member
Location
Outer Space
Vet has recognised a cow at our place before now. And why would a farmer lie about it to the vet? Presumably there were records that showed a service could have taken place as well - eg AI dates (might have assumed embryo lost from earlier pregnancy) or running with bull.

He didnt say that the farmer lied but people get stuff wrong all the time. Memory being wrong or the wrong cow written into the records is hardly uncommon.

I'll go with the more likely outcome that there was an error in the records.
 
Location
East Mids
Our vet routinely checks for a second after calving a cow!
I wondered about that too as it is normal for a vet to check for a twin after assisting at a calving, but would they find one in the other horn or would the weight at 5 months have it down in the body cavity?

I've found the technical term, anyway, superfetation, very rare but not unheard of in cows.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,292
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top