How do you tell if a cow's having twins?

[choochter]

A heifer due on 22nd March (AI'd) is affy big and wide already. I've never had anything calve twins before. Can the experts on here give me any clues as to what to look out for?
Is it possible to tell if its twins? Advice appreciated.

 

[Nearly]

arm length glove time?

 

[choochter]

I wouldn't be competent enough to do that, Nearly.

 

[nacnud]

As far as I know there's not much of a correlation between size of the cow and how big/number of calves there are. I may be wrong but I think I remember somewhere that the size is just the amount of fluid around the foetus? As I say I may be wrong but I think that's the story. Don't know of any way to find out apart from scanning or having a feel for yourself

 

[Spartacus]

If it starts slipping flesh from now to calving its more likely it'll be having twins, if it holds its condition or puts weight on its probably just the one.

 

[maxxuum-man1]

Often the cow will look like a tank, but on closer inspection the pins and ribs rare very visible

 

[Clive Tee]

We've only had a couple of sets of twins, but both were a surprise. Some of my cows that look really massive when in-calf, just have singles and not especially big calves either. But both the ones that had twins just looked normal. The only way I found out they had twins is when the second calf popped out! Don't know whether this is the norm?

 

[Thick Farmer]

Get a PD done on the cow by someone with a scanner.

 

[brownie]

Cant they miss big twins if they are laying over each other, they did for me scanning. I agree with clive t, massive cows single rabbit calf.
Isnt not knowing part of the fun. But worth sticking your arm in after calf appears.

 

[ladycrofter]

Sometimes it is the calf starting to turn I think, makes her look wider. Mine also look like balloons before calving.

 

[Monty]

Cows come in all shapes and sizes. One of our cows looks like she is permanently heavily in calf and others don't show any belly at all and you wouldn't know they were in calf until it popped out if we didn't keep service record. I was told by a sheep farmer that in general the older the sheep was the more lambs they have. This may be the same with cattle as I don't think we have ever had a heifer calve twins yet but we have had plenty of cows calve twins including one which was served with 2 straws of semen and she gave us one belgium blue bull and one fresien heifer.

 

[Flossie]

We've only had a couple of sets of twins, but both were a surprise. Some of my cows that look really massive when in-calf, just have singles and not especially big calves either. But both the ones that had twins just looked normal. The only way I found out they had twins is when the second calf popped out! Don't know whether this is the norm?

Cant they miss big twins if they are laying over each other, they did for me scanning. I agree with clive t, massive cows single rabbit calf.
Isnt not knowing part of the fun. But worth sticking your arm in after calf appears.

As above, usually the cows that need it least have twins i.e. the calves drag them down. In eleven years of milking, we've only been told once by the various scanners that a cow had twins in her, making it difficult to feed accordingly and pamper them a bit

 

[Clive Tee]

Here's a cow of mine just had twins minutes before pic taken. She didn't look any different from in that photo before she had them. Didn't even think she was ready to calve. Just looked over into the field and there they were. It took me some time to realise only one cow had calved!

This cow coped with them well but the calves were no good.
Even after calving, twins can keep the cows extra fit chasing after two of the little blighters...

 

[septimus]

Find twins often come a bit early and with twins you have twice the chance of calving difficulties but at least they are smaller than a big single.

 

[Baker9]

Very nice cow and two good calves, Clive.

 

[milkloss]

Here's a cow of mine just had twins minutes before pic taken. She didn't look any different from in that photo before she had them. Didn't even think she was ready to calve. Just looked over into the field and there they were. It took me some time to realise only one cow had calved!

This cow coped with them well but the calves were no good.
Even after calving, twins can keep the cows extra fit chasing after two of the little blighters...

Nice animals, what breed are they?

 

[choochter]

Thanks for all your comments so far - think I'll take a photo of the heifer tomorrow & post on here.

 

[Clive Tee]

Nice animals, what breed are they?

She's a pedigree Dexter.

 

[milkloss]

She's a pedigree Dexter.

No really? But it's got legs! Not had much to do with them but my Mother always used to joke they were the devils work. Bad experience I reckon.

 

[Clive Tee]

No really? But it's got legs! Not had much to do with them but my Mother always used to joke they were the devils work. Bad experience I reckon.

All mine have legs. I don't do short-legged ones, mainly 'cause the calves can't find the udder where it's supposed to be which is a nightmare when it happens sometimes.