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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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 Posted - Sep 16 2014 : 1:41:06 PM
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| Grateful would not describe it if we had something like that here. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 20 2014 : 3:52:06 PM
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Beyond excited here...my sweet hubby and son installed my side gate in our cow shelter today!!! Complete with a head stanchion that they made from extra wood pieces. It looks so great and I'm thrilled.
I also gave Clover her vaccine boosters recommended by WSU myself! They gave the first ones and I just needed to give two boosters. Now we are all set for the AI to begin!! The vets are coming out to our farm so less stress on Clover. I. cannot. wait. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 20 2014 : 3:56:37 PM
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| I am so happy for you and your family. It's so wonderful to have the entire family involved in Clover's adventure. It is so exciting. Congrats on giving the boosters too. Keep us posted on the AI and Clover's progress. |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 20 2014 : 3:57:36 PM
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| Best wishes for sure! Any pictures of the latest project? |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 20 2014 : 9:30:12 PM
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| I'll post pictures tomorrow...Clover was sure curious about it as the guys were installing it. She's such a love! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 09:41:24 AM
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| Just got the schedule for Clover's first visit from the WSU vets and the beginning of her AI protocol. October 2nd here we come! Hurray! And, WSU has adopted new standards with their AI protocol when it comes to heifers. According to an email that I received from WSU, "Recent studies have shown pregnancy rates of 55-60% in heifers when using a slightly shortened protocol compared to cows. This is because heifers tend to have slightly shorter ovarian follicle development than cows. By adapting for a shorter protocol, we will be giving Clover the best chance to become pregnant." |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 09:56:59 AM
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| So you are using a synchronization protocol, hormones, forced estrus? |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 10:58:28 AM
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| I am so not knowledgeable with this at all. I have always put the bull in with the cow and went for the luck of the draw! |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 11:37:34 AM
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| I don't have a bull. So AI it is. I asked about synchronization protocol but my AI guys didn't want to do it and I'm not caring if it takes a time or two. Nellie was AI'd once and took the first time, and Sienna, four or five times before she took. I call them first sign of heat now. I don't wait for standing on. I think waiting for "standing on" runs a bit late here. When I called them early for Sienna she finally took. I can see where a bull would be great, but I'm not really set up for a bull. Plus I don't know anyone around here with dairy cows other than our own. I would want a Jersey bull of course so this is the way we will have to go. |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 12:36:53 PM
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| Lol, the bull we used I just left in with cow after breeding and then took him out after birth for a few months, then back again. They all got along so well it was beautiful to watch them. They are for sure different from the cows. This one was 1500 pounds of wanting to play. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 1:14:59 PM
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| Janet, yes we are using hormones...at this point, Clover is by herself and I just cannot tell when she goes into heat. We may change as time goes by and, hopefully, we have a companion cow for Clover. We will see how this goes. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 1:58:02 PM
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| I'm so excited for you I can't tell you. WSU has been such a great help for you and MaryJane. My AI guy was just here, filling my AI semen tank. We were discussing Nellie's next breeding etc. Hopefully in another month or so we will have pregnant heifers. I can't remember when a person starts calling a heifer a cow. If it's after one or two calves. Guess I will have to look that up unless someone knows. |
Edited by - NellieBelle on Sep 24 2014 2:29:26 PM |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 2:39:01 PM
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| I think it is a cow after the second calf. Two schools of thought on it. Some say cow after first calf is born. Most beef people wait till after second birth then call it a cow. I always figured one I milk it I call it a cow. I can not remember milking a heifer. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 4:21:13 PM
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| Thanks Ron, I couldn't remember how it went. So, I think I will call Nellie a cow and Sienna a heifer until she has her calf. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 4:35:25 PM
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That's why I try to avoid the term heifer all together because I hate to confuse newcomers and make them feel like I'm in the know and they aren't. (I once thought it was a breed of cow like Holstein or Hereford.)
For me, it's either a cow or a young cow (yet to give birth) or a momma cow. If a female has given birth once, she's earned the right to be called a cow in my mind. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 5:24:36 PM
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| That makes things less confusing for sure. So I have a young cow and a momma cow. :) |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 24 2014 : 5:44:23 PM
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| Bingo! I used to call them all cows, it mooed it was a cow to me! |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 26 2014 : 8:16:34 PM
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So what are the signs of a cow/heifer :-) in heat? Clover has been moo-ing all day long! She has pasture (its mostly dry grass now), hay, fresh water and nothing has changed. We fed her grain in the afternoon...all normal schedule. But she has been moo-ing nonstop...I thought I might have heard a cow moo-ing in reply but I wasn't sure...there are other cows around a few miles away, but none really close. I looked Clover all over and she's not hurt that I can tell. If she is in heat...she's just a week too early! WSU vets don't come until next Thursday.
Now if my goats would just go into heat. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 26 2014 : 8:47:00 PM
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| Hi Charlene, I assume you do not keep any other cattle at you place. That is usually the best bet to tell is a steer or another cow will usually try to mount.mbut any major change in behavior can be a sign as well and mooing might just be Clovers way of calling for a mate. As I am sure you know, these things do not always happen on time. Mark the date and see how the Sweetie Pie is tomorrow. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 06:29:38 AM
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I would say she's in heat, especially if her mooing diminishes later today. Isn't that awesome?! Now we know for sure that Clover's ready for what lies ahead:)
The first time I learned about a cow in heat mooing was when I had B&B guests here ten years ago and I had a cow that kept them awake all night. She was in a pasture right next to one of our guests. The best I could do the next morning was serve them some of her milk for breakfast. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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rlgastei
10 Posts
Diane
Saint Ansgar
IA
United States
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Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 11:02:57 AM
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| Mary Jane, Did you take the AI class? I took one at Northeast Iowa Communty College a couple of years ago but only practiced on a couple of cows they had at the Dairy Center. I may call and ask if I can help for a few days to practice, haven't felt like I can waste $75.00 a straw semen when I am not very sure of myself. My vet has still bred my cows, but I do plan to get a tank and do the breeding myself after some practice. |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 11:16:33 AM
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| In the class I took we were hands-on within the first hour. I fake AI'd about 20 cows. However, I think before I invest in a tank, I'm going buy a rod and get acquainted with my girls in "yet another way." In working on so many cows during my class, I discovered that some of them are harder to AI than others (lots of folds in the cervix and some of the bigger cows nearly broke my arm with the muscles in their rectum). My instructor recommended getting two tanks, a new one and then a used one for taking in to get filled to bring to your farm to fill your good one. He didn't seem to think luck-of-the-draw guys who fill tanks know how to work carefully enough around the straws you have stored in it. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 4:02:38 PM
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So...Clover is back to regular quiet sweet self today... no moo-ing unless we are talking to her. So I think she was in heat yesterday... We presently don't have any other cows or steers on our little farm which is why I was wondering and really not sure what was happening with Clover. Even my neighbor stopped by my farmers market booth this morning to ask what was wrong with Clover yesterday...they heard her (not upset as it was just a normal "country" sound) moo-ing and just thought we had forgot to feed her yesterday. I'd never forget to feed my critters!
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 4:07:17 PM
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| Lol, what a lovely sound. When it is cool I live to sit here in the evening and listen to range cows and coyotes and owls. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Looking to breed Clover this fall
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