Birth date

[John999]

We had our cow A.Id. last year and all has been going fine.She was due to calf, according to dates last wednesday, and as I am new to all this I was wondering if Dexters tend to be on time or should I be panicking.
John

[Saffy]

Hello John,

Does your cow look close to calving? Has her udder filled up ready to calve, if so she is probably simply a few days late, not at all unusual and she will calve in the next week or so, however if her udder is still completely flat and this was her only possible chance of being in calf, it may be that she is not going to have a calf.

As long as she is in good health, eating well etc, I wouldn't panic for another week or so and then if there is no sign of her being about to calve - perhaps a PD test is in order.

Stephanie

[John999]

Thanks for that Saffy,her udder has been full for a couple of weeks now, so I know she cant be to long to calf.As its my first calving I think I am being too worried.
So really the dates can be way out sometimes then.

John

[Broomcroft]

I've no doubt been unlucky, but personally speaking I wouldn't PD a cow if she's clearly in calf, I'd just wait. I recently had a cow killed by the vet doing a PD, it has happened to other vets. Somehow he tore her inside and we had to shoot her within the hour as she was in agony and couldn't move an inch.

[Saffy]

Hello John,

If her udder is full she is probably going to have her calf soon, try not to worry. My bull throws calves that come several days early, others will throw calves that come late, as long as she is obviously healthy there is no reason for panic and as Clive says don't PD unless it is a last resort in a cow that you think is probably empty but you have eventually come to a point in time where you have to be sure.

Keep us posted, has she had many calves before?

Stephanie

[ann]

Hello John

What date was she AI on?

I personally usually find that I get a heifer if they are a few days late.

good luck

[John999]

Hi Ann, she wasb A.Id. on the 19th June, and according to the Dexter calander she should have been due on the 28th March.
Still waiting
John

[LISA]

She could easily go another 7-10 days yet.

Differant Service Sires have differant gestation lenghts, some of the larger Breed Societies (e.g Charolais) keep information on gestation length from differant sires these can be up to 18 days differant.

We have 3 differant bulls, one of them has calves that are always 2 weeks 'late'.

[ann]

I would not be worrying yet, as Lisa says some cows are always on time and some can be several days either side. I never can make up my mind which is worse, knowing the date something is served and then your starting to worry if they are several days late or just going by the way the cow is. For the 2nd year running my bulls have brought my cows on a month earlier so its early morning and late evening checks for the ones who haven't calved yet, but look like ballons as I bet someone will not follow the trend.

good luck

[wagra dexters]

I am also waiting. The first of our autumn calvers is "over-due" so meanwhile I fiddle with figures.

Of 125 gestations by 7 predominantly Woodmagic bulls, all carried from 269 and 283 days.
(UK, Canadian, Danish & Wagra home-bred bulls).
13 gestations by Elmwood Robson & his son Wagra Yeoman all carried from 277 to 283 days
25 gestations by Cornahir Outlaw & his sons Wagra Wildthing & Wagra Caveman: 278 to 286 days
19 gestations by 2 sons of Saltaire Platinum ( Hiyu Salty Rambler & Llanfairs Finnigan); 278 to 289.

Our first autumn calver is in calf to the Hiyu bull and is now day 285, floppy & shiny behind but even though her udder is distended her teats are still soft & dull.
We need a bull from this little girl!!

Edited to correct a spelling mistake!

[LISA]

One other think to consider when a calf (or anything!) is due to give birth, alot of animals give birth on or very close to a full moon - next full moon is this Friday 6th April.
Don't know why but it is true. I have a midwife friend who says the maternity ward gets especially busy on a full moon.
Hope Duncan doesn't read this or he will think I have gone (even more) crazy, or turned to witchcraft.
Off now to stir my coldron!

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Some of our local constabulary certainly claim to be busier around full moon, and we used to think all our craziest clients surfaced then, but recently I think they are active all the time.

You crazy Lisa? How could anyone say such a thing. Still wearing the cow coat?

Duncan

[wagra dexters]

Yea, it's a bull! Gestated 287 days.
John what is your little cow doing?

[Saffy]

Hello again John,

How is the cow, does she look any closer to calving, are her teats really full yet and firm? Has she had many calves before.

Sorry I didn't answer your question properly before - yes dates can be way out, they are an average. So they can be up to a couple of weeks either side of that date and still be within the normal range. When I had my milking herd I found that it was usually a bull calf if it was late but not always, also if it was going to be twins it tended to be very early, there don't seem to be many twins with dexters though - not that I have seen anyway. As others have said gestation seems to vary with the bull.

Keep us posted won't you!

Stephanie

[John999]

All still quiet.
Looking forward to the full moon
John