New cow

[Issy]

We have bought a new red dexter and calf to join our little herd (contained cow and heifer until they arrived!!). She is lovely and is settling in well after some initial confrontation but my old cow (Pumpkin) who is due to calve at the end of Oct is mounting the new cow and calf at every opportunity. I am sure she is pregnant (she hasn't been PD'd) but she hasn't bulled since she was AI'd and she is always really obvious. She also looks pregnant. There is no bulling string on either old or new cow (who is completely uninterested) is this just signs of readjustment in the herd? Pumpkin has also gone back to feeding her year old heifer that I thought she had weaned a couple of weeks ago.
Do you think that it is just insecurity as the new cow is bigger than her and just walked into her field and took over her territory bumping her down to second place?

[Rob R]

It's probably just a dominance thing, showing the new girl who is boss, it's quite common.

[John C]

Get that camera clicking Issy , we are all waiting

[Duncan MacIntyre]

For heat detection it is not the mounting that is significant, it is standing to be mounted. So if the cow underneath is looking willing and just standing still maybe you should be suspicious of her. But just to confuse us and throw in some uncertainty, a few cows will come in season even when pregnant.

Duncan

[wagra dexters]

And, if a cow jumps anywhere else, like on the other cows front end, shoulder, which can happen occasionally, the cow doing the jumping is the one in season.