Post by rence on Aug 16, 2008 2:02:00 GMT -5
I just don't know if Sweetie is having problems conceiving or if I'm not being patient enough.
I bought her in March and her previous owner said he was positive she was bred because she had gotten out and was with a neighbor's bull and he hadn't seen her in heat since. She hadn't been freshened for two years (now it's two and a half years).
But when I brought her home, the vet confirmed her open, and she showed three good strong heats, each about 22 days apart, at which time I had her AI'd. The first two times with sexed semen (I know, bad) and the last time with a super settler. I haven't been able to detect a heat since, which was June 8th. And two blood tests for pregnancy came out negative.
Her milk production went down to almost half and she was really affectionate. But now her production has gone back up, and she's distant and doesn't like to be touched unless she's on a lead. She even runs away when I approach her unless it's to take her to the stanchion.
I've had the vet out to palpate after the third AI'ing and she didn't find any cysts or any indication that there were problems. She advised me to dry her off. If I understood her correctly, she said that lactating would counter efforts to breed her. I asked the vet if drying her off would make her gain too much weight to breed, but she said that would be unlikely to happen. She advised me to dry off Sweetie and put her in with a bull for 60 days.
But I HATE HATE HATE to do that because I don't want to go back to store bought milk. I can't afford a replacement jersey at all in any way. And there's no one near me with a lactating Jersey.
I've tried to catch what I thought were subtle hints of heat, and brought her to a neighbor's bull twice. It turns out, she was just wanting more cow company. Actually, the second time, she ran right past the bull and started hanging out with a little calf.
I'm frustrated because I can't even detect any heats to throw her in with a bull, and she should have had three.
Tonight when I milked her, she was "puffy", so I guess I'll keep a close eye on her tomorrow and try to catch a heat.
Will this girl ever breed again?
I bought her in March and her previous owner said he was positive she was bred because she had gotten out and was with a neighbor's bull and he hadn't seen her in heat since. She hadn't been freshened for two years (now it's two and a half years).
But when I brought her home, the vet confirmed her open, and she showed three good strong heats, each about 22 days apart, at which time I had her AI'd. The first two times with sexed semen (I know, bad) and the last time with a super settler. I haven't been able to detect a heat since, which was June 8th. And two blood tests for pregnancy came out negative.
Her milk production went down to almost half and she was really affectionate. But now her production has gone back up, and she's distant and doesn't like to be touched unless she's on a lead. She even runs away when I approach her unless it's to take her to the stanchion.
I've had the vet out to palpate after the third AI'ing and she didn't find any cysts or any indication that there were problems. She advised me to dry her off. If I understood her correctly, she said that lactating would counter efforts to breed her. I asked the vet if drying her off would make her gain too much weight to breed, but she said that would be unlikely to happen. She advised me to dry off Sweetie and put her in with a bull for 60 days.
But I HATE HATE HATE to do that because I don't want to go back to store bought milk. I can't afford a replacement jersey at all in any way. And there's no one near me with a lactating Jersey.
I've tried to catch what I thought were subtle hints of heat, and brought her to a neighbor's bull twice. It turns out, she was just wanting more cow company. Actually, the second time, she ran right past the bull and started hanging out with a little calf.
I'm frustrated because I can't even detect any heats to throw her in with a bull, and she should have had three.
Tonight when I milked her, she was "puffy", so I guess I'll keep a close eye on her tomorrow and try to catch a heat.
Will this girl ever breed again?