Post by Lannie on Nov 30, 2009 14:34:33 GMT -5
I don't know why, but this year, I'm having a horrible time trying to figure out when Bandit is in heat. She never does the normal things that most cows do, and I have to infer from whether she pees or poops in the stanchion, or gives a little less milk, or has a bunch of mucus. Last year, after she calved, she had blood shows after each heat, but I haven't seen any this time, and I've been looking.
I write down any aberrant behavior, but none of the dates are making any sense. I was sure she was in heat on Day X, and then 10 days later she gooped out a gallon of mucus. Then a couple of weeks after that, she peed AND pooped in the stanchion, and gave half a gallon less milk, so I was sure she was in heat. Then nothing for a month.
The other day, I thought she was in heat because there was some mucus (clear) and Seven kept sniffing her and then trying to mount Cricket. That was 4 or 5 days ago, I think. Then yesterday morning, she peed in the stanchion again, but gave the regular amount of milk.
I'm planning on giving her a shot of Estrumate (I have to do it this way because I can't have her gone for weeks while she's in milk), but I know it has to be at least 6 or 7 days after the last heat and no more than 16 days after the last heat. But I'm not sure WHEN her heats are this year! Argh!
If I want to keep her on the same schedule, to calve early September, then I need to get her over to the bull by the end of this week. What do you think about Seven's interest and trying to mount Cricket? I thought that would be a pretty good indicator, but I don't know for sure. I just don't want to have given her the shot and trailered her over to the bull for nothing, and from what I understand, the Estrumate (or Lutalyse) only works in that 7 to 16 day window after the last heat.
Help! I'm confuuuuuuused!
~Lannie
I write down any aberrant behavior, but none of the dates are making any sense. I was sure she was in heat on Day X, and then 10 days later she gooped out a gallon of mucus. Then a couple of weeks after that, she peed AND pooped in the stanchion, and gave half a gallon less milk, so I was sure she was in heat. Then nothing for a month.
The other day, I thought she was in heat because there was some mucus (clear) and Seven kept sniffing her and then trying to mount Cricket. That was 4 or 5 days ago, I think. Then yesterday morning, she peed in the stanchion again, but gave the regular amount of milk.
I'm planning on giving her a shot of Estrumate (I have to do it this way because I can't have her gone for weeks while she's in milk), but I know it has to be at least 6 or 7 days after the last heat and no more than 16 days after the last heat. But I'm not sure WHEN her heats are this year! Argh!
If I want to keep her on the same schedule, to calve early September, then I need to get her over to the bull by the end of this week. What do you think about Seven's interest and trying to mount Cricket? I thought that would be a pretty good indicator, but I don't know for sure. I just don't want to have given her the shot and trailered her over to the bull for nothing, and from what I understand, the Estrumate (or Lutalyse) only works in that 7 to 16 day window after the last heat.
Help! I'm confuuuuuuused!
~Lannie