Post by buxombeefcowdairy on Feb 16, 2008 11:24:55 GMT -5
Great info, Ann, I simply haven't ever seen a freemartin that came into heat.
A heat cycle is definitely better than none, but it seems that a freemartinism test is the definitive answer.
Rence, by a 'sterile' look, I just mean that the heifer looks masculine- maybe if you could picture how a determined tomboy likes to dress- boy clothes and attitude on a girl. They look steerish rather than bullish because the testosterone's effects were while they were in the womb; the masculine traits don't develop further like a young bull's would as he approaches puberty.
A standing heat is the 'gold standard' of estrus. It simply means that another animal will mount the in-heat cow repeatedly, and the in-heat cow will stand to be mounted. The cow has to stand for the bull to service her, and so when she is in heat she will willingly brace herself to bear the weight of the bull.
Mounting behavior also occurs in calves playing (I've seen 2-week old heifer calves mounting their bull calf friends) and with respect to dominance, but in these cases the mount-ee will try to get out from under the mount-er.
There are a LOT of 'secondary' signs of heat, that by themselves may not mean anything, but all added up on an approximately 21-day schedule, indicate heat. These are a clear mucus secretion, swollen vulva, restlessness (I've heard of dairies putting a pedometer on the cow- when in heat she walks a LOT more), MOOing, extreme interest in other cattle, and mounting other cattle-or people. If you know your animal's personality well, you will usually notice that she's definitely acting differently during her heat.
Fingers crossed!
A heat cycle is definitely better than none, but it seems that a freemartinism test is the definitive answer.
Rence, by a 'sterile' look, I just mean that the heifer looks masculine- maybe if you could picture how a determined tomboy likes to dress- boy clothes and attitude on a girl. They look steerish rather than bullish because the testosterone's effects were while they were in the womb; the masculine traits don't develop further like a young bull's would as he approaches puberty.
A standing heat is the 'gold standard' of estrus. It simply means that another animal will mount the in-heat cow repeatedly, and the in-heat cow will stand to be mounted. The cow has to stand for the bull to service her, and so when she is in heat she will willingly brace herself to bear the weight of the bull.
Mounting behavior also occurs in calves playing (I've seen 2-week old heifer calves mounting their bull calf friends) and with respect to dominance, but in these cases the mount-ee will try to get out from under the mount-er.
There are a LOT of 'secondary' signs of heat, that by themselves may not mean anything, but all added up on an approximately 21-day schedule, indicate heat. These are a clear mucus secretion, swollen vulva, restlessness (I've heard of dairies putting a pedometer on the cow- when in heat she walks a LOT more), MOOing, extreme interest in other cattle, and mounting other cattle-or people. If you know your animal's personality well, you will usually notice that she's definitely acting differently during her heat.
Fingers crossed!