Determining the pregnancy of cows

A pregnant cow requires careful attention and quality care, because not only her health depends on these factors, but also the condition of the calf nurtured in the womb. This article will discuss ways to determine the pregnancy of an animal, as well as possible complications that occur in cows during this period.

Calf cow

What is a pregnant cow?

A cow is considered pregnant after her fertilization and until the moment of calving. Pregnancy is a very important period in the life of an animal. At this time, the cow needs proper care and quality nutrition. With a lack of nutrients and little physical activity, she may experience various pathologies after calving. That’s why farmers make every effort to properly prepare the cow for pregnancy and calving.

Duration of pregnancy in cows

The average duration of the pregnancy period in a cow is 270-300 days. The dates may slightly deviate from those indicated, since it is not always possible to accurately determine the date of fertilization. Other factors also affect the calf’s gestation period:

  • Cow health.
  • Conditions of detention.
  • Diet.

The farmer needs to navigate how long the pregnancy of the cow lasts in order to have time to prepare it for calving. The pregnancy calendar of cows helps him in this. But before starting it, you need to make sure that the cow is pregnant.

Methods for determining pregnancy

There are several ways to find out if a heifer is pregnant. This can be done at home without any medical devices, such as milk. The behavior of the animal also helps to identify the changes that have occurred in its body. What methods are used to detect pregnancy in cattle:

Ultrasound Scanner

Ultrasound Scanner

  1. Lab tests.
  2. Ultrasonography.
  3. Rectal examination.
  4. Hormonal tests.
  5. Visual inspection of the animal.

Most of the methods for determining pregnancy lie within the competence of the veterinarian. There are only two ways a farmer can independently learn about a cow’s pregnancy – by observing her behavior and by testing milk.

Rectal examination

A rectal examination of cows for pregnancy is carried out by a veterinarian, as he knows what changes the uterus undergoes in animals after fertilization. The doctor has extensive experience and will not harm the cow during the examination.

The veterinarian treats his hands with disinfectant solutions, puts on high sterile gloves. His assistant fixes the cow’s horns. At this time, the veterinary service employee takes the animal’s tail to the side and gently inserts the brush into the anus.

Rectal examination allows you to determine:

  • change in the size of the uterus
  • study the shape of the reproductive organ;
  • wall consistency.
  • density;
  • location in the peritoneum;
  • condition of the ovaries;
  • palpate the corpus luteum (in the early stages of pregnancy);
  • examine the cervix.

Rectal examination

Rectal examination

The veterinarian is able to accurately determine pregnancy at the earliest possible date, in the first month after fertilization.

Attention! During a rectal examination of a cow, one should be extremely careful not to provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus and not cause injury to the animal. At the moment of muscle contraction, you should stop moving your hand to avoid internal tears.

By milk

Most farmers know how to tell if a cow is pregnant by looking at her milk. Its chemical composition and quality indicators tend to change when a cow becomes pregnant. It is easy to determine by a milk drop whether fertilization has occurred. Consider two ways to do this at home.

  1. Fill a glass with clean cool water, put a drop of freshly expressed milk on its surface. Watch her – if the droplet completely dissolves without leaving a white trace, then the cow is not pregnant. Otherwise, the drop will leave a blurry spot on the surface of the water, resembling a cloud.
  2. Mix an equal amount of alcohol and fresh milk of the tested cow and wait a few minutes. If the cow is pregnant, the milk will curdle.

US

Ultrasound examination is allowed to be carried out 30 days after the expected date of fertilization. An ultrasound scan is performed by a veterinarian. With the help of a sensor on the monitor screen, you can see not only the embryo, but also identify possible pathologies of its development.

Attention! Too early ultrasound diagnosis can provoke a miscarriage.

Laboratory diagnosis

According to the results of laboratory tests, it is easy to determine the pregnancy of a cow. Under the influence of changes in the hormonal background of the animal, the chemical composition of the blood also changes. Reliable data on the pregnancy of a cow can be obtained as early as the third week after fertilization (provided that more than three months have passed since the last pregnancy).

Pregnancy tests

Milk pregnancy test for cows

Milk pregnancy test for cows

There are two types of pregnancy tests for cows. Both respond to an increase in the animal’s progesterone, a hormone that is actively synthesized during pregnancy. One of the tests is designed to analyze milk, the other determines pregnancy by urine.

Visual inspection

Observation of changes in the behavior and well-being of the animal allows you to determine pregnancy almost accurately. What to look for when visiting:

  1. The fertilized female becomes calmer, her movements are smoother.
  2. Wool becomes soft and shiny.
  3. Appetite improves.
  4. There are no signs of hunting.
  5. Within a month and a half after fertilization, a mucous secret is secreted from the cow’s vagina. It is clearly visible on the external genitalia.

Closer to the 5th month of pregnancy, changes are visible to the naked eye. The cow’s belly is significantly rounded, and, on the one hand, it sticks out more. Experienced farmers already have the opportunity to feel the fruit from the outside. It is best to do this early in the morning, when the cow has not yet eaten. It is enough to put a palm to the left side below the hungry hole to feel the inside of the calf. With characteristic tapping, the fetus may respond with jerks.

Pregnancy and calving calendar

A calendar of pregnancy and calving of cows must be kept on a farm. Thanks to this document, which indicates the expected date of fertilization, it is easy to calculate when exactly the time comes for the transfer of the cow to the dead wood. The launch must be made 2-2,5 months before calving. This period is very important for the animal, it cannot be neglected. Within 65-70 days before the birth of the offspring, the cow rests and gains strength. The pregnancy calendar helps to clearly divide the pregnancy into stages.

Cow pregnancy calendar

Cow pregnancy calendar

Characteristics of the stages of pregnancy in cows

There are three stages of pregnancy in cows, consider them:

  • germinal.
  • Embryonic.
  • fruitful.

The first stage of pregnancy is the shortest. Its beginning is the fertilization of the cow’s egg, and the completion of this phase occurs at the moment the zygote is attached to the uterine wall.

As soon as the implantation of the fetal egg into the uterine wall has occurred, the embryonic phase begins. Its duration in cows is 60 days. During this time, the embryo develops all body systems – nervous, circulatory, cardiovascular, the skeleton and muscles, all internal organs are formed. Closer to the final stage of the embryonic phase of pregnancy, the placenta begins to form.

The next stage of pregnancy (fetal phase) in cows is characterized by an increase in the mass of the fetus, the improvement and development of all its systems. This stage of pregnancy continues until calving.

Diseases and complications during pregnancy

The state of health of the cow before fertilization, as well as the quality of care and nutrition during pregnancy, affect how the fetus will develop. Sometimes the animal has various complications during pregnancy:

  1. Miscarriage.
  2. Premature attempts.
  3. Maceration, decomposition, mummification of the fetus.
  4. Dropsy of fetus or membranes.
  5. Edema in a cow.
  6. Vaginal prolapse (occurs during pregnancy and after calving).
  7. Twisting of the uterus.

Attention! Any deviations from the norm and symptoms of poor health in a pregnant cow require contacting the veterinary service, as they can lead to fetal fading or other pathologies.

After calving, most often you have to deal with such complications:

  • Detention of the placenta.
  • postpartum paresis.
  • Prolapse of the uterus.

Postpartum paresis

Postpartum paresis

These conditions are life threatening and require immediate veterinary attention.

The period of pregnancy in a cow is the time when she needs attention the most. Immediately after confirmation of pregnancy, the animal is provided with good nutrition, high-quality walking, decent living conditions. Only with this approach can you count on the birth of healthy young.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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