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COWS-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 65
The heat period usually lasts about 14 hours but can be as short as 8 hours or longer than 24 hours. THIS HEAT PERIOD IS THE ONLY TIME DURING THE 21 DAY CYCLE THAT SHE WILL ALLOW A BULL TO MATE WITH HER, AND SHE MAY ONLY ACCEPT HIM FOR PART OF THE TIME SHE IS ON HEAT. THIS TIME IS CALLED "STANDING HEAT" A FEW HOURS WHEN SHE WILL STAND STILL TO ALLOW THE BULL TO MOUNT AND BREED.
If she mates but does not conceive she will be back in heat about 21 days later, and the cycle continues until she conceives.
After becoming pregnant the heat periods cease. She will not mate again until after the calf is born and she has recovered from calving.
Sometimes a cow or heifer has what is called a "split cycle" and returns to heat within 8 to 12 days instead of 21 days watch out for the signs of coming into heat.
Signs of Heat:
Whether or not you are going to put her with a bull or use artificial insemination you must know when she is in heat to bred her.
If she is living by herself this can be easy to determine. The signs are that she may be more restless than usual, pace the fence or bawl, or have a clear, milky, or slightly blood discharge from her vulva - which is an external opening of the vagina. However not all cows or heifers show these obvious signs.
If she is with other cattle it is easier to tell when she comes into heat because they will mount her or she will try to mount them. Hair over her tailhead and hips may be ruffled from mounting activity. She may lose patches of hair over her hips and pin bones on either side of the tail (the boney parts of the pelvis that protrude on either side of the rectum). Bull calves or steers follow her around. She may fight other cattle more than she normally does. When you except an animal is coming into heat spend at least 30 minutes twice a day to look for signs of her being on heat.
Fertilization and Pregnancy:
If she is bred by a bull he will mount her and find his proper position and deposit semen into her reproductive tract and give a jump as he ejaculates.
The cow will stand for a moment with her back humped up and tail out after he dismounts. If he mounts her but fails to successfully mate with her – that is without ejaculating semen she will not show these signs of being bred. If she has been bred she may hold her tail out for only a short time or for part of a day.
If she mates but does not conceive she will be back in heat about 21 days later, and the cycle continues until she conceives.
After becoming pregnant the heat periods cease. She will not mate again until after the calf is born and she has recovered from calving.
Sometimes a cow or heifer has what is called a "split cycle" and returns to heat within 8 to 12 days instead of 21 days watch out for the signs of coming into heat.
Signs of Heat:
Whether or not you are going to put her with a bull or use artificial insemination you must know when she is in heat to bred her.
If she is living by herself this can be easy to determine. The signs are that she may be more restless than usual, pace the fence or bawl, or have a clear, milky, or slightly blood discharge from her vulva - which is an external opening of the vagina. However not all cows or heifers show these obvious signs.
If she is with other cattle it is easier to tell when she comes into heat because they will mount her or she will try to mount them. Hair over her tailhead and hips may be ruffled from mounting activity. She may lose patches of hair over her hips and pin bones on either side of the tail (the boney parts of the pelvis that protrude on either side of the rectum). Bull calves or steers follow her around. She may fight other cattle more than she normally does. When you except an animal is coming into heat spend at least 30 minutes twice a day to look for signs of her being on heat.
Fertilization and Pregnancy:
If she is bred by a bull he will mount her and find his proper position and deposit semen into her reproductive tract and give a jump as he ejaculates.
The cow will stand for a moment with her back humped up and tail out after he dismounts. If he mounts her but fails to successfully mate with her – that is without ejaculating semen she will not show these signs of being bred. If she has been bred she may hold her tail out for only a short time or for part of a day.