✅ how long does a cow’s pregnancy last, how many months does a calf carry

A healthy cow can become pregnant from the 9th month of life. However, it is strongly not recommended to rush to take the animal for mating. For pregnancy to proceed without complications, it can only happen after the weight is about 60% of the weight of a mature individual. Typically the appropriate age is 3-4 years.

Determining the moment of pregnancy is very important for any farmer, since a pregnant heifer needs a special regime and care. The so-called “dry period” is the period of time during which the animal cannot be milked. As a rule, its duration is 45-60 days. Too short a period will increase the risk of giving birth to sick offspring, reducing the amount of milk, and can also cause health problems for the cow itself.

Transfer to dry wood at 7-7.5 months of pregnancy.

2 How to determine pregnancy

3 How to calculate calving date

3.1 Signs of imminent calving

3.2 How to assist in giving birth to a cow

Keeping pregnant cows

Maintenance and feeding of pregnant cows are the primary factors on which the health and quality of lactation of an adult animal, as well as the development of the calf, depend.
A cow's pregnancy lasts approximately 285 days (a possible deviation of 10 days in one direction or another). Let's look at some rules for keeping pregnant cows, which are no less important than a balanced diet:

The place where pregnant cows are kept should be light, dry and warm. It is also necessary to provide access to fresh air (for this there must be ventilation in the room). If necessary, a stove is installed in the area where pregnant cows are kept to maintain the required temperature.
The room must have an insulated floor with dry bedding.
You should also not forget about walking pregnant cows, since being in the fresh air activates metabolism, improves health and facilitates labor. Walking time should be at least three hours a day.

Signs of labor

The cow pregnancy table (calendar) is accurate in 90 out of 100 cases, i.e. 90%. When it is clearly known how many days a cow carries a calf and it is clear that the time of birth is approaching, you need to be vigilant. This significant day can be identified by the following signs:

The pelvic ligaments are weakened.
Mucus is secreted from the genitals in the form of leashes.
Colostrum appears.

Colostrum is milk that differs in its fat content from regular milk. The calf needs it in the first days of birth. If a cow is grazing in the field with the herd, it is necessary to separate her in the last days, and if labor begins, help her give birth. Be careful: cases of childbirth in the field are quite common!

Length of pregnancy

Approximately 285 days or 9 months is the same period as in humans for normal pregnancy in cows. It is considered normal for animals when this period shifts in one direction or another. This usually happens because it is not known exactly when pregnancy began. The gestation period depends on a number of factors, which include:

Animal nutrition during pregnancy. With an acute deficiency of vitamins, pregnancy can be significantly shortened. A reduction in gestation time is also observed when the fetus is too large.
Level of care for the animal during this period.
How pregnant is the animal?
Features of the animal breed.
The gender of the calf, but this is more of a hypothesis: presumably the heifer may be born a few days earlier.
Being stressed for a long period of time.

Important! It was noted that 6% of all calvings occur on day 240. A calf may not be viable if it is born before 140 days, it is considered a miscarriage

This occurs due to various diseases in the cow, especially if they are related to the reproductive system. Miscarriage is not excluded during long journeys to distant pastures, as well as after a poor examination. In addition, hormonal imbalances are possible in animals. This even happens due to changes in the weather, often due to taking certain medications

A calf may not be viable if it is born before 140 days and is considered a miscarriage. This occurs due to various diseases in the cow, especially if they are related to the reproductive system. Miscarriage is not excluded during long journeys to distant pastures, as well as after a poor examination. In addition, hormonal imbalances are possible in animals. This even happens due to changes in weather, often due to taking certain medications.

Features of lactation

A cow produces milk only when she needs to feed her offspring. That's why

so that she gives milk, insemination is carried out annually;
In first-calf heifers, milk begins to be produced only after birth;
in adults it may appear before calving;
during the first ten days they produce colostrum (fat milk enriched with all the necessary nutrients for feeding calves);
lactation lasts from nine to eleven months in dairy breeds, and seven to nine months in meat breeds.

The birth process

Thanks to the calendar, the farmer knows approximately how long a cow is carrying a calf; this document helps to prepare in time for its birth. The first step is to take care of arranging the calving area. What measures need to be taken before this important event:

Clear the stall.
Make sure you have clean soft hay bedding.
Treat manure grooves with lime solution.
Disinfect the cow's hooves using a creolin solution at a concentration of 2%.

Signs of approaching calving

Shortly before giving birth, the cow begins to behave restlessly. She feels discomfort, so it is easy for a farmer to determine the approach of labor by the following signs:

The chick looks back, shifts from foot to foot.
She's shy.
The animal eats significantly less and drinks little.
The external genitalia are slightly enlarged.
A mucous secretion is released from the vagina.
The udder swells and colostrum begins to drip.
A few hours before giving birth, the cow twitches its skin.
In summer, the animal may separate from the herd and try to hide in the bushes.
The sacrum descends.
The pelvic ligaments relax.
The cow lies for a long time and moos.

A sure sign of the onset of labor is that the cow lies on her side (usually the left). At this time, it is necessary to prepare everything that may be needed during calving - towels, warm water, soap, a solution of potassium permanganate at a concentration of 1%, iodine solution (5%), scissors.

How to properly take a calf?

First, a fertilized sac will appear from the cow’s vagina. It will rupture on its own if the animal makes intense efforts. If labor is weak, then help is needed. The amniotic sac should be ruptured or incised. If the calf walks with its limbs forward, this is considered normal. In this case, he will not need additional help. Normal labor lasts from half an hour to an hour (in first-calf heifers).

A veterinarian's intervention will be needed if the cow's efforts are weak and more than half an hour has passed since her water broke. Slow calf emergence and misdirection of fetal movement are warning signs. In this case, the help of a doctor is necessary. The calf is picked up carefully and placed on a soft bedding, and its airways are cleared of mucus. The umbilical cord is tied and cut with sterile scissors. The remaining end is dipped into an iodine solution. Next, the calf is transferred to the mother’s face, giving her the opportunity to lick it.

Every farmer should know how long a pregnant cow walks. Accurate information about fertilization should be recorded in the calendar. This will help to correctly determine the time of entering dry wood and prepare for calving.

From 9 months, a cow can bear offspring. Although experienced livestock breeders are in no hurry to immediately take her to mating. Often they wait until the animal reaches physical maturity. It is difficult to give an exact figure for when this will happen. It all depends on the breed of the animal, its maintenance and feeding. The animal is ready for mating if the weight is at least 60% of the weight of an adult animal. This period occurs only in the third year of the animal’s life.

A cow carries a calf for 9 months

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth

Unfortunately, there is no way to determine with accuracy what will threaten the life of a cow. Prevention, first of all, is proper feeding and vitamin therapy; if necessary, you need to inject vitamins or iodine solution. If a person has no experience and has just begun to master animal husbandry, it would be advisable to seek help from a veterinarian; it is not advisable to give injections on your own. You can use medications to prevent diseases and immunomodulators like Sedimin and Chiktonik, and you can also use Calfort D3. Ivermek will help to cope with parasites; it is also necessary to treat the skin of the heifer to eliminate lice eaters and others.

There are many different signs that indicate the presence of health problems in cattle. When there is a problem with the digestive tract, the animal does not chew cud, there is diarrhea, colic, and in some cases there is colon prolapse. When a cow presses her tail, this is a good sign, it means everything is in order with her health.

Problems with the respiratory system are accompanied by wheezing coming from the chest, increased body temperature, and fever. Among infectious diseases I would like to mention clostridiosis and brucellosis. The second disease is dangerous because it can cause miscarriage. But this is not the only ailment that provokes a condition in which the animal throws off the calf.

It often happens that after giving birth, a cow falls and cannot get back to its feet. This condition is called maternity paresis, and in this case, the first thing you need to do is call a doctor, otherwise the cattle will die.

Even the most experienced and experienced farmer in livestock farming cannot replace a veterinarian.

Among the medications that can be used without a doctor’s prescription are Nitox tablets, an antibacterial and antiviral drug. Even if you keep the Aishir or Semmintal breeds, which are the most unpretentious, they still require appropriate care during the period of gestation. It is important to remember that the slightest errors in care can cost the livestock its life.

Duration of pregnancy (pregnancy)

How long a cow's pregnancy lasts depends on a number of factors. The duration of pregnancy varies quite a lot. The average gestation period for a cow is 285 days. Deviations from this period may be large. Calving on day 311 or day 240 is not considered pathological. Cases when a cow takes too long are not common. The number of out-and-out heifers usually does not exceed 10%. Early birth is observed in 4-6%.

Hormonal disorders in the body and the slow formation of the calf due to the individual characteristics of the female can extend the gestation period.

Early calving occurs in cases where the cow has had poor, illiterate care, she experiences a slight deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body, or suffers from stress. Large calves are also born earlier. When the fetus is small, birth is usually observed closer to the 300th day of gestation. Pregnancy longer than 311 days is pathological and requires veterinary intervention.

The average gestation period for a cow is 285 days.

If the birth of a calf occurs before the 140th day, it is not viable and we are talking about a miscarriage. Many factors can provoke it. Most often, miscarriage in a cow is caused by the following reasons:

Poor content;
Diseases of the reproductive system;
Improper examination – especially rectal and manual;
Too early ultrasound – before 1 month of pregnancy;
Strong physical activity - driving a pregnant heifer to distant pastures.

A miscarriage can also occur in a cow in the event of sudden hormonal fluctuations. They can occur during rapid weather changes or when the animal is given a number of medications that are contraindicated in pregnant females (when the pregnancy has not yet been detected, due to the short period).

Pregnant cow

Knowing how long a cow carries, it is possible to calculate the approximate date of calving and qualitatively prepare for it. It is necessary to agree in advance with an experienced veterinarian so that, if necessary, he can urgently arrive and provide assistance to the animal.

Help for a woman in labor

To assist a giving birth cow, a person is tied with a rope around the waist and tied to the emerging legs of the calf. They do this in the case when they know how long a cow carries a calf, and the birth has come, but the fetus does not come out for a long time so that it does not suffocate. A man, resting his back on the cow, helps in childbirth.

If there can be two people during childbirth, then everything will go easier. They wrap straw (a rag) around the legs (front) of the calf and help it come out into the light. To do this, the calf is carefully pulled out. Sometimes, extremely rarely, a cow needs to have a caesarean section. But this operation is performed by a veterinarian.

Complications during childbirth occur in young cows, whose owners do not yet clearly understand how long the cow’s pregnancy lasts, and she is carrying a calf for the first time (first heifer). Such young women in labor, pregnant for the first time, require special attention and care. As a rule, they receive vitamins and improved food.

But there is also one peculiarity here: you cannot allow the cow to become overly fat. Of course, you need to keep an eye on the cow at night, because this is quite a favorable time for giving birth. A pregnant cow in a stall runs the risk of dying or losing her calf during birth if she stands close to the wall.

Feeding pregnant cows during the dry period

During pregnancy, the reserves of nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the cow's body are significantly depleted. Two months before the birth of a calf, the animal begins to accelerate various metabolic processes.

By the time of calving, the cow should increase her initial weight. In two months of dead wood, its mass should increase by about 10–12%. That is, if the animal weighs 600 kg, by the time of birth its weight should be approximately 660–670 kg. But make sure that this increase is within the normal range.

A competent approach to feeding pregnant cows during the dry period helps solve a number of important problems:

optimal weight gain and accumulation of the required amount of nutrients;
the birth of healthy and viable offspring;
establishing stable and high-quality lactation;
prevention of most childbirth, postpartum and other complications: mastitis, digestive disorders, postpartum paresis, etc.;
strengthening the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine systems;
rapid and effective recovery of the animal’s body after childbirth;
production of complete colostrum for feeding the calf in the first days after birth;
improvement of further fertility.

There are two main periods of dead wood: early and late (which ends with the birth of offspring). Each period should have its own diet.

When feeding a pregnant cow during the early dry period, it is recommended to focus on cereal hay and multivitamins, and during the late period and during the first days after calving, it is necessary to add silage and a small proportion of concentrated feed to the diet. Pregnant cows should be fed 2-3 times a day. Calculation of the daily norm depends on several parameters:

Weights. One feed unit is required for every 100 kg of animal weight.
Productivity. One feed unit for every thousand milk production.
Fatness. To make an animal more well-fed, it is necessary to increase the daily intake of food by 1-2 feed units.

Let's move on to consider the features of feeding pregnant cows in the first period of pregnancy (60–21 days before calving). It begins with the start - stopping milking and gradually transferring the animal to a new diet. Changing the diet usually takes 7–12 days.

In low-productive animals, starting is a natural process, but in highly productive animals, human intervention is required. The first thing you need to do is remove the lunch milking

Please note that to stop lactation, you should not completely empty the udder during milking, nor should you massage it

What changes happen to an animal during pregnancy?

The pregnancy period for a cow is very important, since during this time many physiological changes occur in her body, due to which she ultimately begins to produce milk, which is what the owner requires. The physical changes in a female's body when she carries a calf are serious. In order for all processes to take place fully, you need to provide your pet with the correct diet and daily routine.

Cows require careful care during pregnancy

The main changes in the body of a pregnant cow:

an increase in heart volume is necessary due to the fact that the amount of blood circulating in the animal’s body increases;
Increased vascular tone;
Significant increase in load on the cardiovascular system;
Enlargement of uterine veins 4 times;
Changes in blood chemistry.

As the calf develops, the cow's uterus changes in size. At the end of pregnancy, it becomes 15 to 20 times larger than before. As a result, the abdominal and chest cavities become enlarged. Due to the pressure of the uterus on the internal organs, breathing changes - the animal breathes heavily and rapidly. Pressure also affects the functioning of the excretory system - defecation and urination become frequent. The cow begins to eat in smaller portions, but at short intervals, which is associated with a decrease in the volume of the stomach, compressed by the uterus.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in a cow's body.

At 4-5 months of pregnancy, the production of mucous secretion increases, which begins to secrete from the genital slit and harden on the tail. If an admixture of blood is detected in it, then this is an alarming sign indicating a violation of fetal development or inflammation of the uterus. In such a situation, urgently show the cow to the veterinarian.

How long does a cow's pregnancy last and carry a calf?

From 9 months, a cow can bear offspring. Although experienced livestock breeders are in no hurry to immediately take her to mating. Often they wait until the animal reaches physical maturity.

It is difficult to give an exact figure for when this will happen. It all depends on the breed of the animal, its maintenance and feeding. The animal is ready for mating if the weight is at least 60% of the weight of an adult animal. This period occurs only in the third year of the animal’s life.

Why do you need an exact gestational age?

Why should farm owners know whether a cow is pregnant, or, as they correctly say, pregnant, and how many months her interesting state lasts? The fact that pregnancy requires care is understandable.

In addition, a pregnant cow can be timid and sometimes loses her fetus due to severe stress. But that's not the main thing

A cow that is pregnant with a calf must undergo a dry period. That’s why it’s so important how long she’s been pregnant, you need to know the exact gestational age

What is the dry period

Before giving birth to a calf, the animal gains strength and rests. To prevent the cow's body from becoming depleted and nutrients being deposited on the body, the cow is stopped being milked before giving birth. How long does the dry period last? Not so long - from 45 to 60 days. But it is advisable that it is not too short. Pros of a long period:

maintaining the health of the animal;
milk yield will be maintained in the future;
the calf will be born healthy.

If the dry period lasts 45 days, then milk yield will decrease in the future. The quality of the milk will also suffer: it will be low in protein and fat.

How to transfer to dry wood

The start of a cow is done 7.5 months after its fertilization; this period must be observed. Before you start a cow, you need to properly organize its nutrition. If the animal's milk yield has already decreased and it produces 3-4 liters of milk per day, it is started immediately. If milk yield is still high, this is done gradually. We need to reduce the number of milkings. Change the feeding regimen:

do not feed succulent or concentrated food;
reduce the amount of water;
reduce the amount of feed;
give low-nutrient hay or straw;
if the pregnancy was in the summer, it cannot be kept on pasture for a long time. The animal is released to graze only for 4-5 hours, after which they stop milking for 6-8 days.

As soon as the animal's milk has disappeared, return to the previous feeding regimen. This is not done right away. Over the course of 6-11 days, succulent and concentrated feed is gradually added to the cow’s diet.

Dates of pregnancy

Experienced livestock breeders note that pregnancy or pregnancy in an animal lasts 9 months. To be more precise, a cow is pregnant for 285 days. But, like a person, a cow can have premature births, the timing is approximate.

If she was poorly cared for or fed incorrectly, the calf is born a couple of days or even a month earlier. Sometimes she stays pregnant longer than expected, post-gestating the fetus by several days or even weeks. Therefore, they say that the duration of pregnancy in cows is 240–311 days.

How to calculate the exact gestational age

With artificial insemination, the farmer knows the date of fertilization of the animal. Remembering how long a cow’s pregnancy lasts, how long she will be pregnant, they will find out the approximate date of birth using the formula.

D = H+10 / No. – 3

It needs to be decrypted. D is the date when childbirth is expected. The letter H indicates the number when insemination took place, and No. is the number of the month when insemination occurred.

Let's assume the insemination took place on May 15th. To the number 15 we add 10. It turns out 25. May is the 5th month. We subtract 3 from it. It turns out 2. The cow will calve on February 25th.

If the day of the month, when added, received a figure that is greater than 30, then we subtract 30 from it, and add another 1 to the month. So, if she was inseminated on May 25, then 25+ 10 = 35. The month is also 2. (5-3 ). But we do it as described above: 35-30 =5.

And by the month we add 1. Then the cow will calve on March 5th. If the month number is 3 or less (January, February, March), then 12 is added to the month number. Animal owners often make a calendar so as not to forget when to start stagnation of the cow.

It makes it clear how long she carries the calf and how long the pregnancy lasts. In one column the date of insemination is indicated, in the other - the approximate time of calving. But it is impossible to accurately guess this date. Therefore, a deviation of 10 days is normal.

Care and feeding of pregnant cows

Proper care and balanced feeding of a pregnant cow will ensure a healthy offspring, high-quality lactation and the required amount of milk. Let's look at the features of care and start with preliminary preparation for calving.

The basis of this preparation is proper care of the pregnant animal. It is necessary to provide good conditions and feeding enriched with the necessary vitamins and minerals.

The time a cow spends on pasture is reduced to avoid excessive consumption of succulent feed, but she must be in the fresh air, since being outside is beneficial:

Thanks to the normal supply of oxygen, blood circulation throughout the body improves.
By walking, the animal improves its muscles and strengthens the vestibular apparatus, which is very necessary before calving.
Summer “exercise” saturates the body with calciferol, which is important for strengthening the bones of the pregnant heifer and fetus.

During the dry period (at the end of lactation and before new calving), feeding should be carried out according to a schedule, following a certain diet with an increased amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats that affect lactation and milk. Temperature conditions, good ventilation and drinking at the right time are also important.

Below is an approximate diet for a pregnant dry cow with a live weight of 500 kg, an estimated milk yield of 4000 kg of milk with 4% fat:

Stern	Quantity (kg)	They contain
Stern	Quantity (kg)	Feed units	Digestive ( g)	Calcium (g)	Phosphorus (g)	Carotene (mg)
Silage	15	3,00	210	23	83	225
Meadow hay	6	2,52	288	36	13	90
Spring straw	2	0,62	28	8	2	3
Sunflower cake	0,7	0,77	277	3	7	1
Wheat bran	1,5	0,10	195	2	15	6
Feed precipitate	0,10	—	—	26	17	—
Pine flour	1	—	—	—	—	80
TotalRequired by standard		8,01	998	98	62	405
TotalRequired by standard		8,00	960	90	60	400

During development, the fetus needs large quantities of minerals and vitamins. As the period increases, the fetus also grows, therefore, it requires more and more intrauterine nutrition.

Feeding a cow before calving

10–15 days before the possible calving date, the cow is switched to food made from high-quality hay from cereals, and concentrated food is removed from the diet altogether or left in an amount of no more than a kilogram per day. Also, succulent foods are excluded from the diet - there is already too much fluid in the body.

Don’t forget about the dosage of microelements, for example, you need 9–10 g of calcium per day, and 7–8 g of phosphorus.

On the eve of calving, the feed ration is prepared according to the following scheme:

Silage and cereal hay - 60%.
Concentrated feed - 24%.
Roughage - 16%.

This is the optimal feed ratio before calving. Speaking about the daily requirement before calving, we note that a cow needs about 10 kg of hay. If for some reason it is not possible to give so much, they give less, but add vitamin preparations on the recommendation of a veterinarian. Feeding is done three times a day, and watering is also done three times, only with filtered or boiled water at a temperature of 8–10 °C. In addition to the recommended food, be sure to give from 30 to 50 g of salt and chalk.

During the first dry period (60–20 days before calving), the diet must be saturated with fiber and only high-quality fresh food without spoilage and mold should be given. Particular attention should be paid to the animal’s body weight - it should remain unchanged; if necessary, the diet should be supplemented with nutritious feed.

Important! During the dry period, alfalfa and molasses are not allowed in the cow’s diet!

During the second dry period, the cow’s diet does not change much, only closer to calving, more fiber and vitamins are added to compensate for the cow’s energy deficiency.

Feeding immediately before calving

Three weeks before calving, to improve the quality and quantity of milk, feeding is carried out according to the following scheme:

21–14 days before calving, a transition to feeding three times a day is carried out, with every 2 kg of main feed diluted with 1 kg of a concentrated mixture.
14 days before the appearance of the offspring, 2 kg of main food are given three times a day, and in addition, 1 kg of concentrate is added to the morning and evening feeding, and 2 kg to the daytime feeding.
During the final week - 2 kg of main food and 2 kg of concentrate at each feeding.

Separately, it should be noted the peculiarities of feeding a pregnant cow in winter. During this period, the diet must be enriched with nutritional supplements and vitamins. Such additives include fish oil, feed yeast and special vitamins. The diet should also include bran and cake.

The winter shortage of certain substances is compensated by the animal’s free access to table salt and branches of coniferous trees (preferably pine).

Did you know? In one minute, a cow makes about 100 movements with its jaw.

Progress of pregnancy

In the first two thirds of pregnancy, the cow only needs good nutrition and no stress, while in the last trimester she needs special conditions. Approximately 60–70 days before calving, the heifer is transferred to dry milk, in other words, they stop milking. This is necessary so that the animal can rest before giving birth and feeding the calf, and gain enough strength for lactation. After milking stops, the cow’s body intensively accumulates the nutrients it needs to fully feed the baby.

Transferring to dry milk allows you to maintain the health of the heifer, not lose milk yield in the future and contribute to the birth of a strong and healthy calf. Under no circumstances should the dry period be shortened. Thus, by reducing it to 45 days, you can subsequently obtain a significant reduction in milk yield and a deterioration in the quality of milk.

It will not contain the required amount of not only fat, but also protein, which will immediately affect its beneficial properties.

Reducing milkings

Stopping milking is done gradually, since a sharp reduction can lead to udder mastitis. First, the cow is milked twice a day, then gradually switched to single milking, and only after that they take a trial break every three to five days. After a pause, they inspect the udder and, making sure that there are no pathologies, continue to smoothly reduce milking. In this case, nature itself often comes to the rescue, because when the milking regime changes, the cow’s nervous system reacts by reducing milk yield and allows the animal to quickly adapt to new conditions. After 1–2 weeks, the milk itself will stop flowing, which serves as a signal that it’s time to switch the cow to a special diet.

Power at startup

The change in diet will be carried out gradually and within a week the cow will be completely transferred to the new menu. At the same time, the brownie’s water consumption is reduced, and concentrated and green food is excluded from its daily diet. From this moment until birth occurs, the cow should be in a special position: walk more in the fresh air and consume a large amount of vitamins.

Walks should be long, but not tiring - just long enough so that the animal can lie down and rest at any time. While staying in the fresh air, the cow's blood is actively enriched with oxygen and circulates better throughout the body. In addition, walking helps improve muscle condition and helps strengthen the vestibular system.

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Transferring the cow to dry stand

The dry period is the time period before calving, when the cow is resting and gaining strength for lactation. At this time, her milk yield decreases, and milk production gradually stops. However, it is important to correctly transfer the animal to dry wood. To do this, you need to know exactly how far into pregnancy the cow is , because the heifer needs about 60-70 days to rest before calving.

To transfer an animal to dry wood, various methods are used:

Approximately 70 days before the expected calving date, the cow's diet is changed.
Reduce the number of milkings per day.
Milking is done at a different time, unusual for the cow.

Power at startup

To reduce milk production, it is necessary to remove succulent food from the animal’s diet. They are replaced with hay. Concentrates are also excluded for a while. In the warm season, when the heifer is grazing on pasture, they stop feeding her with green mass and concentrated feed. If milk yield does not decrease, it is recommended to leave only roughage in the diet. During the stall period, it is permissible to introduce flax cake, oatmeal, and wheat bran into the Burenki menu.

Reducing the number of milkings

Changes in the milk expression schedule lead to disruption of conditioned reflexes. The nervous system of the cow reacts to such changes by reducing milk yield. Sometimes it is enough to change the usual mode of pumping, as milk production is noticeably reduced. Many farmers use this technique very successfully. In some cases, it is not even necessary to change the diet of a pregnant cow.

Attention! When starting, you need to be more attentive to the udder. At this time, there is a high probability of developing stagnant processes, mastitis.

Once the milk stops coming in, which usually takes about 7-12 days, the cow's diet should be adjusted to include all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The last two months of pregnancy are very important - during this time the calf gains weight and develops very rapidly. Lack of nutrients can lead to various health pathologies.

Diet depending on the characteristics of the breed

You need to select a balanced diet for a pregnant cow based on the type to which her breed belongs:

Pregnant beef cows during pregnancy are fed cereal and legume hay, corn silage, and haylage with the addition of table salt. The menu of beef cows necessarily includes protein, starch, and mineral supplements (components such as zinc, copper, phosphorus and calcium are especially important).
Dairy cows are given silage and hay, dry feed and silage. Dairy cows need even more protein and mineral components. The amount of water should be limited, its amount should not exceed 48 liters per day.

Both varieties are given pulp (sugar beet chaff), stillage (a substance, a product of processing wort) and yeast-based additives. In order for a pregnant cow’s diet to be truly balanced, a calendar is drawn up where the diet is scheduled depending on the period of pregnancy.

It is important to adhere to one rule here: food for a pregnant cow cannot be spoiled, rotten, or musty. This can cause miscarriage or premature birth.

Some cow owners believe that reducing the amount of feed they feed makes calving easier. All that can be achieved by this is the exhaustion of the cow and calf.

Birth

When a calf is born, you need to take dry straw and wipe it, clear its mouth and nose of mucus. The newborn needs a massage. When the cow is able, she does it herself. She will lick it with her tongue for a long time and clean it.

After drying the calf, be sure to remove the afterbirth (placenta) from the barn. If a cow eats it, there won't be any problems! You need to be very careful, the animal may start eating rags and polyethylene - the cow may die in this case! Therefore, you need to once again take childbirth very carefully and seriously!

The most important days are the first 4–5 days after the calf is born. At this time, you need to give him warm boiled water between main meals. The calf drinks the first colostrum after about 1.5 hours. On day 5, mineral supplements are slowly introduced into the calf’s diet, since colostrum is valuable for the first 5–7 days. The vitamin and mineral supplements that the calf should receive per day are divided into two or three times.

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Changes in the cow's body and the development of the future calf

The pregnancy period is conventionally divided into several phases:

Germinal - from the time of fertilization of the egg until the cell attaches to the wall of a hollow organ.
Embryonic - the implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall, the embryo develops body systems (duration - 2 months).
Fetal phase - the placenta is formed, weight increases, functional groups develop.

During the first months of pregnancy, the cow's behavior changes and mucus comes out of the uterus.

Closer to birth, a colorless liquid flows out of the udder, then white balls appear. Colostrum indicates calving is imminent.

Hormonal changes in the cow's body occur throughout pregnancy. An increased level of biologically active substances is observed from 2 to 5 months. Under the influence of progesterone, the animal does not want to mate.

Meanwhile, the fetus develops and gains weight. After fertilization, the body weight is 1 gram. At the end of the second month of conception, tens more grams are added.

By the 90th day, the unborn calf weighs approximately 400 g, and by the 120th day - 2.5 kg.

Babies are born weighing from 30 to 40 kg (in some cases - up to 50 kg).

How the fetus develops

Once insemination occurs, the calf does not yet exist. The embryo gradually develops until it is born.

Here's how it happens:

During the first month, various parts of the body begin to form: eyes, mouth. At this time, instead of skin, you can see the vascular network. The embryo weighs no more than one gram.
The second month is the time when vital organs begin to be created. At the same time, the placenta begins to appear. The size and weight of the embryo increases. At the end of this month, the size can reach 8 cm, weight up to 20-30 g.
During the third, fourth and fifth months, the testes are formed and horns begin to grow. When the fifth month ends, the embryo can already be called a calf.
Over the next three months, active formation of internal organs occurs, and wool begins to grow.

285 days after conception, the calf is born.

Length of pregnancy

Pregnancy in heifers lasts the same as in humans - 9 months or 285 days. However, the timing of how long a cow carries a calf can shift back or forth by a few days. Similar assumptions are made if it is impossible to determine the exact date of fertilization.

What factors does it depend on?

How many months a cow carries a calf depends on many factors.

These include:

ensuring proper nutrition;
good care;
first birth or not;
breed.

In addition, there is an assumption that if the calf is female, then it is born a couple of days earlier.

How many days is normal

Typically, the pregnancy period in these animals lasts 285 days. But, as with people, premature birth and the appearance of post-term offspring are possible. Therefore, a cow's gestation period of 240 to 311 days is considered normal.

How long can you walk

Immediately after fertilization, it is necessary to create a special document - a schedule that helps determine the approximate date of birth and gestational age. It is commonly called the Cow Pregnancy and Calving Calendar.

An example of such a calendar is shown in the figure:

Using a calendar it is easier to determine how many days the fetus is post-term. A deviation of up to 15 days is considered normal. This is due to the fact that the exact date of fertilization is unknown in some cases.

There are cases of walking for more than three weeks. In this case, it is necessary to contact a specialist to examine the cow and fetus.

Due dates

If the insemination of the cow was planned and everything took place successfully and on time, then the birth will occur in the tenth month. In such cases, veterinarians recommend, and strongly recommend, to begin stopping milking after 7.5 months. Understanding how many days a cow carries a calf and having calculated everything correctly, the animal is left without milking for 2 months before giving birth. That is, most cows remain unmilked while pregnant for about 60 days (maybe more). And only about seven percent of livestock have a shortened period without milking.

The cow needs a rest from milk production long before giving birth. She needs to have energy for the development of the fetus. If the milk yield is removed, then the processed food will use all the energy production so necessary for the future calf. A table (calendar) for the start and birth of cows, which is available from veterinarians, will help you find out how long a cow carries a calf.

Table (calendar) of gestation and pregnancy of cows

date		date		date		date
Insemination	Calving	Insemination	Calving	Insemination	Calving	Insemination	Calving
January	October	April	January	July	April	October	July
1	7 -12	1	5-10	1	6-12	1	7-12
5	11-17	5	9-15	5	10-16	5	11-17
10	16-22	10	14-20	10	15-21	10	16-22
15	21-27	15	19-25	15	20-26	15	21-27
20	1.11	20	30	20	1.05	20	1.08
25	31.10-6.11	25	29.01-7.02	25	30-6.05	25	31-6.08
February	november	May	February	August	May	november	August
1	7-13	1	4-10	1	7-12	1	7-12
5	11-17	5	8-14	11-17	5	11-17
10	16-22	10	13-19	10	16-22	10	16-22
15	21-27	15	18-24	15	21-27	15	21-27
20	26.11-2.12	20	23.02-1.03	20	26-1.06	20	26-1.09
25	1.12-7.12	25	28.02-6.03	25	31-6.06	25	31-06.09
March	December	June	March	September	June	December	September
1	5-11	1	7-13	1	7-12	1	6-12
5	9-15	5	11-17	5	11-17	5	10-16
10	14-20	10	16-22	10	16-22	10	15-21
15	19-25	15	21-27	15	21-27	15	20-26
20	24-30	20	26.03-1.04	20	26-2.07	20	25-1.10
25	29.12-4.01	25	31.03-6.04	25	1.07-7.07	25	30-6.10

If you do not adhere to this, the cow may get sick and the calf may not be born viable. Owners need to know that the calf develops especially intensively in the last 3 months of its gestation.

How long does a cow's pregnancy last?

Pregnancy, or pregnancy, in cattle lasts, like in humans, 9 months. The average value for cows of all breeds is 230-311 days. The variability of time depends on the quality of care and nutrition (vitamin supplements are introduced into the diet, the volume of succulent food is increased).

Pregnancy, or pregnancy, in cattle lasts, like in humans, 9 months.

Cow pregnancy dates

The sexual cycle of a cow lasts on average 21 days and consists of two phases: heat (11-20 hours) and ovulation (10-15 hours). To avoid early or unplanned pregnancy, young animals are kept separately after maturation. Cases of cattle occur annually during heat: 2 times successively with an interval of 12 hours (before milking).

Pregnancy in cattle is not divided into phases. But it is necessary to withstand a dry period. All breeds give birth at different times, so the recommendation to stop milking a cow 60 days before calving is inaccurate. According to scientists, it is better to leave milk to the cow starting from the 7th month, it will be used to strengthen the fetus and form fatty colostrum.

After 230-300 days, the first signs of impending labor will appear. The mood changes, the animal is restless and aggressive.

The udder fills and swells; the loop, on the contrary, softens, and transparent mucous discharge appears. The hips rise and diverge by 10-20 centimeters. The heifer picks up hay for herself and builds a “nest”

It is important for the owner to monitor the cow in order to quickly help if the birth process becomes difficult.

Be sure to read:

At what age do chickens begin to lay eggs: up to what age, what does it depend on, why do they stop

How to calculate the exact gestational age

Insemination does not always lead to pregnancy, so artificial insemination of the female is more often used. 30 days after the hunt, you can determine whether the cow has a calf or not.

Signs will indicate this:

Light discharge from the reproductive organs.
Change in behavior (the chick becomes calm or agitated).
The end of the sexual hunt.

An accurate analysis is done by a veterinarian. A laboratory method determines the level of progesterone in milk or palpates the stomach. There are pregnancy tests. Ultrasound gives better efficiency, but pregnancy is determined in this way no earlier than the 2nd month.

Pregnancy in cattle is not divided into phases

A clotting test is performed at home. Milk is added to alcohol (5 ml) in a test tube. Pregnancy will be confirmed if it curls.

The rectal palpation method will give an exact date. It is carried out by veterinarians by inserting a disinfected hand into the animal’s rectum.

The stage of pregnancy is determined by changes in the reproductive organs:

ovaries are normal, the uterus is in the pelvis, the horn is enlarged - 1 month;
the neck descends into the belly, the horn increases 2-3 times - 60-80 days;
a groove is determined between the horns of the uterus, a diameter of about 20 cm - 3rd month;
at the 4th month the fetus can already be felt;
from the 5th-6th month, simple palpation of the abdomen is carried out, the uterus descends completely into the pelvis;
7-8th month – the calf can be easily palpated;
9th month - the cervix rests on the pelvis.

In the middle of the period - 120-150 days - changes are observed in the appearance and behavior of the female. The sides increase significantly, the cow eats a lot, and can attack her neighbors in the stall.

Tips and tricks

An individual calving calendar is compiled for each cow, depending on when she was inseminated. If everything is done in accordance with existing rules, this will make the lactation period as productive as possible.

Seven days before giving birth:

The ligaments located at the root of the tail and near the pelvis begin to descend.
At the same time, the udder should become covered with a liquid that looks a little like sugar syrup (colostrum).
The cow often lies down and moos loudly.
You can see that the cow's udder is enlarging.
In the summer, the cow tries not to be in the herd and looks for a secluded place. If you don't watch her, she can give birth to a calf in one of these secluded corners.
The genitals become slightly swollen.
The stomach becomes sagging.

Note! When only a day remains before calving, the animal becomes especially restless.

It is important to monitor the appearance of these signs in order to know exactly when calving will occur.

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How to find out the calving date?

In order to calculate the calving date as accurately as possible, it is advisable to know the time of mating. Using a simple formula will help with this: D = (H+11) / (M-Z), where D is the calving date, H is the mating date, and M is the numbering of the month. For example, mating occurred on April 17, where April is the fourth month on the calendar. This means that the calculation will look like this: D = (17+11) / (4-3), which ultimately will look like 28/01. In other words, if insemination occurred on April 1, then the cow will calve on January 28 of the following year. If, when adding the numbers in the first bracket, the result is more than 30, then 30 is subtracted from this amount, and 1 is added to the serial number of the month.

For example, if the cow was covered on May 24, then 24 + 10 = 34 - and since the 34th does not exist, then we subtract 30 from it and get 4, only the month will no longer be January (4-3 = 1), but February, since we added one to it. The same is with the second bracket: if the heifer was covered in January, February or March, the number 12 is added to the resulting negative number or zero (for March). However, as mentioned above, these calculations are only approximate values, and the calving time They cannot determine it with an accuracy of one day.

After the cow’s pregnancy has been confirmed and the calving date has been calculated, it is advisable to create a pregnancy calendar. This will allow you not to miss the deadlines for transferring the animal to dry land and its launch, as well as agree in advance with the veterinarian and purchase everything necessary for the birth.

Types of insemination

This can be done in two ways:

artificial;
and natural.

Artificial is preferable. Since then

eliminates the possibility of infection with various cattle diseases,
and there is an opportunity to use higher quality sperm from productive bulls.

It is better to impregnate a cow during the second or third heat. This

increases the chances of the event being successful;
and increases the duration of lactation in the future.

It is advisable to inseminate twice (the second after twelve hours). This makes it more likely to achieve results.

Determination of pregnancy

Determining the pregnancy of a cow in the early stages is quite problematic, however, an experienced farmer can do it. There are both physiological and behavioral signs by which pregnancy can be recognized up to 1 month:

a pregnant cow becomes much calmer and more careful;
literally from the first weeks of pregnancy there is a noticeable improvement in appetite;
the animal’s fur becomes smooth and shiny and begins to look very well-groomed;
vaginal discharge appears in the form of clear mucus;
the state of hunting disappears.

If the expected pregnancy period exceeds one month, then the methods for diagnosing it will be completely different.

One of the most reliable methods for determining pregnancy at home is the following: drop expressed milk from a pipette into a glass of plain water and observe the result. If the cow is pregnant, then a drop of milk will completely dissolve in the water, and if not, then the milk will spread across the surface of the water in a whitish cloud.
A teaspoon of alcohol is mixed with the same amount of expressed milk and mixed. If after five minutes the milk begins to curdle, then the cow is pregnant.
A rectal examination is carried out 2–3 months after mating and allows you to accurately determine the condition of the uterus. This procedure can only be performed by a veterinarian who has considerable experience in performing such manipulations and will not cause harm to the animal. To do this, he will need the help of the owner of the cow, since the procedure is quite unpleasant and the cow may react aggressively to it. It should be noted here that rectal examination should be carried out strictly in the morning, after bowel movement has occurred. During the inspection, the heifer must lie on her side or stand.

Particularly active cows that do not tolerate any manipulation must be tied by the horns and secured in the pelvic area. Before the examination, the veterinarian disinfects his hands and puts on protective gloves. In order to cause as little inconvenience as possible to the animal, they are generously lubricated with Vaseline. Then, using gentle movements through the rectum, the specialist feels the uterus and determines the presence and duration of pregnancy.

The advantage of a rectal examination is the fact that it allows you to detect pathological processes not only of the uterus, but also of the ovaries, organs of the digestive system and urinary tract.

You can also check a cow for pregnancy using an ultrasound. The study is carried out in the second month of the intended pregnancy. It allows early diagnosis of abnormalities in fetal development and dysfunction of the reproductive organs of the cow. The examination is carried out by a veterinarian using a portable portable device and is carried out at home.
You can also take the cow's milk to a veterinary laboratory, where it will be tested to determine if the heifer is pregnant. It is recommended to do this on the 12th day after mating.
A visual method of determining pregnancy can be used towards the end of the fourth month. During this period, the cow’s belly becomes noticeable and its sides become rounded, so even inexperienced farmers can understand that the cow is pregnant. Around this time, the fetus begins to move, which is especially well felt under the peritoneum, a little further than the costal arch and 40 cm below the hungry fossa.

Calving date of a cow after insemination

In order to approximately find out the date of birth of the calf, you can calculate it using the following formula:

(Date of calving) = ((Day of month) + 11) / (Number of month – 3)

The following notation is used in the formula under consideration:

calving date – on this day the calf is expected to be born;
day of the month is the day of the month when fertilization occurred;
the month number is equal to the serial number of the month from the beginning of the year (January corresponds to one, February to two, and so on).

Let's give an example of a calculation. Let's say a cow was inseminated on September 15th. In this case, the formula is applied as follows:

(Calving date) = (15 + 11) / (9 - 3) = 28 / 6

Using calculations using this formula, it was found that calving will occur approximately on June 28th.

Calving date of a cow after insemination

It is possible that the first amount will exceed the number of days of the month. In this case, the number must be reduced by the specified amount.

Example. If the number 25 and 11 are summed, the result will be 36. From it you need to subtract 30 (the number of days in a month) and write down the result of the subtraction.

The number of days in different months differs from each other, but we must not forget that this is an approximate, not an exact date.

Besides using the formula given here, there is another way. In this case, the calving calendar is used to determine the desired period.

How to launch

The launch should begin no later than 45 days before calving. The norm is 2 months, and for primiparous and highly productive cows the start begins in 70 days. But the animal still needs to be prepared for it.

Gradually, over 5-7 days, succulent feed and concentrates are excluded from the diet. At this time, the cow is not even taken out to pasture. At the same time, the amount of fluid consumed is reduced. Udder massage should be stopped and the number of milkings reduced to 2.

By the time of launch, the udder sags and wrinkles appear on it. To stop the cow from milking, she is completely switched to hay.

In highly productive dairy breeds, you can stop milking and start a cow with a productivity of 4 liters per day. And for beef cattle, the milk norm at start-up is 1 liter. As soon as the cow was started, that is, transferred to a dry stand and stopped milking, the daily ration and assortment of regular feeds are returned within 3-4 days so that the animal gains weight.

Calving

When calving proceeds without complications, minimal human intervention is necessary.

Even a novice livestock breeder can cope with the task. In the same case, if complications are observed, the help of a veterinarian or an experienced farmer will be required.

The cow should be washed with warm water and laundry soap and its external genitalia should be wiped with sterile oil.

You cannot make noise around a cow, as this will scare it.

The owner should note the time of the onset of labor in order to be able to understand whether it is taking longer.

First-time cows typically produce a calf lying down, while multiparous cows may stand.

Contractions before the full opening of the cervix become significantly more frequent and turn into pushing. The amniotic sac appears from the genital slit, with a calf inside.

The bubble may burst on its own or may need to be cut. The calf is born with its front legs first. After its complete release, the placenta leaves with a small amount of blood and mucus.

Advice! The afterbirth is inspected to make sure that it has come out completely.

Natural

Natural calving occurs with virtually no human intervention. The owner will only need to accept the born calf, wiping it of mucus and clearing its nostrils.

Also, to facilitate childbirth, if the amniotic sac does not rupture on its own, it is cut with scissors.

With intervention

The owner's help is required only if complications develop during childbirth, the main ones of which are the following:

weak attempts;
the calf does not come out within 30 minutes after the membranes have ruptured or been opened;
exit of the calf by the hind legs.

In all these situations, it is recommended to call a veterinarian.

Experienced livestock breeders can quite often solve the problem themselves by pulling the calf out with an effort using a loop of rubberized rope draped over the legs.

This kind of work is hard, and it is extremely rare for a woman to cope with it. If you are not sure to do everything successfully, then you need the help of a specialist.

Also, you cannot do without a veterinarian when a caesarean section on a cow is required (the birth of a calf through surgery).

Surgery is necessary when the calf is too large to pass through the cow's birth canal, or the cervix does not open correctly.

A specialist will recommend what to feed the cow after this.

Care in progress

When calving, the cow does not require special care. During contractions, the animal is washed from behind with warm soapy water and wiped.

If a cow gives birth on her side, a pillow is made from hay and placed under her head. The first calving of a cow may require additional constant calming of the cow.

Advice! If the animal is very nervous, the owner can try to calm it down by brushing its sides with a stiff brush.

Birth of twins

Calving is the name given to a cow giving birth to either one calf or twins. This phenomenon is rare and accounts for no more than 4% of the total number of calvings.

Twins are determined using ultrasound. If this procedure was not carried out, then it will be possible to find out exactly the number of calves only at calving.

A cow that gives birth to two calves requires special control. If calving occurs without complications, both babies survive. In the uterus they are located so that one of them faces the vagina with its hind legs.

Most often the calves are on top of each other. To prevent the death of one of the fetuses, a person inserts his hand into the uterus and determines the position of the upper calf.

When the first baby is born, the second should be carefully pushed into the uterine cavity.

When pulling a calf is required, it is important not to confuse the legs and not grab one from one fetus and the other from another. Calves are born from twins usually with human participation.

Important! You should not try to deliver the baby faster by pulling the calf immediately when the legs appear, as this will most likely mutilate it and injure the cow.

Possible complications

During the calving process, complications may develop that pose a threat to the calf and mother.

The main complication during calving is its delay. The calf should be born within 30-60 minutes of the uterus fully opening. If this does not happen, the animal needs help.

Complications also include stopping the advancement of the fetus at any stage of labor. In this case, urgent assistance from a specialist is required.

Important! The owner of the cow should have the phone number of a veterinarian at hand, who can come at any time of the day if complications develop during calving.

Cow calving calendar with table

What is a personal cow pregnancy calendar, and why is it needed at all? Knowing the mating date, you can calculate the time the calf appears. But it's not that simple. The cow still needs to be prepared for calving, otherwise problems will not be avoided during childbirth or in the postpartum period. In addition, without preparation you should not count on large milk yields. This is exactly what we will talk about in the following sections: proper preparation for calving.

What it is?

Calving is when a cow gives birth. The process of giving birth to a calf begins with contractions, during which the cervix dilates.

Next, attempts occur, during which the fetus is expelled from the uterus and comes out through the birth canal.

The duration of the entire process depends on several factors:

the presence of calving earlier - firstborns calve longer;
the general health of the cow - a weakened animal gives birth longer than a completely healthy one, properly prepared for childbirth;
fetal size – a large calf takes longer to emerge than a small one; number of calves.

Typically, a cow gives birth within a few hours. From the moment of pushing until the calf is born, about an hour passes. For first-time mothers, this lasts longer.

We can say that the help of a veterinarian is required if the birth of a multiparous cow does not end within 10 hours, and that of a primiparous cow does not end within 12 hours.

Some females have an individual feature in which the birth of offspring lasts longer, but only a veterinarian can detect this property when examining the animal.

A veterinarian or an experienced breeder will determine exactly how a cow gives birth in a particular case - normally or too long.