How to Tell if a Cow or Heifer Has Been Bred

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One of the things that are part of keeping and breeding cows and heifers is the art and science of telling whether a particular cow or heifer has just conceived or mated with the bull. "Bred" is what most cattle producers call it, being the past and participle tense of the act of propagation between a male and a female (in this case, a bull and a cow). The signs that the cow or heifer shows, if you weren't there to see it happen, that she's just been serviced by the bull can be subtle, but telling if you know what to look for. This article will help you with that. But for information on seeing if that conception turned into an actual pregnancy, you will have to go to the article How to Tell if a Cow or Heifer Is Pregnant for more.

Steps

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  1. Watch for estrus activity . If a cow is not coming back into heat after approximately 21 days, nor is showing any signs heat activity any time between day 21 to day 45 post-breeding (or even an estimated breeding date if you weren't there to see it happen), then it's likely that she has been successfully settled.
    • A bred cow may display false heats on occasion, but should not be an indication that she has come back into regular cycling again, particularly if such false heats occur only once or twice after breeding then not again afterwards. [1] However, it is possible that such activity may have not been false, because it's not uncommon for a cow to absorb the embryo or even abort it thus allowing her system to resume regular cycling until the next time she mates with a bull. [2] False heats are notably rare, and so can be easily mistaken for real, genuine estrus activity.
  2. Study the behaviour of the bull . If the bull is not paying any attention to a cow that has since gone out of estrus, and continues to not pay any attention to her when you suspect she should be coming into heat about 18 to 24 days later, then it's very likely that that cow has been bred.
    • It's typical for a bull to not pay attention to a cow in between heat periods. This is because she is not receptive to breeding due to her hormonal levels. You'll know that she's going to come into heat when the bull starts paying her more attention.
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  3. This is probably the one of the best ways to tell if a cow has been bred: A crooked tail, or a tail that is held out in an odd angle than normal, will be displayed by the cow or heifer for about 24 to 48 hours after being serviced by the bull. [3] It is one of the best ways because you can determine almost the day that a cow has been serviced. If you're one or two days off, that is not a problem. It's far better than being a complete month off!
  4. Also an indication of mating and estrus activity, it is another useful way to see if a cow has been serviced or not.
    • These characteristics should be used to note breeding activity, but only if there is a breeding bull with the females. The raised patches only indicate that a cow or heifer is in heat if a) there are only females in the herd, and/or b) there's a non-breeding bull (or a "gomer" bull) used on the cow herd for heat detection only for the purpose of artificial insemination.
  5. A female that has recently been bred by the herd bull--often within an hour or so--will usually have whitish discharge come from her vulva. This would be seminal fluid from the bull, as often not all the semen that is ejaculated into the cow or heifer makes it through the cervix into the uterus; almost half of it is excreted back out again.
  6. The most obvious indicator that a cow has been bred if you just caught the sight of your bull riding and ejaculating into one of your cows. The whole event, as it can be called, only takes a matter of a few seconds, so if you're able to see it, then consider yourself lucky. Usually a bull will mate with a cow once, but it's not uncommon if it's done several times, especially if she has garnered the attention of more than one.
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  • Question
    Should there be blood coming from the vulva three days after the heifer has been served?
    Karin
    Top Answerer
    Yes, this is normal. The small amount of blood is from when the corpus lute burst, letting an embryo free into the uterine horn.
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  • Question
    If a cow is in standing heat and I have her A.I.ed, and she then continues to show standing heat, is that a sign that the A.I. didn't take?
    Karin
    Top Answerer
    No, but remember that timing is important. Wait 12 hours after she shows signs of standing heat before AI'ing. When she goes into heat around 21 days later, that's when you need to be concerned, because that will definitely indicate that it didn't take.
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  • Question
    My cow has been pregnant for more than six months. She indicated heavier since about two months, but now for about two weeks she looks as she is only about two months pregnant. What is the problem?
    Karin
    Top Answerer
    There are two possibilities. Either she has aborted and may start up cycling again soon, or the calf shifted in her and she's looking different than before. Check with a veterinarian to be sure.
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      Tips

      • The behaviour and activity of other cows and bulls can be a sign to show whether a cow is in heat, ready to be bred or is in the process of being bred.
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      • You get more of a challenge of determining whether a cow or heifer is in heat or not in breeding beef herds than dairy herds. The majority of dairy cattle are bred by artificial insemination , rarely naturally .
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      • Remember that just because a cow isn't showing signs of heat doesn't always mean she is bred. You need to keep an eye on her for well over a month before you can determine that she is actually bred and not one that needs breeding.
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      Warnings

      • Beware of bulls, especially if you're looking for signs of cows that have been bred during the breeding season. [4]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://beef.unl.edu/faq-2009falseheat
      2. ↑ https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B228/
      3. ↑ http://www.publish.csiro.au/ebook/chapter/9781486301614_Chapter4
      4. ↑ https://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article29.htm

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