What is cow hunting, how to determine this period
It is difficult for an inexperienced farmer to notice when a cow is hunting. One of the most important processes in the puberty of an animal - the hunting of cows - requires special attention from a person. What to do if the cow does not come to hunt? The proximity of cattle makes it possible to organize the work of the entire farm.
Identifying cows in the hunt is a primary concern for a person who breeds livestock. For large farms, there are separate methods for determining the heat of a particular cow from a large number of livestock.
Cow hunting
Cows and other cattle
Hunting with a cow is a natural process, without which the behavior of animals is considered wrong. It is very difficult for a novice farmer to distinguish when a false hunt occurs in cows, or to fix the moments of refusal from it. The periods when a cow is approaching sexual heat should not be ignored by a person, because it is he who prepares favorable conditions for livestock.
Is it normal for a young cow to hunt? Experts are convinced that you should not be afraid of early puberty in animals. The main thing is how a person reacts to any changes. It is very easy to guess the right moment.
Fertilization is conceived by nature not only for the continuation of the genus of cattle, but also for the regulation of internal processes in the body of the animal. After the hunt, the female becomes calm and does not harm herself or the farmer. Skipping periods when the cow is drawn to the first hunt is dangerous for the animal.
False hunting in cows is also common. This is a signal to the farmer that unwanted hormonal changes are taking place inside the heifer.
Before acquiring cattle, you need to evaluate your own strengths. Without proper preparation and study of the lifestyle of animals, it will not be possible to breed heifers or bulls. In order not to waste time and energy in vain, you should consult with experienced farmers. Help won't hurt anyone.
When is the right moment and the cow is ready to fertilize?
Puberty of cows
What if the cow does not come to the hunt for a long time? Sexual maturation of the female must be noticed in a timely manner, the consequences of abstinence in cattle are expressed in strong aggression and atypical behavior. A cow is a full-cycle individual in terms of physiological development. The restructuring of her hormones occurs every 25 days (sometimes less - in 18 days). Throughout this cycle, the heifer behaves calmly and balanced. The average cycle is 3 weeks.
The phases of hormonal changes in the body of a heifer are as follows:
- the female is excited;
- inhibition stage;
- the period when the cow is balanced.
The cow is going to hunt in one phase, and sending the heifer to the bull at any convenient time for the farmer is unprofitable and even dangerous: aggression from the cow cannot be avoided.
Hunting is determined by primary characteristics if the number of livestock on the farm is small.Ripening in a large herd occurs imperceptibly to humans. The bull's behavior is more pronounced, but the cows show desire in a different way. During the period of arousal, eggs are formed in the body of the heifer, at the same time the level of estrogen rises. Revealing the readiness of the heifer to hunt during this period is difficult.
Due to the increase in estrogen in the cow, vaginal discharge occurs. For the bull, this is the first sign that it is possible to mate soon. The heifer cannot continue hunting for a long time; on average, the entire period takes from 10 to 20 hours. If you miss the right moment, the animal will not want to mate.
Heifers who are in heat can injure the bull, harm him. It is impossible to schedule the fertilization of a cow without taking into account the physiological characteristics of her body. There’s no use whatsoever.
Ripening period
It takes five days from estrus to the formation of the corpus luteum. The behavior of the cow is gradually changing. The first sign of puberty is an animal's vaginal discharge. Identifying discharge is a matter of 5 minutes for an experienced farmer. One day after the onset of estrus, ovulation begins. The egg appears on the second day after estrus. The formed cage is ready to be fertilized with bull sperm.
After another 5 days, the braking phase begins. The place of the follicle is occupied by a new yellow body, progesterone is produced. It is not worth doing mating during the period of inhibition. After calves calm down, they avoid the bull and any proximity with individuals of the opposite sex. The discharge becomes thick and ends soon. The next two weeks are the equilibration of the heifer when progesterone is high and tarragon is low.
In winter, the heifer does not seek to hunt. Cold and dry food make animals weak and passive, but after a few months the cows hunt with great zeal.
The heat lasts only a few days, and during these periods the owner of the farm must guess with the mating of the cattle. Artificial stimulation (special drugs are fed to the heifer) will cost more and take longer. The heifer hunts in favorable conditions. The reasons why a cow does not come to hunt and refuses to be close to bulls must be studied and eliminated. Abstinence leads to serious diseases, then it takes a long time to treat livestock.
Information about how long the cow is in heat will help to organize the work of the entire farm.
Cow hunting
The signs of heat in cows are signals that need to be responded to urgently. It is in the interests of the owner of the farm to identify the heifer in heat in time, because a good moment lasts no more than a day. The method of determining hunting and the causes of poor animal health has been studied by farmers for centuries. Folk remedies and advice from experienced owners of large livestock will help newcomers in the first couples.
Among the habits of the heifer during puberty and methods for determining hunting are:
- a sharp change in the behavior of livestock;
- external changes in the genital organs of the cow;
- test goby technique;
- measuring the body temperature of the animal (a thermometer is placed in the rectum of livestock or the temperature of milk taken from a cow is measured);
- fern leaf method;
- excessive activity of the animal;
- measuring the resistance of the walls of the vagina (this method is used for large farms).
After taking bulls and cows, the maturity of the cow is monitored after a short period of time. It is not difficult to identify signs, the main thing is to observe the behavior of animals in the herd. It is better to do with the natural readiness of the cow, but it is not recommended to give drugs without a veterinarian. Signs will help determine the readiness of the heifer. The probe bull is considered one of the easiest and most affordable ways to determine when it is time to inseminate a cow. A good moment for mating lasts only a day, in extreme cases - 2 days, during which you need to have time to fertilize an egg.Every novice farmer goes through a difficult process, and then gains invaluable experience for the future.
Another feature is that hunting in cows after calving is different, behavior of the cow changes, she becomes a little calmer.
Hunting bull
When there are more than 100 cows in the herd, it is impossible to determine estrus for each. The farmer in this case uses convenient methods to identify estrus. The sexual maturity of a heifer is determined using a goby probe. It helps you find cows to be inseminated. A bull is considered a probe, to which the seed canals are tied. Sometimes youngsters are deliberately bent the penis. Such a bull cannot fully inseminate the heifer through sexual mating.
A castrated bull is also suitable for such purposes. To prepare the male for the role of a probe will allow special means for androgens, which do not allow the heifers to inseminate. This kind of sexual inferiority plays into the hands of the farmer.
The bull should be brought in as soon as females show signs of heat in the herd. Most often, puberty occurs in heifers in a short period of time.
Sexual activity in test bulls is preserved, but insemination is impossible. Intimacy with a castrated male is considered additional stimulation for the heifers. One bull can stimulate up to hundreds of cows of different ages. The probe should be kept separate from the rest of the livestock. A bull is released only for 2-3 hours, no more than 2 times a day. Farmers stock up on two or three bulls at once. The video clearly shows how to properly prepare animals.
The first calving is determined by the bull. Cage is made by young growth. The cows do not resist or run away from the bulls. This method determines the pregnancy of the heifer. If, after 10 days, the heifer allows a cage, then she is not fertilized. Signs of early pregnancy cannot be detected using other methods. A pregnant heifer behaves aggressively after the first mating - this is a sure sign that fertilization has already taken place. The following days of calving, vaginal discharge is not observed. Before the age of one year, a heifer can become pregnant from the first contact with a bull.
Hunt determination methods
Scientists have developed their own methods for determining the heat of heifers. Each of the methods is famous for both advantages and disadvantages. Signs of heat are not always easy to spot or find, even with modern scientific methods. Well-known methods of how to determine when the first hunt began in young cows are presented below:
- Podometry. The method is based on measuring the length of the steps of the animal. For these purposes, the farmer will need a special expensive device. With estrus, the animal moves with a wide stride. Video filming helps to identify heat in any heifer. The effective method has not gained wide popularity due to its high cost.
- Electrical resistance of the walls of the vagina. The old method does not require a lot of investment of time or money, but it gives questionable results. Revealed only 20% of heifers in heat.
- Body temperature measurement. This method identifies only a third of heifers in heat.
- Laboratory research. Mucus from the vagina of the animal is examined. Not every farmer can do such a check. Not every owner of his own farm can afford an expensive and costly method. The vagina becomes covered with mucus, which contains an increased amount of estrogen.
The choice of method depends on the number of females in the herd and the capabilities of the farmer. Using expensive tests is impractical for large farms.
Possible difficulties while hunting
A quiet heifer without estrus is a problem for any owner. Such an animal needs special care and attention. Disruptions, when the animal body does not produce the necessary hormones, can affect not only the eggs and the development of the heifer, but also lead to the death of livestock.Where to put such a heifer? The animal is carefully examined by a veterinarian, because insemination is not the only problem for the farmer.
Diseases of the internal organs or improper diet can become the reasons for the absence of heat. If the heifer is quiet and her body is weak, then the problem is either in the feeder or in the way of life. Changes in the conditions of detention lead to the restoration of internal processes in the body of the heifer. Internal pathologies are treated with medication. Do not self-medicate livestock.
How to guess with the mating time? The video "detecting sexual heat in cows" will help every beginner who has not previously encountered cow fertilization.
The periods of sexual heat in cows do not last long, but it is necessary to prepare carefully for them. It is not always possible to induce estrus in a female by artificial methods, therefore it is in the interests of the farmer to determine the natural processes that occur in each animal. If it's time to inseminate a heifer, she will let you know about it.
Conclusion
Thus, the period of estrus is extremely important for both the physical and psychological state of the animal, so if the cow does not have sexual heat, this is a reason to think, maybe something is wrong with the health of the cow. You can find out what exactly by contacting a veterinarian - only he is able to correctly identify the causes and prescribe the correct treatment, so that in a few days the cow will again delight with the desire for sexual activity.