Should I induce my heifer?

Lacey asked the following question:

I have a first calf heifer that is due on The 20th to Ali. But she sure is getting big. Shes not that big of a cow so should we induce her? what do we use?

This is one of those questions that I can really answer without seeing the cow and checking her.

I always rectal a cow prior to inducing them just to make sure that things are aok. Have you had your vet check her and does she seem to have an adequate pelvic area? ie you can have a little cow with a big pelvis and vice versa. Does she appear to be getting ready - tail head and vulva getting saggy, udder filling up etc Was she bred AI only once or did she run with a bull (in otherwords are you exactly sure of the date?)

We are in the middle of a blizzard - not an ideal time to induce a cow or heifer!

If she was my heifer I would probably induce her. I use 25 mg of dexamethasone (that is 12.5 cc or ml) in the muscle and 25 mg of lutalyse (that is 5 ml or cc) in the muscle. I also supplement with vitamins ADE and selenium. Talk to your vet and see what he or she recommends.

Hope that helps some, good luck and liet us know about your Ali baby!

(cow) (cow) DL

Thanks DL I will call my vet tomorrow. She is really showing in the back end, and has a lot of milk. So if everything feels good we will induce her tomorrow eveing. It's me and my mom and we don't live were we keep our cattle, so it will be nice to have an idea about when she calve.

Lacey

Lacey - sounds like a plan - as a labor force of one - and kind of old and decrepit! I like to induce on Thursday and pretty much you have a calf Sat am.  With cows I usually check at midnight and 6am on Thursday night and Friday night (if it looks ike something is going on I change the schedule). With heifers and this wretched weather I check more often esp Fri night. Good luck, hope all goes perfectly! DL (cow) (cow)

Thanks so much DL! Hopefuly all goes well Lacey. Just keep a close eye on her as I'm sure you will.
Sun is out, it's stopped snowing. Yea! (clapping)
Red

Thank guys. It snowed alot lastnight and the vet can't get in to our ranch because it was really warm today and melted it all so we have a lot of mud. So hopefully she will just have it in the next couple of days while its nice. I can't wait it's my first ALi baby.

Lacey (cow)