Year old heifer having a calf

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blue

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Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
65
We had a heifer born last year at the end of March.  She calved today.  So that would make her a year and 3 months when she calved.  She would of came into heat in the pasture, there were no signs that she was going to have a calf.  The calf did die.  I was just wondering what is the youngest that heifers can come into heat? We have never had this happen before. 
 

Bawndoh

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Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
720
My sister had a heifer born in April of 09 calve and have TWINS about 2 weeks ago!  Yeesh, its one thing to get bred at 5 months of age on pasture, but then to have twins!  As per usual, one was less healthy, and only survived a few days.
This was a PB RA heifer.
 

lightnin4

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Apr 5, 2010
Messages
560
Location
West Tennessee
Working for a vet I have seen several 15 month old heifers have calves.  I had a 15 month old have a calf this year too.  Fortunately the cow and calf are doing great.
 

husker1

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Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
494
Location
Nebraska
Had several (4) get bred a couple years ago around 120 to 130 days olds.....thought it was poor management at first, but when you consider they were getting bred before the bulls were on grass 45 days, wasn't much different that we could do.

Now Lut shots are part of our weaning program....and we keep track of who is cycling in the replacement/sale pen.  (Knowing that the timing of Lut might not be right to knock them out)

 

Shady Lane

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Mar 30, 2009
Messages
515
Location
Saskatchewan Canada
I've been burned by this before as well, so since have started to Estrumate at weaning time also.

We had a heifer that calved at about 14 months that was bred by the neighbours Charolais bull...

That didn't go so well, ended up with a C-section, both lived, she raised the calf and we shipped the pair of them in the fall.
 

SeannyT

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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
157
Location
Manitoba, Canada
We have had the odd heifer calve at just over the year old, but fortunately they have had awesome calves. A wise herdsman once told me the sign of a good cow is how early they start cycling, and so far our early cycling heifers have turned into great cows. You just have to keep an eye on them and be sure to pull the bull before heifer calves start coming around.
 

DTW

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Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
172
I have seen it before as well.  But i dont know if it means they are going to make a great cow.  I remember years ago a full sister to a very prominent promotional bull got bred and calved when she was 15 months old and it was a c section.

Also the promotional bull never frooze semen till he was two years old also. 
 

blue

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Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
65
This is just a comercial heifer.  Should I keep her or ship her? 
 

aj

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Jul 5, 2006
Messages
6,420
Location
western kansas
I give all my weaned heifers abort shots. It just about has to be heifer calf's sibs doing the breeding doesn't it? Or could the big bull be the culprit?
 

kanshow

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Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,660
Location
Kansas
We've kinda determined it has to be a big bull that early.  I think those later ones could be the siblings.  We give all our heifers shots @ weaning because we've had enough of these issues.   

IMO, it just means that you have a lot of fertility on the female side of your cow herd.    These particular females do not usually stay in our herd and when they have, I can't say they are great cows.    When one does slip by us on the shot protocol, we ship her.  I also know that these are NOT the ones that make us money in our operation, they are a nuisance. 
 

amcosgra

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Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
174
Location
Indiana
I bought my granpas herd out this year and it came with 4 heifer calves.  After turning in the bull with the heifers noticed one was starting to bag up and we ended up calling the vet a week later and she was in labor and we got the calf out and she took right to it and has done a great job raising the calf.  He weighed about 85 lbs at birth and we were scared because the bull she would have been exposed to has a history of throwing some pretty big calves so we were very fortunate.  She had the calf naturally with some help from the vet and me.  She was 14 months when she calved as well and has developed a really nice udder.
 
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