confused on calf color....

[ia girl]

We had a Charolais cow who was suppose to be bred to General Lee for a May 6th approx due date.  She had a gray calf yesterday(black nose, black around eyes(like eye liner) and black tipped tail.  The calf came 21 days past due date, she was pasture exposed to a purebred shorthorn.  Is the calf a General Lee baby????

 

[RedChuck]

Id say NO..21 days past due,  I would say your cow did not stick AI and short cycled. And was breed to your herd bull

 

[ia girl]

But there is absolutely no black in the purebred Charolais cow or our purebred Shorthorn bull????

 

[dimebag]

I would say it's probably an AI calf given the color and only exposed to a PB Shorthorn . Are you sure your due date isn't off a few days ? I've had them go a little over 2 weeks past a due date before .

 

[ia girl]

That is what we are hoping.     Just bizarre how it is exactly 21 days from our due date for her.

 

[OH Breeder]

Depends on the breeding on the shorthorn you used. There are shorthorns who will throw black around muzzle and tail. They are not suppose to, and I thought at one time, Rodeo Drive was one of those bulls that would put a black muzzle on his calves at one time.

 

[Simbeef10]

It can most definitely be an AI calf.  The gestation table we have in the Select Sires calendar gives due dates and a adjustment you can use based upon breed, but it also includes a statement that the actual birth date can fluctuate up 24 days before or after the due date based upon the animal.  If this cow normally goes 14+ days after the projected date - 21 may not be unreasonable based upon the bull