To induce or not to induce.....

Sim/Lim X heifer  Aied to Rumor mill.    NO way she is not the AI date, she was not with Bull for 50+ days after AI service.....  Relatively large framed heifer, due 2-6 using 283 days so realistically probably a few days after that.  Palped the calf and it doesn't feel Huge.  If I was guessing I would guess 80-85#....  Dad and I both work day jobs during the week, so giving her the shot at noon today, Dad has today off, would be ideal.....  BUT  single digit lows for the weekend!  We do have enclosed shed, but not heated.....  One day next week looks bad, but the rest look reasonable....  Leaning towards the shot and planning on having to help get the calf dry/warm....

Let nature take its course, our Limousin are always 10 days overdue.  We DNA a couple every year because they are 15 days past AI but look like an AI sired calf.  Start messing with nature and problems occur. Just make sure momma dries the calf off and it gets some colostrum to keep it warm.  We calve in a steel shed and it could be below zero out and all I do is tape the ears down

If you are not sure when she was bred, I would be careful inducing but an 85 lb calf is big enough to come out.  Just make sure the cow has colostrum.  I have had good luck  inducing but usually only induce heifers. 

She is for sure the AI date...  Her bag is not Bulging, but milk has come in....  Her 3/4 sister, bred to rumor mill looks like she will go early....  go figure.

This is personal experience only and may or may not be popular.
We have had some really bad experiences with overdue calves. I palpate sometimes have vet re-palpate and induce. If you are certain of her due date and have the abliity to watch her closely you can induce. I have had the vet come and check ours if I doubt myself. I look closely for external signs besides her milk. Is she swollen and externally ready for the calf to pass. Does she look like she has dropped and expanded or ready birth canal? Those are the questions I have asked myself and you should when you are thinking of inducing. I am not a vet nor am I prescribing to being one. You can always have your vet take a look (if you trust their judgement) and they will tell you honest opinion. As much money and time we invest in these animals in our herd loosing one is a huge hit to the bottom line. I see nothing wrong with induction if you are certain the body is ready for it and are confident on service dates.

OH Breeder is right on with excellent, experience based advice.  Other than being a full term fetus, I want to see colustrum in the bag.  Just strip a few drops from the udder and you can easily tell the difference between colostrum and milk.  The colostrum is thickier than the milk and a different color.  I have never lost one that I have induced but I don't have enough fingers to count the ones I have lost by waiting on the heifer to have it on her own. 

The one (a 3/4 sister) due the 21 calved early this morning.....  The one due the sixth is still holding out.    Gonna get a shot today.

Good luck Limiman! Our biggest problems have been doppy calves when we induce. Don't know if it's drugs or if it is calf was in to long or whatever. Had some colostrum REPLACER around and watch close for 48 hours!

I guess I am old fart and going to go against the grain on this topic, but I will say first that I am certain there are cases for inducing, but I am not a fan of doing it. I haven't done it in my own herd, and won't. I don't believe in messing with Mother Nature and I think inducing causes more problems than it does good. Many years ago, I worked at a major Simmental operation and their management decided that they were going to only calve on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They hired their vet to be at the farm full time on these days. The cows and heifers were induced and for the most part they did calve on these days. But...and this is a huge BUT... the problems this created were crazy. As was mentioned earlier, there were many calves that were either slow, weak or would not suck on their own. There were a large number of females that had retained afterbirth, and we had several that did not rebreed early. Their calving season got spread out by many weeks. The work load with stupid calves was far more than we would have had with regular calving. The vet was also kept busy with assisted births because several cows did not dilate properly.  I may be basing my remarks on a single experience, but it was enough for me to decide that I wanted no part of it. The Simmental operation decided the same and never did it again.
There are lots of other reasons I could give in why I am not a fan of this practice but I will leave that for another time.

Went up to give the shot and she had discharge hanging out the back side......looks like she will have it in 24 hours on her own.....

Guess it worked out?  I tried to let nature take its course on one this fall= dead 120lb bull calve and Moma down for 17 days following a very hard pull...

So... what shook out???? 8)

justintime said:

I guess I am old fart and going to go against the grain on this topic, but I will say first that I am certain there are cases for inducing, but I am not a fan of doing it. I haven't done it in my own herd, and won't. I don't believe in messing with Mother Nature and I think inducing causes more problems than it does good. Many years ago, I worked at a major Simmental operation and their management decided that they were going to only calve on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They hired their vet to be at the farm full time on these days. The cows and heifers were induced and for the most part they did calve on these days. But...and this is a huge BUT... the problems this created were crazy. As was mentioned earlier, there were many calves that were either slow, weak or would not suck on their own. There were a large number of females that had retained afterbirth, and we had several that did not rebreed early. Their calving season got spread out by many weeks. The work load with stupid calves was far more than we would have had with regular calving. The vet was also kept busy with assisted births because several cows did not dilate properly.  I may be basing my remarks on a single experience, but it was enough for me to decide that I wanted no part of it. The Simmental operation decided the same and never did it again.
There are lots of other reasons I could give in why I am not a fan of this practice but I will leave that for another time.

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Many of the reasons you state are exactly why you wouldn't induce. Not dialting properly, retained placenta's, dopey premature calves. We have not had that experience. Our females laid down cleaned immediately after. Our calves have had vigor. On average we wait til we are sure the physicial signs of prepareness are there for female to be in proper condition. What you describe is inducing without proper physical assessment(JMO). If palpated properly you can feel if the cervix is softening and ready to dialte or in the stages of dilating. We have a super vet I have alot of trust in. Again, its a personal judgement. We work with mother nature. That's why I encourage anyone considering induction to look at female very close and work with the signs the body is giving you.

Two inductions this year and both were over due and both were malpresentation vet felt likely due to being overdue just ran out of room.

Many of the retained placenta's we have found is improper dosing on medication and mineral availability.  Any cow that we induce is put on watch. I thank the Lord he has been good to me with inductions. Have had one really bad experience, but it wasn't my choice to induce, and I was out of town.

This is a personal choice. works for some not for all. Great to get input from all sides in this business. I think when you think you know it all you are headed for a world of trouble. I learn something it seems every season and I have been through many seasons.