Gestation

[blinggirl]

Might sound like a random question maybe even silly.... Can a cow gestation change between each calf ? shorter with one longer with another ? We have a simmy/maine cow that is normally a spot on calver she normally always on time ...but this time she seemed to calve im not sure if she was bred Ai she was nearly a month late if she calved from our bull she was nearly 3 weeks early .... we though she was bull bred ....but the calf isnt a typical calf out of our bull usually a summer born out of him is slick this calf is super hairy ...she was ai'd to tiger woods ...any thoughts ?

 

[willow]

Our cattle are predominately Maine x Shorty and our gestation lengths vary quite a bit.  We have had the same cow calve a day or two early to ten days late.  Rarely have we ever had one go more than ten days over their 283 days.

 

[leanbeef]

I agree with the idea that a cow's gestation can vary quite a bit, because I think more factors determine length of gestation besides just the cow...sire, environment, nutritional management, heat stress, etc. I've never known one to go more than 10 or 11 days past the due date, and normally thet come within 10 days on either side, but i have had a couple that were earlier than that. I had one last summer in extreme heat that was about 3 weeks early. He was small, but he's aleays done well. And although I've heard people say they've had calves three weeks late...I'm skeptical.

 

[frostback]

3 weeks late is 21 days which is another cycle, I agree 2 weeks past due is the max I have had. I have had a ET calf 15 days early. 

 

[blinggirl]

I not trying to sound like im pulling a fast one but the cow was first Ai'd in june or july then she come in heat again bred to tiger woods the 2nd time and we thought she stuck that was right before the state fair in IL so early august ... then dad get put the bull out in sept ...but the calf was a big one had to be pulled out of a cow that has had 5+ calves looks like our 3 week old calf (they are the same size ) ...idk ???

 

[leanbeef]

Why don't you just DNA the calf & confirm the sire? GeneSeek will do it for like $15...

 

[blinggirl]

we thought about dna the calf ... just wondering what everyone thought if gestation could change