Sonogram for heifer

[reno1014]

When should I take a heifer in for a sonogram?  She was bred (hopefully) Jan 1st.  We had her artificially Insem.  I dont want
to haul her to the vet 50 miles one way for nothing.  (gas is soooo cheep ya know).  I am not for sure is sonogram is the right
term....I just want to know if she is pregnant.

 

[knabe]

call around to your neighbors and see if they need some vet services and share the vet call costs.  i think my vet charges $5 to stick his arm in.

 

[reno1014]

We dont live in an area where vet services are like that.  I called our local vet and she doesnt even have the facilities to do that.
The nearest one is 50 miles away and he doesnt make house calls.  Here we have to drive 80 miles to go to a decent grocery store.

 

[knabe]

i would learn to do it then by also taking an AI class or have one of your kids, if you are at that point take a class while they are in college.  perhaps a local kid did that?  i think there is a somewhat reliable blood test you can send in a sample.

http://www.biotracking.com/bloodtestsavings.php

 

[Malinda]

reno1014,

If you want to save gas, save hauling the heifer, save a vet bill, send a sample of her blood in to have the preg check done. You can find the information at biotracking.com.

Very easy, very quick results, less expensive and so far I have found their results to be reliable.

Malinda

 

[chambero]

Our vet can sometimes pick them up on sonogram at around 30 days.  At 60 he can routinely pick up them up by hand and just used sonogram for confirmation. 

 

[Show Heifer]

A pregnancy can be picked up by ultrasound without any problems at 30 days, and most of the times 28 days.
Depends on the vet when they can palpate them, some can do it at 60 days, others fail at 6 months!
Just beware, the blood test can give false positives about 10 - 15% of the time. Rarely false negatives. But might be an option since you live so remotely. You could always do the blood test, keep an eye on her heat cycle, then have her palpated later on.
Wish you luck!

 

[shortdawg]

A friend of mine ultrasounds for me and many people in my area and he likes them to be in the 60 day range before he can guarantee the sex of the calf and the 30 day range for confirming them safe in calf. It costs around $ 30 to have them sexed.

 

[DL]

A skilled ultrasonographer can diagnose a cow pregnant at 28 days (some earlier) and can reliably sex them after 60 days - all that said, there is a thing called early embryonic death and it is not uncommon - ie fetal death before day 45 - thus the recommendation that if you preg check at 30 days you repeat after 60.

If you have not seen your heifer in heat she would be about 60 days - I would not be inclined to haul a heifer 80 miles in early pregnancy just to see if she is pregnant! Malinda's idea might be the best option for you - the test is more accurate with heifers than cows....