It is very important for owners of cattle to be able to determine the pregnancy of a cow, since at this time the animal should provide competent care and a balanced diet. There are several folk methods that allow you to independently determine whether the cow is in an "interesting position". What are these methods, and how to diagnose pregnancy with their help, let's figure it out.

What is pregnancy

When a cow enters puberty, her body undergoes unique physiological processes called the sexual cycle, during which the animal is completely ready for the reproduction of offspring. Such a sexual cycle in cattle lasts from 20 to 28 days and is characterized by several phases:

• rest period;
• estrus;
• sexual hunting;
• ovulation.

If fertilization occurred during this period, which can be either artificial or natural, then pregnancy occurs. As a rule, the gestation period of a cow is 9–10 months, in most cases 9.5 months or 285 days. The beginning of pregnancy of an animal is considered to be its successful fertilization, and the final stage is successful calving. Did you know? There is a myth that cows constantly give milk. However, this is not true. The first milk is colostrum; in a burenka it appears after the birth of a calf. After 1.5 months, colostrum is converted to full milk. Thus, in order for the animal to give milk constantly, it must give birth regularly.

It is very important in these months to provide the chick with quality care, which will minimize the appearance of possible complications. It is for this purpose that professionals recommend having a special pregnancy and calving calendar.

How to determine a cow’s pregnancy

Today, there are many effective methods for determining the pregnancy of a cow, both for home use and those that require special equipment. Let's look at how to check for a cow’s pregnancy with folk remedies and special tests.

Alone at home

You can find out if a cow is covered or not, by means of various folk methods, which are based on visual inspection, diagnostics using milk or rapid tests.

Important! When determining pregnancy, experts recommend using several methods at once for the reliability of the results.

Diagnostics using milk

One of the most popular methods for detecting pregnancy in a cow is the analysis of its milk. There are two verification options:

1. Option 1. It is necessary to take one glass of pure ordinary water and drop a little milk into it from a height of at least 60 mm. In the event that milk, as it is immersed in a liquid, completely dissolves, we can talk about the pregnancy of the animal. In the absence of pregnancy, milk will form a film on the surface of the water, which will begin to blur over time.
2. Option 2. To conduct the next experiment, it is necessary to add the same amount of fresh milk in 5 ml of alcohol. If the milk coagulates within 4–5 minutes, then the cow is pregnant, if for this he needs about 20 minutes of time, then there is no pregnancy.

Video: how to check a cow for pregnancy Regarding the accuracy of such diagnostics for milk, the first option is recognized as the least accurate, but the reliability of the second option is 75%.

Manual method

The manual method of determining the "interesting position" by palpation of the abdomen in the burenka is relevant only in the later stages, because physically you can only feel the calf starting from four months. For diagnosis, it is necessary to place the palm on the right side of the animal 50 cm below the hungry fossa, just behind the arch of the rib.

Important! This method is best practiced in the morning until the cow begins to eat, as the baby's tremors are easily confused with the functioning of the digestive system.

Next, you should produce rhythmic, gentle shocks directed down the abdomen, which will help determine the presence / absence of the embryo. After such manipulations, you can feel the small retaliatory tremors of the fetus. It should be noted that the longer the gestation period, the more clearly the fetal tremors are heard.

Pregnancy test

In veterinary pharmacies, you can purchase special express tests that allow you to independently identify a cow’s pregnancy at home. Such diagnostics, in comparison with alternative methods, has several advantages:

• can be used in the household without the involvement of experienced veterinarians or special equipment;
• gives 99.9% accurate results already in the third week after fertilization;
• takes a little time (about 10-15 minutes);
• It is absolutely safe for both the fetus and the animal.

Important! Tests designed specifically for cattle should be used to verify pregnancy. Tests that are designed for women will not give an accurate result.

Rapid tests are special tubes in the middle of which is a dry light powder or orange solution. For the test, take 10 ml of morning urine of the cows and add to the test tube. The result is determined by a change in the color of the urine or precipitation.

Monthly Cow Pregnancy Signs

It is most difficult to determine a cow’s pregnancy in the first weeks after fertilization. However, experienced breeders recommend, first of all, to pay close attention to the behavior of the animal:

• the burenka becomes very calm, sometimes even too much;
• hunting instinct disappears and estrus is absent;
• some caution is shown;
• increases appetite.

In addition, translucent secretions begin to appear on the external productive organs of the heifers - mucus, the localization of which can be both the labia itself and the area of ​​the tail and sciatic tubercle. Another important sign indicating an “interesting position” is considered to be a change in the condition of the hairline. In a pregnant cow, it becomes more elastic, smooth, very shiny.

Did you know? Effectively inseminated female cows are called heifers.

A month later, more accurate diagnostics can be used to detect pregnancy:

• ultrasonography;
• lab tests;
• rectal method.

It should be noted that the last three methods should only be performed by a professional veterinarian. At 5–6 months, a calf can be identified in the stomach of a cow by visual inspection. During this period, the belly of the cows is noticeably rounded, increases in size, on the one hand, the location of the fetus can be seen. Having laid a hand to the lower abdomen, you can also feel the tremors of the baby or his movement.

Calendar calculation method

As a rule, after the fertilization of the cow, the farmers begin to maintain a calendar that indicates the approximate time of pregnancy and the date of calving. Most of the modern cattle (approximately 80%) bear the fetus for about 9 months, 7% have a tendency to overstate or preterm. A specially designed calendar will allow you to control the pregnancy process, as well as find out at what time the cow should be transferred exclusively to dry food.

Did you know? The taste of milk depends largely on what the cow consumes. So, for example, if she dines with bitter grass, then milk will have a bitter taste.

The pregnancy calendar is as follows:

date of		date of		date of		date of
Insemination	Hotel	Insemination	Hotel	Insemination	Hotel	Insemination	Hotel
January	October	April	January	July	April	October	July
one	7	one	5	one	6	one	7
5	eleven	5	9	5	10	5	eleven
10	16	10	fourteen	10	fifteen	10	16
fifteen	21	fifteen	19	fifteen	twenty	fifteen	21
25	31	25	29th	25	thirty	25	31
February	November	May	February	August	May	November	August
one	7	one	four	one	7	one	7
5	eleven	5	8	5	eleven	5	eleven
10	16	10	13	10	16	10	16
fifteen	21	fifteen	eighteen	fifteen	21	fifteen	21
twenty	26	twenty	23	twenty	26	twenty	26
25	12/01.	25	28	25	31	25	31
March	December	June	March	September	June	December	September
one	5	one	7	one	7	one	6
5	9	5	eleven	5	eleven	5	10
10	fourteen	10	16	10	16	10	fifteen
fifteen	19	fifteen	21	fifteen	21	fifteen	twenty
twenty	24	twenty	26	twenty	26	twenty	25
25	29th	25	31	25	thirty	25	thirty

According to the calendar, you can find out the approximate date of calving and, accordingly, qualitatively prepare for the upcoming event.

Pregnancy phases and their features

A pregnant cow is in urgent need of care, competent care and a balanced diet.

The period of pregnancy of animals is divided into three main phases:

1. The embryo is the beginning of pregnancy, a feature of this period is the fertilization of the egg and the fixation of the zygote to the walls of the uterus.
2. Fetal - this stage lasts about two months. Its beginning is associated with the moment of implantation of the ovum into the uterine wall. During the second phase, the embryo forms internal organs and systems: nervous, cardiovascular, circulatory, etc. The end of the period is the formation of the placenta.
3. Fetal - the longest phase, during which the fetus finally forms, builds up mass. This stage ends with the birth of the calf.

It should be noted that after revealing the fact that the cow has pregnancy, the farmers determine the period of the animal’s start-up when they stop milking it. Many experts agree that stopping milking is necessary 2 months before the date of the expected calving. However, the period of pregnancy varies from 240 to 311 days, so finding the exact date is not so simple.

Important! The launch of the cow is carried out gradually, over several days, sometimes weeks. Otherwise, a sharp cessation of milking can provoke the development of inflammation of the udder, that is, mastitis.

Experienced farmers are advised to transfer the boleta to dry food and stop milking 7.5 months after insemination. In such cases, in most of the cows, this period will last 60 days or more, and only in 7% it will be slightly reduced.

Pregnancy of a cow is an important stage not only in the life of the animal itself, but also in its owner. During this period, it is especially in dire need of care and quality care. That is why it is very important for every farmer to learn on time and accurately determine the presence of pregnancy in a burenka. Fortunately, today there are many simple, effective and affordable methods.