# rectal palpating question with cow rear end pics



## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

I am not sure if my cow is PG.
My cow must be strange. She has never shown herself to be in heat. never the moooing, the restlessness..... just a little mucus. She has been in with a bull everyday since last Feb.
We never saw our little bull try and breed her. So we thought he must be to young. In August we got a bigger bull and yet never saw any action just the same little bit of mucus. That is still going off and on each month or so.
Well the big bull was eating us out of house and home so we sold him last month.
The cow has been getting bigger but she is also just on hay and can't they get a hay belly?
In the last few weeks she looks like her utter is getting heavier. Not filling just heavier. So I bumped her right right side and felt what I thought might be a calf. I have been doing it everyday and felt what I would say in a dog "oh yes!!" but I know cow are more then a bit different!
The day before yesterday She started to lay around a bit more and it looked like her vulva looked looser (still it might be me just hoping)
I put her up in the barn and watched her all night and nothing.
Yesterday I was feeling her utter and something bumped me in the side hard, almost knocked me over. So I was "YES"!! but still nothing yet.
This morning I could feel the solidness when I bumped but no movement so I started to worry. She is acting fine, bright eyed,chewing her cud and doesn't seen to be going toxic.
Since I am a worry wart, I pulled out the OP gloves and checked her rectally 
and felt only what felt like a hind leg and yet it could be the "turkey neck" cervix with what feels like a hock the horn that is pg right? I have been to school for this but it has been over 20 years ago and I never palpated since. I have worked at dairies but as a calf feeder,milker and occasional calf puller helper so this is my first "on my own" cow.
can anyone explain what I am or should be feeling?
Here are pic that where just now taken.
What do you think???


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

I would say she's getting close to calving. You can do the bump test on her. On her right side about 6 - 8 inches down from her back bone, tap her firmly and leave your hand on her. You should be able to feel the calf bump back. You can also palpate her, if she's as far along as I suspect you will be easily able to feel the calf.

Bob


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## matt_man (Feb 11, 2006)

I say she is pregnant and about a month away from calving. Her udder has some growing to do. The mucous is thick and opaque like it would be during pregnancy. The strings will get longer and almost reach the ground as she gets closer. It is normal for them to show small amounts of this thick mucous during a pregnancy.

You don't have to check her during the night or anything just yet. 

Rachel


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## randiliana (Feb 22, 2008)

I agree she looks like she is starting to show. Probably will have a calf in the next month or so.

Palpating her may or may not be easy. The calf isn't always just sitting right up there at this stage. Some can be way down low. But if you do feel around in her, you will know if there is a calf in there that will be born in a month or so. Only thing in there that feels like a calf is a calf.

I've never bumped a cow before, but sounds like it shoul work.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

When I palpated I didn't feel anything that I would say "yes a calf!" only the long tub like thing that I think was the cervix. the only thing that throw me off was there was a bend that felt like a hock pointing up at the backbone of the cow. would that be where the PG horn is bent down heavy with the calf?
when I bumped her this morning the solid thing that bumped back at me the other day was very low and forward in her abdomen and didn't bump back at me today.
It made me worry that she had a prob and had stopped before going into stage two of labor yesterday.
Thanks for your replies!!!!! I feel better.


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I agree. Looks like she will go with in the next 2 weeks to me....but I'm just guessing (it's easier to look at someone elses & make a guess!!)

What breed is she? What's she bred to?


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

She is a mini-Zebu (42 inch) bred to either my small mini-zebu bull (32 inch)or the bigger bull (48 inch) zebu (possibly dexter mixed)
If she freshens within the next 3 months it will be the little bull's.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I'd say the mucous stringing is a pretty good indication that she's bred and going to calve within the next month or so.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Tailwagging, I'm not having a go but please keep your hands out of that cow. To a lay person it serves little purpose other than introduce bacteria where it isn't wanted. Invasive action should be kept to the absolute minimum irrespective of whether it is vaginal or rectal.

That little cow is very obviously pregnant - her stomach, vulva and udder would not be looking as they are if she wasn't - but she still has a wee way to go. The vulva will swell to twice that size as will the udder and the muscle on either side of the tail will go slack which they have not done yet. When calving is imminent she will take herself off to a quiet corner and will probably appear to be agitated - lots of tail swishing, moving around, bringing her head around to her stomach, then sitting down and standing up as labour progresses. 

She's a very healthy looking cow and if mine I wouldn't be losing too much sleep just yet.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

I hear you Ronnie. I will say this though =)
I breed, raise and show dogs. I have been to school http://www.grahamschool.com/id26.htm for this. but yes many years ago (over 20) So I have a pretty good idea about what I was doing 
What got me was that she has NEVER has shown the usual heat signs, mooing, pacing, riding, overly loveyâ¦ and yet she DID mucus ever month or so and a slight drop in milk (about a cup. which if she is very far along then she was doing this while she was pg)
I never saw the bull/bulls even try and breed her

When she was so big (thinking it must be the big bull in which she would have at lest 3 months to go yet) I prayed it wasn't the start of hydoallantois.

A few days before I palpated her, I bumped her and felt something bumping back about the size of a young adult cat and her utter was heavier. The next day the calf kicked at me while I was examining the utter. It was higher up between the rib and the hip bones like it was moving toward the birthing canal.
The cow stayed off to herself and was lying down off and on all day. She held her tail off to one side and licked her shoulders, back, legs and side. I watched all day and check on her that night.
The next day I could not feel movement from the calf when I bumped her and the calf was down around the abomasums area near the ribs. 
This is why I palpated her I wanted to see if there was a torsion. That kept her from going into stage two.
And what I felt was what I think was the cervix yet also what felt like a hock.
Why I posted here was to see if anyone else had a idea on what it might be. And if I should try and get the vet here. He is booked up and can only come out on a true emergency



But yes I agree one shouldn'tât be putting their hand up a cow if they have no idea what they are doing.

Update- I felt the calf move this morning :bouncy:


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