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A cow can be bred 45 to 80 days (or a little longer) after she has calved and during her heat cycle which is once every ~17 to 24 days.
Heifers can be bred by the time they reach between 9 and 18 months of age, (preferably 15 months of age or older) and/or weigh 60% of the average mature cow-herd weight, since some heifers may not be able to be bred until they're ~20 months old, like with most Brahman heifers for instance.
A heifer calf will not come unto heat until she has been past weaning age (where she is around 14 months too old to be a baby), or is around 15 months of age. Heifers are weaned between 3 and 6 months of age, and by that time they are no longer babies.
A cow is ready to be bred if:
- She is in good condition (not too thin nor too fat)
- She has given birth to a calf two to three months prior
- She is showing normal estrus or heat cycling
- She is currently in heat seeking a bull to mate with her
A cow will go into heat 18 to 24 days after she has given birth to a calf. She may go into heat sooner (around 12 to 16 days) if the calf born to her is stillborn or taken away to be put on milk replacer (like with most dairy cows). Normally her heat periods before 45 to 60 days will be short and irregular. She will continue her heat cycle, even after 45 to 60 days after giving birth, until she gets bred again.
A heifer will start to go into heat when she reaches puberty or sexual maturity, which can range from 6 months of age to even up to 18 or 20 months of age. She will be bred if she meets two or more of the following criteria:
1) she is at least 60% to 65% of the average mature cow herd weight or of the average mature cow weight of her breeding;
2) she has experienced 2 to 4 normal estrus periods; and/or
3) she is at least 15 months of age.
For signs that your heifer or cow is going into heat or is in heat, please see the related question below.
A calf "becomes" a heifer if it is female. A heifer calf is a young female calf that is suckling off her momma; a heifer is a female bovine that has been weaned but has not yet had a calf.
A heifer becomes a cow when she has had a baby or when it fully matures at age 4.
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Can a calf come into heat if it is still nursing it's mother?
Depends on the age of the calf or "calf" in question! Majority of the time calves should be weaned and separated from each other before they have a chance to start going into puberty and go into heat. Weaning age is or should be between 6 to 10 months of age. Some herds that are highly fertile are likely to have heifer calves going into heat before they are weaned, which could be as early as 3 to 4 months of age, which may be kind of scary for a producer because of the potential for that calf to have problems--due to small pelvic size--giving birth to a calf!
What is the offspring of a bull and a cow?
A calf. If it's a male, it's a bull calf. If it's female, it's a heifer calf. Bull calves become steer calves if they are castrated. A bull calf becomes a bull when he is weaned and reaches one year of age. Bulls are raised and used for breeding cows and heifers. Steers are steers when they are fed and raised for beef. A steer can become an ox if he is trained at a young age to pull carts and wagons. A heifer calf is no longer a heifer calf after she is weaned and becomes one year of age. She is a bred heifer when she is impregnated by a bull at 15 to 18 months of age, then a first-calf heifer when she calves. She becomes a cow after having her second calf.
What is a hefer?
a young cow This is, however, a common misspelling. The correct spelling is "heifer". It does not directly relate to age of the cow. It is actually a cow that hasn't birthed a calf. A heifer becomes a cow once she successfully delivers a calf.
How long will it be before a calf is considered a cow?
Generally, calves go through three stages, the first being the "calf" stage. Then, when they are yearlings, they are either considered a "heifer" if they are female, "bull" if they are male, or a "steer" if they are a castrated male. Once a heifer has her own calf, then she is considered a cow.
What are the names given to a calf at different stages of life?
A calf is a calf from birth to weaning. That calf is no longer a calf after weaning, but a bull (if male and intact), a steer (if castrated) or a heifer (if a female). If the calf is being used for beef, at weaning age it's called a feeder calf. A feeder become stocker steer/heifer/bull when put out on pasture, usually when it reaches around 12 months of age. The calf is called a finisher when it goes into the feedlot to be put on a "hot" ration prior to slaughter, then a slaughter bull/heifer/steer when it is sold to be slaughtered for beef. This part of the equation is primarily reserved for steers. A heifer calf is a female calf from birth. She becomes a weaned heifer when weaned, a heifer after she's gone through the weaning process, then a bred heifer when she gets pregnant for the first time. After she has had her first calf, she is called a first-calf heifer. She can also be considered a cow at this time. She will remain a cow until she dies of natural causes or illness, or is slaughtered for beef. A bull calf is a male (intact) calf from birth. He is referred to as a weanling bull when weaned, then a young bull after being weaned and is not quite a year old. He is referred to a as a yearling bull when he reaches a year old and until he turns 2 years of age. He will then be referred to as a 2-year-old bull when he reaches two. He becomes a Mature bull when he reaches full maturity by the time he's 4 to 5 years old, and remains so until he dies of natural causes or is slaughtered for beef.
What do you mean by female bovine?
By "female bovine" we are referring to the female constituent of the domestic bovine species: the cow, which is a mature female that has at least two calves, the first-calf heifer, which is a female that has had her first calf, and the heifer, a female bovine that has never had a calf and is less than 2 years of age.
How young do calves go in heat?
CALVES SHOULD NOT GET BRED. Ever!! A calf is a young bovine that has not reached maturity, and is not weaned or has just been weaned from her mother. A calf becomes a heifer after she has been weaned (or is no longer dependent on her dam), and that heifer will be bred when she is 15 months of age. By the time she is of that age, she is no longer a calf.However, there are always an exception to every rule!! A calf can indeed get bred, but as mentioned above, that doesn't mean it should get bred. Big difference! Calves that come from a highly fertile herd that are often run with the herd bull or other bull calves that are also reaching puberty, can reach puberty one to two, occasionally three, months before they are weaned (assuming that most calves are weaned at around 6 months of age). If that's the case, then there's a likely chance that the heifer calves will get bred by the bull or other bull calves and even carry a calf to full term. This doesn't happen all the time, it's more occasional or rare than common, but it does happen. Sometimes a heifer calf will carry a calf to full term and birth it without any assistance, much to the surprise of the producer. Other times though, a heifer's pelvic opening may be too small and a calving heifer will need assistance calving, either by pulling or by caesarean section.
Is it possible for a young heifer that is in calf to go to a bull to be served?
Yes, it is possible for a young heifer that is in calf to go to a bull to be served. However, it is generally not recommended as it can put additional stress on the heifer and may not be ideal for her health and well-being. It is usually better to let the heifer carry her existing pregnancy to full term before breeding her again.
Are calves after one year of age called cattle?
Yes. When a calf reaches 12 months or 1 year of age, it is no longer a calf but a heifer (if female), a bull (if male and intact)) or a steer (if male and castrated).
How long does it take for a brahman female calf to grow and start getting pregnant?
A heifer calf will take 3 to 4 years to reach full maturity. By then she's called a cow. A Brahman heifer will most likely be ready to be bred by the time she's 15 months of age or older.
How many day months or years does a calf live?
It depends on the type of calf. A dairy bull calf will live up to or around 4 to 6 months before being slaughtered for veal. A beef steer will live up to around 2 years of age before being slaughtered. A heifer calf kept as a replacement (who will become a cow) will live anywhere from 5 to 20 years of age, depending on her productivity. A bull calf kept as a herd bull can live to about the same age of the heifer calf kept to become a cow.
What is the name of a mother cow?
An adult female that has had a calf is a cow.A young female before she has had a calf and is under three years of age is called a heifer.
