Preg Checks

This last week we had another "new" ranching experience. Preg checks, or pregnancy checks, is when we check all of the heifers (first year female cows) and cows (not first year female cows) to see if they are pregnant after sharing a field with a few bulls for a while. You might wonder how we actually do that...well....let me tell you.

After the cows that are going to be checked have been gathered into the corrals, one of the buckaroos lines them up into the alley, then one at a time moves them into the "squeeze chute". The squeeze shoot is a mechanical piece of equipment that is like two metal gates lined up along the cow's sides, and they open and close with a hand control. At the head end, there is an opening for the cow's head to go through then another "gate" that closes around the cow's neck to hold them still for what's about to happen. We actually use the squeeze chute for several things, it is just the best way to get a full size cow to hold still in one place so you can give them vaccines, "doctor" them if there is an illness, do preg checks, etc.

For the preg checks, we had a vet from town come out to the ranch. When he got out of his truck he immediately put on a pair of coveralls and latex gloves (he, unlike me, knew what was coming). Next, he put on another glove on his right hand that extended all the way up to his right shoulder. He positioned himself next to the squeeze chute and once the first cow was in place, he proceeded with the preg check.

I was there to give vaccine boosters to any of the cows that were pregnant once the check was done, so I had a close up view of the vets technique. It involves (brace yourself) sticking his right hand through an opening in the chute into the cows rectum, usually as far up as the elbow, and feeling the uterus (which lies below the colon when the cow is standing there) for the presence of a growing calf. The process usually took no more than about 3 seconds, but sometimes a little longer. Unfortunately, if the vault was full of manure, it had to be emptied before he could accurately do the preg check. He would just pull it out with his gloved hand, and continue on, but the pulling out process often splashed manure to the nearby vicinity. By the end of the day I had splashes of manure on every piece of clothing, my cowboy hat, and I had even wiped a few spots of my face.

All in all though, from a ranchers perspective, it was a good day! Five bulls had spent about 45 days with 111 cows, and 88 of them were pregnant. Very productive bulls.

I apologize that I do not have pictures of the process. I didn't have my camera with me that day, and if I did, I'm not sure I would post them. :-)