Reproduction is the engine of any successful cow-calf operation. Every animal in your herd needs to be productive, and that’s why proactive herd health management is crucial. Whether you run a small herd or a large commercial ranch, pregnancy checking your cows is a powerful tool that directly impacts your profitability.
It also provides the perfect opportunity to develop a strong Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR). A VCPR is the essential foundation that allows a veterinarian to diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and treat your herd, ensuring we’re ready to assist with all your calving questions and concerns.
What is Cattle Pregnancy Checking?
Pregnancy checking, or pregnancy diagnosis, is the process of confirming whether a cow is pregnant. This can be done in several ways, including manual palpation, ultrasound imaging, or a blood test. While the method may vary, the goal is always the same: to definitively know which cows are bred and which are open (not pregnant).
Here at Tanglefoot, our veterinarians use portable ultrasound machines, allowing us to bring advanced diagnostic technology right to your farm for efficient and accurate results.
How Does Rectal Ultrasound Work?
For those who haven’t seen it, a cattle ultrasound can look a bit unusual. Because of a cow’s size, we can’t get a clear image of the uterus from the outside due to thick layers of muscle and tissue. Instead, our veterinarians perform the ultrasound rectally. This allows for close and direct access to the uterus and ovaries, providing a precise, real-time picture of the pregnancy.
3 Ways Pregnancy Checking Improves Your Bottom Line
1. Identify and Address Reproductive Issues Confirming pregnancies helps you track the reproductive success of your entire herd. Preg-checking quickly reveals patterns—such as several open cows that were exposed to the same bull—which may indicate a fertility issue that requires a semen test. The problem could also be with the cows, stemming from challenges like poor nutrition, disease, or low body condition scores. Identifying open cows early allows you to pinpoint and fix underlying problems before they compromise your herd’s productivity.
2. Optimize Your Calving Season Knowing how far along each cow is allows you to narrow down calving dates with much greater accuracy. This helps you better prepare for calving season by sorting cows into groups based on their due dates. You can manage their nutrition more effectively and monitor the cows closest to calving, ensuring you are ready to assist when the time comes.
3. Make Profitable Culling Decisions Feeding an open cow all winter is a significant financial drain with no return on investment. Pregnancy checking provides the critical information needed to make smart management decisions. You can choose to cull or sell non-productive animals before investing in expensive winter feed, or decide whether to rebreed a cow or introduce a new bull to the operation.
Pregnancy checking is a low-cost, high-impact investment in your operation’s efficiency and longevity. It’s not just about seeing if a cow is pregnant—it’s about making informed, data-driven decisions that secure the future of your herd.
Ready to book your fall pregnancy checking? Give us a call at 250-489-1655 to schedule an on-farm visit with one of our skilled veterinarians.