PREG CHECKING

Today we started the fall job of preg- checking our cows.  The vet comes and checks each one to see if she is pregnant.  

The vet does the preg-checking, but there are several other things the cow gets as well.  She receives 3 shots. These shots will keep her and the calf healthy throughout the pregnancy.  She is also back-lined. The back lining is squirting a dose of a liquid onto the back of the cow that will kill external and internal parasites ,  We all moved pretty quickly with our tasks because we only had each cow in the squeeze chute for about 45 seconds.   I had the task of two shots and cutting the old fly tag out of the ear.  So taking pictures today was tricky, because I didn't want to slow down the process.  We had over 300 to do in this group.  This group was our heifers.  A heifer just means that she is pregnant with her first calf. 

One person brings them from the corral to the tub and into the chute. Then we each do our assigned task and release her.  We try to keep the cows as quiet and calm as possible.  

If the cow is open ,(not pregnant),  she gets a big O on her left hip.  The open ones will be sold.

They are counted and released back into freedom, (the pasture).
Although, there is a chance in this set of pictures that someone (we won't name names),  forgot to give one her shots, and she had to go back through the chute.

After this bunch was finished we had to un-hook and load up the squeeze chute to take it to another location where we will do more cows.