Let’s Do It Like They Do on the Discovery Channel-Bloodhound Gang

Breeding. Do I really need to say more? Well of course I do. 🙂 Cows have a gestation period of 9 months. They ovulate every 3 weeks. Bulls are always ready to go. If you have a spring calving herd you let your bull out around June 1st. (At least that’s the rule around Westwind Farm.) Cows will breed back depending on their age, when they are ovulating, if the bull got to them in time, and how good their eggs are. Just like people, becoming pregnant is easier for some and not so easy for others. The bull mounts the cow and has her bred (if all goes well) within a few seconds. He will stay close to her throughout the day and next couple of days to make sure she is bred. Many times you will see bulls lick cow’s urine. There is a hormone in the urine that allows the bull to detect if she is ovulating or not. *Cows are smarter than you think, aren’t they!?