Vet Science lesson

Dr. Kevin Dickey gives instructions and helps Chloee Owsley discover the wonder of pregnancy testing a cow. Rectal palpation is the most economical and convenient method of pregnancy testing cattle. Using this method, vets can identify pregnant cows as early as six weeks after conception. They feel for the calf’s head, a pulse in the artery supplying blood to the uterus, and the shape of the cow’s uterus. Early detection of non-pregnant cows is the main benefit from pregnancy testing. A rancher can decide whether to keep or cull the cow if she is not going to produce a calf the in the spring.