Twins Question

[Haystack Ranch]

I had a set of twins 1 bull and 1 heifer - someone told we that the heifer would never be able to produce calves.

2 bulls will produce
2 heifers will produce
but
1 bull 1 heifer and the heifer would be no good
Does anyone know if this is true????

 

[Cal]

From Calf Talk newsletter:"freemarten" is the result of being born twin to a bull. The sex organs of the bull calf fetus develop in utero prior to the development of the female organs.Circulating male hormones then suppress the proper development of the female sexorgans.The resulting heifer calf is born without a complete reproductive tract and will not become pregnant. If the developing fetus is contained in it's own placenta without a connection to the bull calf's placenta the male hormones can not circulate through the developing heifer andthe heifer should be born normal. However, a normal heifer occurs a small percentage of the time. (I am not sure ofthe exact percentage, but I have seen 10% quoted as the incidence of a normal heifer born with a twin bull.) There is usually some connection between the placentas of the two calves.

 

[mtrancher]

We always make a point of marking the tag on the heifer calf in some way so that we remember not to keep her as a replacement animal. It is easy to forget otherwise and you will waste a year of expenses on a heifer that will never get pregnant.

 

[Haystack Ranch]

Thanks!
Do you think it will make any difference on the chances that she will produce that the heifer was further developed than the Bull when born

I guess it doesn't matter I need to get rid of her anywayjust in case.
always hopeful though.

Thanks again

 

[kolanuraven]

We had a free marten heifer once.....she became the " pet" cow. She'd come into heat and would breed then would loose her calf about 1-2 months in the preg.

So, maybe not a full fledged free marten....