First heat cycle heifer ?

[Mike Fronczak]

One of our heifer calves (13 month old Angus/Highland cross) from last year has been acting off, our bull has been all over her so I'm assuming she is in heat. My concern is she has walked right through the electric fences the last couple day, I know it's on & has good spark. Yesterday when I got her back in she walked right between the fence wires to back in, she went in a resting pasture I just left her in there & she stayed all day without issue, away from the herd water trough was empty because the pasture wasn't in use. I moved her back in with the herd 6 hrs or so later without issue. I just looked she is still in with the rest of the herd. Our first heifer born last year (a couple months older),we had no issues she is looking pregnant now. Is this normal ?

 

[jhm47]

Cows/heifers often get restless and high strung when they are in heat. I would also guess that she has fairly long hair since she's a highland cross, and hair is not a good conductor of electricity, so she probably doesn't get a good, solid shock when she goes through the fence. You might try upgrading to a more powerful fence charger. I have 7 of the 50 mile ones, and rarely have a problem with the cows getting out, unless a deer or other varmints have knocked the wires off the insulators.

 

[Mike Fronczak]

She continued to act up. She is now penned in our sorting area (about 50x50) that has wood fencing. I put a round bale in there & a water trough & left the door & gate open to our vacant horse stall. We did this with her 1/2 brother who was stealing milk from his mom & it broke him of it. I guess time will tell.