Is this a mucus plug?

[CB901]

I wasn’t going to post anymore photos until she calved, but Being a first timer I have scoured the internet for photos of what to look for. I haven’t really found much on the progress of beef heifers. So for the sake that someone else learns something or it puts them at ease looking at my photos I’m going to put them up. This is what she looked like this morning, didn’t get anything this evening.

 

[CB901]

Also I noticed these perfect lines coming down the tailhead this morning, like dips? These were not there a day ago.

 

[farmerjan]

Yep, she is getting closer and closer....

 

[CB901]

Yep, she is getting closer and closer....

So excited, thank you.

 

[CB901]

Today I guess the dips on the side of the tail are deeper, udder is the same and the girly parts look longer but more sunk in. Might be more swollen and is just looking like it’s sunk in? Maybe we will have a baby soon. Belly button was slightly larger today.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, you posted daily, and now it has been 2 days.... worried about the heifer.... any updates?

 

[CB901]

I’m sorry, she hasn’t changed. Looks exactly the same in all areas.

 

[CB901]

I figured I wouldn’t post the same pictures everyday. She isn’t more swollen, teats are still long, bag hasn’t changed. Still eating and acting normal. How far can she go? Couple more weeks? Maybe?

 

[farmerjan]

If you still are seeing actual movement and are sure the calf is still live and viable, can feel it when you have your hands on her side, then nothing to do but wait.... Not sure how long over she can reasonably go....although today is about 294-295 days?
You say you can see the 7 acres from the house. Have you actually physically walked that 7 acres... REALLY walked it, looking for a calf? Maybe a dead one that was still born? I am not trying to be negative. I have literally walked within 3 feet of a calf I never saw in the pasture, just hidden enough, and then after several trips around, found it......
I think I would call the vet that is close, and discuss your concerns. They might be willing to come over and do a palpation....
IS there ANY REMOTE possibility that she got bred later, by a neighbors bull????

I know of several dairy cows that the owners have had to have the calf, dna tested because they carried over by nearly 3 weeks... this is for registered animals, In order to have the calf registered, they had to be able to prove the parentage . So carrying over even 3 weeks is not impossible.... calves were all fine, looked perfectly normal, not overly huge.... guess they were just not in any rush to be born..... could be yours is just one like that.....

I am assuming also that there is no bad smells coming from her back end so no reason to think that the calf died inside her..... normally they would get a bad discharge and it would stink.
Just trying to come up with some other explanations.

After all this I just keep hoping you will go out there and find her with a new baby all curled up on the ground sleeping... and her looking at you with a "what is the big deal" look on her face.....

 

[CB901]

I haven’t walked our land, I check on them frequent and I am assuming, if she aborted, that I would have seen some afterbirth on her rear somehow? I have planned on giving her another week and calling the vet out if nothing happens. She hasn’t had a drop of discharge in two days, she has been very stringy for a few weeks now but nothing, dry as a bone. She is thinner, not a lot but thinner. I am in the same boat, hopeful for a calf soon. Funny you ask about another bull, we brought my brothers bull back at the middle of February because We didn’t think they took. I guess I should have mentioned this before but my brother swears she is gonna calf now. Could he be wrong? The days would make them due around Thanksgiving/ first week of December if they were bred then. Could she be having these signs that soon? She has been doing all of these things for 8 weeks now.