– Meet the Coos Part 2 –
What’s a Heifer?
What is a Heifer anyway? I have people ask if we have Heifers for sale but after talking with them for a while discover that there is some confusion about what a Heifer is. A female calf from birth until they deliver their first calf is considered a Heifer.
After a Heifer gives birth to their first calf, she becomes a cow. Heifers are desirable because they are young and will potentially produce many offspring, but Heifers are unpredictable as mothers. Some first time mamas have watched the older cows and seem to know exactly how to care for their babies, others are afraid of the calf or completely ignore it.
Given time, most will catch on and care for their young just fine, but when they don’t, it is up to the farmer to care for the baby or to teach the heifer what to do. Some believe that maternal instinct is genetic and a heifer that had trouble will pass that on to her offspring. We will be testing that theory next year after keeping Heather!
Meet The Coos – Part 2
Read about some of our heifer experiences on the website in Part 2 of Meet the Cows.
