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| Most Michigan dairy farms use “Artificial
Insemination” (AI) to begin a dairy cow's pregnancy. AI is the science
of using frozen bull semen to start a pregnancy in the cow. Dairy
farmers must learn how to choose the right bulls and how to breed the cow.
Once the cow is pregnant she takes about nine months to have a calf (about
the same as for people).
Once the calf is born, it is up and walking within just one hour. The newborn calf weighs about 100 lb. Click here to see a video clip of a calf being born. |
(Redrawn from Physiology of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination of Cattle, 2nd edition by Salisbury, Vandemark and Lodge. W.H. Freeman and Company. Copyright © 1978) http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRed/Topic/AgrEnv/ndd/ reproduc/graphics/Gifs/ra102801.gif |
Cows have a calf about one time per year.
Once in a while a cow will even have twins. |
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