So that's what the big long glove is used for....

It has long been the scourge of any child that told their parent they want to get into Animal Science, Veterinary Science that:
 "You know you'll have to put your hand up a cows backside".

 

 Pause for thought.....

Some will baulk, others will embrace that their chosen professional isn't always the cleanest.

Recently I had to preg test some cows at home and brought my camera along and thought I might do a bit of a post on some the stuff we do for the husbandry and well being of our cows.

So why do we do it?

Well the easiest and one of the most accurate ways to diagnose the pregnancy of a cow is through a process called rectal palpation.

To do this the gloved hand is inserted in to the rectum of the cow and to feel through the wall of the rectum for the various signs (of which there are many) that indicate the stage of pregnancy that the cow is at.


Safety & Welfare Aspects

Some may question this as to whether it places strain on the cow. The stress that the cow experiences is minimal and we take many precautions to avoid any stress or injury to the cow.

For instance:

• The long gloves we wear aren't just there to keep our arms clean, they do serve a purpose. They are worn as they are able to have a lubricant applied to them which enables a smoother and easier entry into the cow.
• The picture on the right shows the gear I use when I preg test, there are often some variations on this, but essentially they are all very similar.: 
• The Clear Bottle: Obstetric Lubricant- This aids in entry and contains a stericide for keeping the process as clean as possible.
• Shoulder Protector: Keeps my glove up and maintains another barrier.
• Latex Gloves: Always keep one on my non palpating hand and use one over my obstetric glove - ensures that I can easily feel and can change gloves regularly and easily.
• Obstetric Gloves: Available in a whole range of colours, basically I have a box that fit my hand the best and are easy to palpate with. These are regularly changed.
•  When I only have a few cows to preg test I will change gloves after each cow.
• When I am checking cows, I make sure to do it at a time during the day that good temperature wise for the cattle, ie- In the morning or afternoon when the temperatures are cooler.

Management
Further to the why we do it section: Preg Testing cows has a lot of management implications. For instance it enable producers to better plan ahead for the purposes of having adequate feed reserves and it also enables producers to manage their herds efficiently ensuring all their cattle are productive animals.