# Mummified fetus



## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

I was AI'ing a cow tonight and found one, a first for me, gonna try an get a picture of it tomorrow. Called the vet he said sell her, said her uterus insides would not support another fetus unless you spent a bunch of money and time an flush her out and pack the uterus with antibiotics.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I never knew one could mummify. I believe actually discovering one would give me the hibbie-jibbies.

I am curious and hope you can post a picture. I will probably be looking with only one eye open.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

She sounds like some tasty hamburger.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

We found a mummy calf in the pasture this summer. Could not tell which cow it came from.

Did the vet say if the cows uterus would never support a calf without the treatment? Or was the treatment the only way to correct the uterus quickly.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

He said the inside of uterus likely wouldn't never function properly


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

It was about the size of a half grown cat and hard as a rock


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

What happened is the fetus died early in gestation (length of mummy should get you close to days of gestation). The cow reabsorbed the tissue and all you were left with was the skeleton.

That being the case, partruition at the end of gestation is initiated/triggered by the release of Cortisol by the fetus thus removing the Progesterone block. The increased fetal Cortisol causes a chain reaction to certain reproductive hormones and the end result is uterine contractions.

From the lack of a living fetus, the above mentioned physiology couldn't take place.

Was there a disease challenge to the herd? Is the vaccine program up to date?


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

No diseases that I know of, and all vaccinations up to date.Bonfire do you think it will be worth trying to breed,I read a few places, on the web where people went ahead and they calved


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Consult with your vet.

Did you see any signs of Endometritis/uterine infection? Nasty discharge? Did you temp her? What was her due date? Did she shows signs of heat naturally? Did you sync her to AI her?

If I saw any sign of an infection; fever, discharge, maybe off feed, I would cull her.


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