21 day?
- Thread starter tjmdo
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slick4591
Well-known member
They are individuals and I've had them run 18 to 24 days.
MRRherefords
Well-known member
Usually 21 days is the average heat cycle. I just bred mine three weeks ago, and like you I am watching their every move with anxiousness. Is there any bull around her? A bull or even a steer would probably tell you for sure if she was in. Hope she took for you.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
It's just an average. I've seen everything from seventeen to twenty eight. I'd personally say it's more like twenty two-three on most mature cows.
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
dun":z9y1wz29 said:
How heritable is tighter cycling? My guess is at least "somewhat".
How correlated is tighter cycling with productive life? My guess is "not very".
MRRherefords
Well-known member
I don't know how heritable it is. We have a mother daughter pair in our herd, where the mom cycles every 19 days and her daughter is 24 days every year. Our tighter cycling animals actually are more productive than those that cycle longer.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
That is interesting.MRRherefords":uuyd6a8w said:
farmerjan
Well-known member
I've always said 18 to 24 with 21 as the "perfect" average. I used to put a k-mar on the ones I was worried about at about 18 days and felt that if it was on a week then I was successful. Yeah, they cost a bit, but it was better than me looking for all the little signs and if they came in at night with a short cycle, then I would know. Not as nerve wracking as watching every little movement.
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
With the benefit of having slept a few times since my post above, tighter cycling must be tied to greater productive life.
In a 100 day window, a cow cycling every 17 days will repeat almost six times ... a cow going every 24 days will barely make it four.
In a 50 day window, it's nearly three cycles compared to barely two.
Three more attempts the bull has, the higher probability of a conception, the higher the probability of calving, the higher the probability of sticking around.
... related to this is gestational cycle. The cow cooking her calves 275 days will rebreed more easily than the one who cooks them 290.
In a 100 day window, a cow cycling every 17 days will repeat almost six times ... a cow going every 24 days will barely make it four.
In a 50 day window, it's nearly three cycles compared to barely two.
Three more attempts the bull has, the higher probability of a conception, the higher the probability of calving, the higher the probability of sticking around.
... related to this is gestational cycle. The cow cooking her calves 275 days will rebreed more easily than the one who cooks them 290.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
WC - you are correct.
In my herd, my HEIFERS cycle 17-21 with the majority (maybe 90%) of them at 18 days. My cows average 21 days, but as mentioned, will range 17-24 - "most" in the 20-22 days.
K-Mar patches & the estrous patches (scratch off patches) are a GREAT tool. But, people need to remember they are a tool. Like the way farmerjan does it, she knows WHEN the animal is due, she uses the patch to fine tune WHEN she actually was standing.
In my herd, my HEIFERS cycle 17-21 with the majority (maybe 90%) of them at 18 days. My cows average 21 days, but as mentioned, will range 17-24 - "most" in the 20-22 days.
K-Mar patches & the estrous patches (scratch off patches) are a GREAT tool. But, people need to remember they are a tool. Like the way farmerjan does it, she knows WHEN the animal is due, she uses the patch to fine tune WHEN she actually was standing.
talltimber
Well-known member
For those of you who don't use patches, and are trying to watch for signs of heat pretty close, how often do you miss one? Is it rare to have a heifer come in heat and you not notice any signs at all? I'm watching five now and it's been 23 days since bull turn in, but have not noticed anything out of two of them. Just wondering if it would be a high indication that they did not cycle this time (they have all cycled at least once prior to turn in), or if it was not all that uncommon to miss it. I check them morning and evening.
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
They could be taking care of things by moonlight...
MRRherefords
Well-known member
farmerjan"Not as nerve wracking as watching every little movement.[/quote said:I know exactly what you mean by nerve wracking watching every move.
