A bit more like it

[wbvs58]

I have not been having good success with getting my heifers in calf by AI or even the bull for the last two years. I synch them using cidrs and a 8 day protocol but for the last two years have only got 2 out of 8 with this first round. I put patches on and redo those that return but even then the results are not good. They are cycling well and weights usually around 350kg, absolutely no reason why they are not sticking, the inseminations have gone well.

This year we are in severe drought, weights are down a bit, average around 320kg, a couple just on 300kg. I decided to hit them with PG this year, wait 10 days then put in cidrs and normal protocol. I palpated them the other day and am confident that 6 out of 8 are pregnant to the first round AI and another one I picked up 3 wks later and rebred so that is 7 out of 8 with one to the bull. In the past I would usually get half in the first round and pick up most of the rest on the 2nd round so am very happy with these results especially the 1st round. I started palpating some of the older cows and one small group I scored 4 out of 6 with 2 to the bull so things are looking promising.

Is it because of the priming dose of PG got them going???
Is it because they were lower weight???
Is it a sign that the drought is going to break in the near future???
I hope it is the latter.

Ken

 

[Redgully]

Interesting, you would think with the drought things would go down hill. Could it be you are breeding better fertility into your heifers? Fingers crossed the heifers know the drought is about to break! When i was doing timed ai we made one small change that gave much better results. We would bring them in to give a shot of lut and pull cidr, changed that to give them a shot on day seven and pull cidr on day 8. Worked a treat.

 

[Ebenezer]

Over conditioned in the past.

 

[Dsth]

In my operation, some years I have poor conception rates and other years I will have 100% conception rates on heifers. I have been retaining 5 heifers the last couple of years since I have a small hobby herd. I am not sure why their is a difference but I think it has a lot to do with the quality or feed and weather at the time of breeding. Body condition on my heifers is generally around 7+ which may be over condition for some, but I don't like my kids to go to bed hungry. Will be interesting to see what others contribute to your post.

 

[LJCB]

I really like that 30 day protocol on heifers. Takes a bit more planning but it's worked really well for me

 

[VaCowman]

I've tried everything except the 5d protocol in my heifers. I can't tell any difference, but my sample size is pretty small. I have been using the 14d protocol (33d actually) for the last couple of years MAINLY because it stretches out the trips through the chute and the girls are quick to forgive, unlike the cows that run through 3X in 7d protocol (10d actually). The cows get tricky after the second trip down the lane. I always hold my breath that they all come in to be bred on TAI.

With the heifers, we get them up on 0d and pelvic measure/repro tract score. Anything that passes gets GnRH and a CIDR. 14d I usually just pour out some feed in the trough in a corner of the lot or field (crowds them a bit) and just walk behind them and pull the CIDRS. I have learned you start with the nervous girls first and end with the puppy dogs. In the next 16d, they've forgot they didn't like coming into the lot and so on 30d, they work through the chute easily and I generally fill up the alley and give the Lute shots and then let them exit out the headgate that is wide open. I think that really helps them work easily and not be near as stressed at breeding. I can't tell any difference in conception with the 14d, but they are much easier to work and seem less stressed, so I'm less stressed.

 

[wbvs58]

With the heifers I don't catch their head for any of the procedures, with our "crushes" I have a kick gate (1/2 gate) that I close behind them so they can't move too much. They stand pretty good and calmly for all procedures and not catching their head they go through the race pretty willingly plus I work them through the yards a lot right from weaning. The cows I only catch their head when I have to like putting cidr in and the insemination as the longer length they need to have their head caught so I can get behind them but they also go through a lot without getting caught and are pretty calm when I need to catch them and just slowly close the headgate on them rather than slamming it.

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If they are in lower BCS, maybe they are in a time of GAINING. You get your best conception if cattle are GAINING.

 

[wbvs58]

If they are in lower BCS, maybe they are in a time of GAINING. You get your best conception if cattle are GAINING.

Yes Jeanne but we are struggling to get them gaining at the moment.

Ken

 

[regolith]

If they are in lower BCS, maybe they are in a time of GAINING. You get your best conception if cattle are GAINING.

Yes Jeanne but we are struggling to get them gaining at the moment.

Ken

Not only that, but my heifer grazier reckons with his years of experience over thousands of heifers, that the undergrown 'rescue cases' that arrive early winter always get in-calf well come spring. And when my heifers were going to one particular farm he thought the fact that the farm struggled all through winter to get weight gain contributed to the bulls often getting 97 - 100% of my heifers pregnant. Conversely, he reports that well-grown heifers that have been fed meal all the way through to their first winter (not just grass-fed heifers that have been looked after) struggle to get in-calf.

It's not unusual for dairy farmers here to get poor results running bulls after mating. I have a couple of theories why, the primary one being that it's standard practise to buy the bulls and truck them to their new home and let them loose with the cows for 3 - 6 weeks. A few weeks to get over the transport stress and get used to the farm and routine might make all the difference. I also suspect that for a lot of these guys once the AI is over the hard work is done and they don't really monitor what the bull is doing, so don't even realise that his conception rate is only 30% or so. Hard to figure out how to improve on what hasn't been noticed in the first place.