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Red Bull Breeder":3ubplsi8 said:
Did she have a pocket full of rocks??
:clap: :lol: :clap: That's a good one.
I guess if I was using all natural breeding, I would "expect" less opens. Do most of you experience these % using a bull? I used a bull for the last 21 days of a 63 day breeding period (AI 1st 42 days). The bull was running with over 60 head, but all but 4 had been AI'd. Had 1 open and I was dissapointed. I EXPECTED all of them to be bred. I shipped her. We ended up with 5 calves out of him. Two left and I'll be DONE!!! - both are late.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":3oxmf5lu said:
Red Bull Breeder":3oxmf5lu said:
Did she have a pocket full of rocks??
:clap: :lol: :clap: That's a good one.
I guess if I was using all natural breeding, I would "expect" less opens. Do most of you experience these % using a bull? I used a bull for the last 21 days of a 63 day breeding period (AI 1st 42 days). The bull was running with over 60 head, but all but 4 had been AI'd. Had 1 open and I was dissapointed. I EXPECTED all of them to be bred. I shipped her. We ended up with 5 calves out of him. Two left and I'll be DONE!!! - both are late.
Jeanne
the average for natural bred is usually 3-5% open in a herd environment

with cows that are handled and "pampered " a person might get a higher % but not consistently

if a person could get 100% all the time there wouldn't be any reason for preg checking
I am happy if I can stay in the 3% range or less because that puts me on the better side of the avg
 
Angus Cowman - thanks. I guess I'm too hard on my cows. Using a "clean-up" bull is a new experience. We've been 100% AI using a 60-day breeding season for over 35 years. If they came up open, they had better have had a real good "excuse" - like having a set of twins, or late born heifer calving later in season, but raised a GREAT calf. You know - excuses that I could justify - otherwise - shipped on the rail.
So do you spit your herd, spring & fall, or just have a few in the spring. We have a few in the fall. I'm starting to like fall calvers more & more.
 
Jeanne
I am hard on mine also if the aren't bred I put them in with the bulls on april 25th and give them 60 days if they are bred I have a man that buys all of them if they are open they go to town

out of the 5 that were open 2 were first calf hfrs,2 were 3 yr old cows that were about 25 days behind the rest on calving last fall and both have large calves on them and 1 was a 4 yr old that injured her back foot the first part of Nov so I would say that could be a contributing factor for her

I have also learned that getting fall calvers bred is a little harder than a spring herd especially if we have adverse weather in October and early Nov seems like the cold rains are worse on the cows than snow
 
That's a great way to market your opens.
3-year olds are the hardest. They usually haven't re-cooped from their first calf by the time we are expecting them to be raising their 2nd AND breed back. I have been known to be foregiving on them.
 

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