Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Had a very experienced AI tech that could not find a way through a heifers cervix today. He said it happens once in a great while. Is this genetic, and is there much of a pregnancy chance using natural service?
AI Cervix Issue ?
- Thread starter Stocker Steve
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Was this on a heifer? Assuming it was because it has happened here also a couple of times. The tech could get in but not all the way through. The heifer in question bred fine with my clean up bull and was much easier to AI the following year. It happens but I would more responsibility on the tech than on the heifer, which is not blaming the tech. It happens sometimes.
There can be a couple of reasons. The strangest I saw was a cow that wouldn;t settle AI but did live service. She died calving. Out of curiosity cut the cervix open and it a had a Y shaped structure where the opening through it should have been. Considered that a birth defect kind of deal. The AI tech had a cow that wouldn;t settle either AI or natural service. Had a normal feeling shaped cervix. When they slaughtered her he wanted the cervix for an AI class he was holding. That one had no opening through the cervix. That one I always wondered if maybe she was a freemartin.
wbvs58
Well-known member
My 1st heifer to calve last year I could not get through the cervix, I could get into it but could not work the cervix all the way over the rod I ended up depositing it there and she took. When I bred her back I had the same problem but she looks like she took again.
Ken
Ken
regolith
Well-known member
Just youth, heifers can be more difficult due to size, tone of cervix or behaviour, without anything being abnormal.
I've generally found if you get the inseminator *into* the cervix they get pregnant, whether or not it reaches the other end.
Abnormalities are a whole different kettle of fish but if the technician didn't say "it's all the heifer's fault she's really weird in there' there's no real reason to think she couldn't get in calf with the bull.
I've generally found if you get the inseminator *into* the cervix they get pregnant, whether or not it reaches the other end.
Abnormalities are a whole different kettle of fish but if the technician didn't say "it's all the heifer's fault she's really weird in there' there's no real reason to think she couldn't get in calf with the bull.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
regolith":fisl328o said:
We are seeing all of that. I have a fancy RA Conquest daughter who' detect patch goes solid if anyone else is in heat, but does not stand. Seems to be a party girl. We palate her, and then re patch her...
inyati13
Well-known member
Stocker Steve":1p39npi6 said:
Not just heifers. In February, I bred Anna at Fire Sweep Simmentals. I bred Anna last year as a heifer to Uno Mas. As a heifer, her cervix had good tone. This year, I could barely discern the cervix. It was like a wet noodle. I took extra time, did the best I could at finding the uterine end of the cervix and deposited. I ask Kris to glove up and feel the cervix. She described it as a bowl of sausage gravy.
I was telling the Select Sires Rep, Kenley Conner and he said when they have a hundred cows/heifers a day to breed, they don't have the luxury to spend time playing with a difficult cervix, deposit where they can and move on.
Turns out Anna Stuck and is bred to Iron Hide.
Kenley said there are some you cannot get through. It could be a develomental deformity. And no doubt some are genetic. There are more that just takes time if you got it.
Jake
Well-known member
Had two heifers out of 50 this year that I could not get through, tried for a long time and just could not get through it.
The deformity deal is the exception. I agree that a lot of them, even cows are just hard to get through. Had a heifer this year that I messed around for 5 minutes before I finally got started into the cervix. Just as I started deposting the semen she coughed and the cervix popped out of my hand the the pipette came out of the cervix. Thawed another unit of semen, reached in, got the cervix and she almost sucked the pipette into her uterus. Had to pull it back a bit it went in so far. Must have been in her 30 seconds that time and was done.
wbvs58
Well-known member
dun":19nzcjx8 said:
I'll have to try that one Dun, just ask them to cough.
Ken
cow pollinater
Well-known member
In 21 days he might fall right in on that heifer and have the same problem on one that he bred with ease this time around.Stocker Steve":6x8zrhu0 said:
The chances of a properly cycling animal being deformed to the point where an experienced tech can't breed them are very very slim and in those cases the bull won't have much better luck. It does happen but it's a small fraction of a percent. I'm glad to hear he was honest enough to tell you he had trouble but my money is lack of skill on his part and not deformity on the heifers.
I don't mean to sound crass or belittle your tech as the only way to get better is to breed lots of cattle but excuses are for failures. He'll get better with time but my hunch is that he failed you this time.
Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
When I took my AI class, there was one cow that NONE of the teacher's could get through. Likely why she was there at the stockyards, but all 4 instructors, who have years and year of experience doing hundreds of cows a week, could not get through. They put a red glove around her tail to let everyone know she was not to be attempted. I asked them how often they see this, they all said almost never! Odd that we would have one in our class...
I've bred several that I would have layed money on wasn't going to take, we mark them when we write them down and then observe. Seems like for the most part I either get lucky or the extra time I take with these pays off. Then I have some that seems to fall into place and I don't think I should worry and in 18-21 days we are rebreeding them. Go figure.......
inyati13
Well-known member
LRAF":3bg1rgbj said:
The extra time pays. Some take some effort to get started into the cervix or to thread the gun through. But It is rewarding to get the hard ones done.
