AI options

[dph]

What are some of the AI options you guys use in your herd. Our vet is pushing CIDRs, pros, cons?

 

[certherfbeef]

I like the CIDR's. Makes life easy for me during breeding season. If they don't show a good strong heat I time breed them.
Most times I get a real good heat off the CIDR protocal. But, this year I time bred several. Plus, the ones I don't sync tend to start showing some estrus activity along with the synced ones. I write those down and watch when I turn the bull out. Works well for me, and compacts my calving season.

 

[dph]

Can a fellow use the CIDRs, bring in the cows he wants to AI, turn the bull out with the rest the same time the other cows should come into heat. Then whatever isn't bred gets caught the second or third cycle? If I AI 40 cows to a bull, insert the CIDRs at the same time, etc, how big of a calving spread will I get? Is it better to break that group up and do some one week and some the next. Trying not to get all calves in a snow storm or something.

 

[certherfbeef]

dph,
I use the CIDR's, breed the synced cows on that heat, make a note of the ones not synced that came in. After all the synced cows are bred and well out of heat...bulls go in. Probably a week to 10 days after I AI the synced cows, I put the bulls in. I only AI once. They don't settle to it then I only loose one cycle. If I don't do a good job AIing then the bulls have their job cut out for them.

 

[susie]

Just curious, what's the routine for using CIDR's and timing the AI? Do you still watch for standing heat, or is there a protocol based only on time...
Thanks,
Susie

 

[certherfbeef]

Just curious, what's the routine for using CIDR's and timing the AI? Do you still watch for standing heat, or is there a protocol based only on time...
Thanks,
Susie

Susie, I wish someone would else would jump in here, I'm probably giving bad information.

Here is the way I do it.

Give a shot of GnRH the day I insert the CIDR=day 0
pull CIDR and give estrumate (or equivelant) on day 7
**breed on standing heat
I also use the estrus alert patches. Red for first heat, when I breed they get a pink one so I know if the bull covered them or if they stuck AI.

 

[Ann Bledsoe]

Susie, I wish someone would else would jump in here, I'm probably giving bad information.

Here is the way I do it.

Give a shot of GnRH the day I insert the CIDR=day 0
pull CIDR and give estrumate (or equivelant) on day 7
**breed on standing heat
I also use the estrus alert patches. Red for first heat, when I breed they get a pink one so I know if the bull covered them or if they stuck AI.

You can follow the exact same protocol, then AI 60 hours after pulling the CIDR and give another shot of GnRH.
Some AI at 72 hours without GnRH.

Ann B

 

[jt]

ann, i know a fairly good sized ranch that ai's 48 hours after pulling the cidr... now i am wondering what is best?? i thought... but might not remember correctly :lol: .. that 54 hours was the optimal time for a timed ai'ing..??
do you know of any studies on this?

thanks

jt

 

[MikeC]

ann, i know a fairly good sized ranch that ai's 48 hours after pulling the cidr... now i am wondering what is best?? i thought... but might not remember correctly :lol: .. that 54 hours was the optimal time for a timed ai'ing..??
do you know of any studies on this?
thanks
jt

From my own personal experience. The first time I used Cidr's with estradiol benzoate on some selected heifers, I had planned to breed at 54 hours. I rode up to the pen and observed and couldn't tell what was in heat. It was like a "swarm", with everything riding everything, so I ran them through the chute and bred them all at approx. 50 hours.

When I came back that afternoon (9 hours later) and observed, it was the same story, with mucus present in most. I got to wondering, had I bred them too early?

So I ran them all through the chute and bred them all again.
I got lucky and caught 100%.

I think that time breeding will still involve a certain degree of observation. And in my case...........guesswork.

 

[bwranch]

Here's the protocol for cows we used this year (Heifers are different):
(1 day = 24 hours so the day 6 event occurs at 144 hours, not just when you get around to it on the sixth day, etc)

Day 0 : Shot of GnRH and Insert CIDR
Day 6: Lutylase
Day 7 : Remove CIDR

Watch for heat and breed 8-12 hours after observed standing heat

Timed breed @ 66 hours after CIDR removal for everybody that didn't show heat. These cows get a shot of GnRH when AI'd.

I did have one cow that came in about 24 hours after the timed event. We rebred her.

Google CIDR. You'll find plenty of protocols. Also ABS and Select Sires have protocols listed.

Lee

 

[sidney411]

Has anyone figured up what it cost per cow to sync and AI them including CIDR's, shots, ect. Not including semen since there is such a wide range of $ values there. Cert?

 

[Dre]

Per Cow costs Cidr $1.30, Cystorelin $6, Lutalyse $3, Having a Heifer calf From Bon View New Design 208 hit the ground... "Priceless"

 

[bwranch]

CIDR $8 Some use them twice.
Lutylase $3 / ds
GnRH $3.5 / ds
Syringe/needle $0.15 ea
Time and labor?

Lee