Ai

[tjmdo]

Bred a cow today with AI. Man feeing the cervix is tough! How big are they? I can feel it with the
Gun hand but my rectal hand is not as easy. Any tips? I felt the gun go through the rings but I could not feel that I had a mass in my left hand.

 

[dun]

They range from about the size of a skinny cigar upto the size of a coke can

 

[Highlandheath]

I am brand new as well. I found that I was too deep with my rectal hand. I was not surprised by how big around the cervix was but how short it was. Felt like the entire structure was the width of my thumb deep, rings and all. I looked and looked for more of it, but in the end I could feel the gun on the other side of it. I wounder if that is normal or if its breed specific. I I have highlands and you just don't find much info on them.

 

[Son of Butch]

When a cow is in heat the cervix is firmer and easier to feel, find and grasp... you may have been too late or that was as firm as her cervix gets.

 

[wbvs58]

Just follow the tip of the gun forward with your rectal hand until the gun is at the end of the vagina and you will find the cervix will be right there, that is the easiest way.

Ken

 

[Son of Butch]

Bred a cow today with AI. Man feeling the cervix is tough! How big are they?

Break a corn cob in 1/2 and that will give you an approximate size of a cow's cervix.
A virgin heifer's cervix will be smaller, ranging from the size of your little finger to the size of my middle finger.
When A.I.ing a heifer with a small cervix rather than grasping it and holding it in my hand, I've found that pinning it to the pelvic floor and then working the rod through it works well for me.

When a cow is in a good heat the cervix is firmer and easier to find then when practicing on a cull cow that is not in heat. It can be frustrating as a beginner trying to locate the cervix when it's soft or mushy. But I assure you all cows have one, so just relax a bit, take your time and you will be able to locate it. Often it's not as far in as many beginners guess, so it's common to reach in too deep and search for it too far in... where it's not. But each cow is a little different than the last.

 

[tjmdo]

Thanks! The advice helps. Just bred my final cow. 1st was a success and she's pregnant.
2nd I've have to AI a total of 3 times.
3rd I've had to AI twice.
4th looks like she took. Testing her soon
5th just bred.

Thanks again!!

 

[tjmdo]

Ok. Thanks for all the advise but I still
Can't feel that cervix very well with my rectal hand. I can feel it through bumping into it with the gun. I just re-AI'd one of my cows for the 3rd time tonight. Once this afternoon and once tonight. This is frustrating. I had another one come up preg negative on an Idexx test we did today as well. She has shown no signs of heat at all in the last 28 days. Any other advice or should I just call out an AI tech?

 

[wbvs58]

Call an AI tech. If you can't grasp that cervix to work it over the gun then you are not even in the ball park to get it done.

Ken

 

[dun]

The main reason I have found that people have issues finding the cervix is reaching too far in. Start sweeping the floor closest the the rectum and gradually sweep further forward until you get a hold of it.

 

[pdfangus]

on the topic of cervix size .....

i have bred a few thousand over the years.

I think we need to expand the size range....I have experienced heifers that had cervixs not much bigger a pencil.....in thickness

on the other end I have felt older cows that were the size of a grapefruit

I had a jersey cow last year that I could not pass a rod on in three different tries....I recommended that they either try another technician or put her with a bull...

they didn't have much in terms of facilities and that was a bit of a factor but by the third try we at least had her contained enough for me to finally decide that I was not going to get her...