We have always A.I'd using Cydrs & Lutalyse w/Cistorellin or Factrel. However, Silent Heat is my nemesis! ARGH! (where is a pirate when you need one?!) So, switching over now to Allflex Cow Monitoring for Heat Detection (not cheap!), eliminates the need for hormonal drugs. My question is if we do NOT use hormonal drugs disposing entirely with Cydrs & Cistorellin & such, (which of course do give the cow a big boost) will that somehow diminish our reproductive success? Thank you! (always learning!)
Anyone familiar with electronic heat detection?
- Thread starter Tori Te
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Buck Randall
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2019
- Messages
- 2,697
- Reaction score
- 3,148
Welcome to the board. I'm a veterinarian, and several of my dairy clients have heat detection systems. The ones who bought them with the intention of eliminating estrus synchronization programs have been very disappointed. They don't work well for that at all, because they cannot make a cow cycle and they will not detect a truly silent heat. Farms that bought them to use as an adjunct to their synchronization program have done very well. They synchronize the cows and breed all of them, then rely on the monitoring system to detect open cows returning to heat. Open cows missed by the heat detection system will be resynchronized at pregnancy check.
They definitely have value, especially if you're running a large herd, but don't be oversold on their abilities.
They definitely have value, especially if you're running a large herd, but don't be oversold on their abilities.
Dsth
Well-known member
I have been thinking the same thing this year after I seen the price of CIDRs this year. have not checked prices of electronic monitor systems, but for my herd of 25-30 cows, it probably is not an option. I started calving in mid Dec. this year. I work an off farm job so heat detection is somewhat limited. I started checking cows in the morning when it is still dark and most are laying down to check for mucus or bloody discharge indicating heat cycle. I gave those cows a shot of Estroplan on Feb 16th. cows that I did not see any sign of heat got a CIDR. about 50/50 split. all cows injected had standing heats and bred. CIDRS were removed last night from second group. So far I am liking this method since it spreads the breeding out so not so many cows to breed at the same time. last year I did TAI on 2 cows that I did not catch in heat and had 50/50 on pregnancy's. if electronics are not right for you, look for other options.
