Anyone having trouble getting cows to stick?

[OhioFarmer87]

I was wondering if anyone else has been having problems getting their cows to stick AI this so far this year? I live in northeast ohio and I bred my first set 3 weeks ago and they all seem to be popping back in heat. I have been AI'ing for a few years now and usually stick about 75% put this is frustrating the heck out of me. I used a CIDR synch to bring them in. GNRH with CIDR and then pulled 7 days with a shot of lute. waited for standing heat and bred them. we set a bunch up for eggs as well with that group. the vet says that everyone is having the same problem but its just driving me nuts. I think I may try and get the later calving stuff off the hill and try multimin 90 before I breed. any suggestions or shared frustration? these are an assortment of cattle, first calvers, virgin heifers, and old cows. many with a calf on the side. I just cant get my brain around it. not sure if the hard winter is taking a toll of what. thanks for any help. :???: :???: :???: :help: :help: :help:

 

[cow pollinater]

I'm a long ways away from you but I've been breeding cows commercially for fifteen years and I've always found that when I did have results that were much less than I expected on cows that should have been easy other breeders were seeing the same things with their customers. It will drive you nuts if you let it.

 

[OhioFarmer87]

Oh I'm far beyond drove nuts over this. They are show cattle and not dumping cheap semen in them let alone falling behind on calving dates. I just can't wrap my head around it whats wrong. They get quality hay and free choice Rowe nutrition 8% mineral. Been a great system before. They will goto the green pastures once they are confirmed.

 

[torogmc81]

Did they all come back in heat at the same time for the most part?

We AI'd 22 days ago, 7-day sync. I haven't seen any signs of heat so far, but won't find out more till two weeks from now .... fingers cross.

As for nutrition, TB and others have covered this subject many times.
Speaking for ourselves, we either use Vitafirm or Purina w/Avalia-4, or sometimes both are available to them.

 

[OhioFarmer87]

Ya they all came back in around the same time. But most were bred at the same time as well. I hope you have better luck then us

 

[slick4591]

I have a couple that's been driving me nuts too. Both were second calvers when I decided to flush them. One didn't give up anything viable and the other only produced four keepers. Tried several more times and I blamed it on my semen for a while. However, I bought some on a new bull and neither stuck that time either.

Decided to put them on Concept Aid mineral and hit them Multi Min 90. This last go around my tech wanted them both at his place to watch them. When he bred them he used a straw of my new bull and a straw of one of his club bulls on each. I haven't drawn blood yet, but it looks like one might have taken, but I don't think the other did. Both are cycling pretty close.

I had decided to ship them both if neither stuck, but now I have a little hope that the one will come around.

 

[midtncattle]

I've struggled with one as well. Wanted to breed on natural heat but never saw one. Finally just did 7 day protocal and still no sign of heat. We ai'd anyway. Waiting on blood test now.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Did the ones you put eggs in stick?

We had really poor conceptions a few years ago, seems our thermos was shocking the semen (a short), and killing it. We figured it out eventually, but I spent a ton on semen and lost a lot of time. Try putting the fence tester tip in the thermos, see if you get any readings. We now unplug the thermos before we drop the semen in.
If I have a cow that does not stick AI, I will try a cheap embryo in her. Most will stick the embryo.
Knock on wood, our AI and embryos are going well. We have not had to use the Lock n Load bull yet! I kind of want to, but AI calves are more valuable than a calf out of a herd bull.

 

[slick4591]

Did the ones you put eggs in stick?

I suppose you are asking me since we have discussed it. I purchased three embryos and between two cows I have one that took on her first implant. The other that had two is no longer a part of the embryo program.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Did the ones you put eggs in stick?

I suppose you are asking me since we have discussed it. I purchased three embryos and between two cows I have one that took on her first implant. The other that had two is no longer a part of the embryo program.

I was actually asking the OP since he stated he set up a bunch for eggs.

Slick, Don't give up on the cow that did not take this year. I have had several cows that do not take an embryo one year, so we AI, and try again the following year and they typically stick it. We use a cheap embryo the next year, just in case.

 

[OhioFarmer87]

So far it's looking like the cows that have got an egg have stuck. Only put a couple in as of right now. The cows I AI'd seem to be around 45-50% right now. I'm hoping that all the eggs stick!

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

So far it's looking like the cows that have got an egg have stuck. Only put a couple in as of right now. The cows I AI'd seem to be around 45-50% right now. I'm hoping that all the eggs stick!

If your embryos stuck, but your AI did not, I would venture to say it is your semen or technique. That is how we discovered our thermos was frying the semen, our embryos stuck but the AI cows were not (we had a few conceptions, but those were bred with semen we pocket thawed).

 

[slick4591]

So far it's looking like the cows that have got an egg have stuck. Only put a couple in as of right now. The cows I AI'd seem to be around 45-50% right now. I'm hoping that all the eggs stick!

If your embryos stuck, but your AI did not, I would venture to say it is your semen or technique. That is how we discovered our thermos was frying the semen, our embryos stuck but the AI cows were not (we had a few conceptions, but those were bred with semen we pocket thawed).

That's different from what I was thinking. Since they wouldn't stick AI I figured there was no use sticking an embryo in them.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

It has been a weird year for us as well. We AIed 8 cows this year. We had 3 come into a standing heat within 36-38 hours of the Cidrs being pulled. We AIed those cows 12 hours later. We had a cow come back into heat yesterday, 8 days post AI and 21 days after the first shot of GnRH. I guess that she didn't synch at all with the rest of the group. We will know for sure in about 2 weeks who took via AI.