regolith
Well-known member
Just thought it might be worth clearing up a couple points with the more experienced guys on the board.
I read in a newspaper article the other day some expert saying you couldn't breed on 'maybe' heats if the cow might be pregnant because you could lose the pregnancy.
Now the way I understood it you *do* breed on later heats regardless of how strong they are and whether or not the cow might be three weeks or more pregnant, but you drop the semen halfway through the cervix and don't let the tip of the inseminator into the uterus, to eliminate the possibility of disturbing the existing pregnancy.
Anyway, that's what I've always done. I think I've read that you can drop the conception rate slightly by cervix breeding but I don't know the likelihood of slipping an existing pregnancy... cervix breeding should eliminate that possibility.
I absolutely agree with cp, you don't get cows pregnant by not breeding them..., you'll definitely get more pregnancies by mating 120% of the on-heat cows than 80% of them.
Anyone here know how likely it is that AI can cause pregnancy loss, and can it be caused by 'normal' insemination (dropping the semen just past the end of the cervix) or would it only happen if the inseminator had been allowed some distance into the uterus?
Do you do anything different when breeding a cow that has been bred earlier that season?
I keep enough low-priced semen in the bank that I'm not likely to hesitate about putting a straw into a cow that doesn't need it.
Just seen a third on-heat pregnant cow for this month the other day... at least I had a good look at her right side this morning and I'm pretty sure there's still a calf in there and she's due in three weeks. The other two were checked by the vet after cycling, both of those are now springing ready to calve.
I read in a newspaper article the other day some expert saying you couldn't breed on 'maybe' heats if the cow might be pregnant because you could lose the pregnancy.
Now the way I understood it you *do* breed on later heats regardless of how strong they are and whether or not the cow might be three weeks or more pregnant, but you drop the semen halfway through the cervix and don't let the tip of the inseminator into the uterus, to eliminate the possibility of disturbing the existing pregnancy.
Anyway, that's what I've always done. I think I've read that you can drop the conception rate slightly by cervix breeding but I don't know the likelihood of slipping an existing pregnancy... cervix breeding should eliminate that possibility.
I absolutely agree with cp, you don't get cows pregnant by not breeding them..., you'll definitely get more pregnancies by mating 120% of the on-heat cows than 80% of them.
Anyone here know how likely it is that AI can cause pregnancy loss, and can it be caused by 'normal' insemination (dropping the semen just past the end of the cervix) or would it only happen if the inseminator had been allowed some distance into the uterus?
Do you do anything different when breeding a cow that has been bred earlier that season?
I keep enough low-priced semen in the bank that I'm not likely to hesitate about putting a straw into a cow that doesn't need it.
Just seen a third on-heat pregnant cow for this month the other day... at least I had a good look at her right side this morning and I'm pretty sure there's still a calf in there and she's due in three weeks. The other two were checked by the vet after cycling, both of those are now springing ready to calve.