Breeding Box

[Harv4438]

Interested to hear opinions and experience using a breeding box vs a regular chute for AI. This will be my 1st try with AI, have decided to use 5 day co synch on 7 heifers and 7 day on 12 cows. I have read a little about breeding boxes and the claim is better conception rates with them. I have a low end for-most chute with automatic catch and a palp cage. Should I plywood the sides of the chute? Put a roof on it?

 

[Jessica06]

I regularly get 90-100% conception with a squeeze chute, AIing morning, noon, and night. To me, it seems a bit over the top. We have boards on the top of the front half of the chute, but that's just to keep the cows from trying to jump out.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

We have used the breeding box and loved it (before we had a chute). It was so much calmer working the cows, and the box is designed to make things move slowly for one person.
Do you need to modify your current chute? Unless you have really wild cattle, no. Now, all of our cattle are just calmly walked up and bred in our chute. Mind you, all of our cattle are halter broke and can be worked with easily... but I do not think you need all that. When I AI'd for the dairies, the cattle were just locked into the stanchions where they ate, and I would breed them right there.
Good luck! I find I get MUCH better conceptions on natural heats, but I know not everyone can do that.

 

[Harv4438]

Alright thanks! My heifers are quite docile. I can walk up to them without them moving scared. The cows that I'll AI are pretty calm as well. I'm a little worried that the cows are getting a little thin. They were all BCS 6 with some heavier in march when they started calving but now they look like 4's to me. Haven't had much grass here yet but we're still feeding corn silage along with hay. I'll just be turning them into grass this week.

Thanks Again!

 

[TexasBred]

We always just put the cow in the chute and not even catch her head in the headgate. Put a pipe behind her to keep her from backing up and breed her. To me even catching the head is just too much added stress. Always bred on observed natural heats as well.

 

[Harv4438]

That's what I'll do. To give the injections in the neck I'll plan to put them in the headgate and to AI try to just let them stand in the chute. But I'll need to give an injection at the time of AI. I don't know, maybe they'll stand for that.

 

[Hook]

A breeding box makes even the craziest cow much calmer.