calving interval

[cleland]

I have a couple of cows that are going to calve about 2 months later than the rest of my cows, and I would like for them all to calve as close as possible to the same time. I want my calves to be born by about the middle of march and no earlier than february first. Right now I have 4 that are later than this. My question is: is there any way that I can speed these other few cows up to calve within the rest of the herd. These are cows that I bought and are bred to calve upto 2 months later than the rest of my herd. Is there a syncronization method avalaible that I can speed these cows up to have a calf with 11 months instead of a 1 year interval?
thanks jeff

 

[certherfbeef]

First, look at your mineral program. If it is right on then sync the cows you want to push back.


I use CIDR's.
Give a shot of GnRH the day I insert the CIDR=day 0
pull CIDR and give lute (or equivelant) on day 7
**breed on standing heat
I also use the estrus alert patches. Red for first heat, when I breed they get a pink one so I know if the bull covered them or if they stuck AI.

But the mineral program can't have any holes in it.

 

[ENNOT]

I agree with cert. The only thing I would change is to give 1/2 the recommended dose of GnRH when you put the CIDR in and then the other half when you breed the cow. Research is showing that this method is working better than the full dose at CIDR insertion and breeding.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Besides having a great mineral program (this means good loose mineral - not mineral blocks!) you need to have them in excellent body condition NOW, prior to calving. If the cows are kept in good body condition score, before & after calving, they should come into their first heat 30-35 days after calving. You can try breeding them on their first heat, but can expect low conception rate. Her next heat 21 days later should be a very good heat.
If you use CIDR, be sure she has cycled or is at least 45 days after calving.
Gestation is 283 days (for most breeds).

 

[Dana Kopp]

The thing that drives me up the wall is that I know that many of my cows are coming into heat in 30 - 35 days. But the way the heats and the time works it seems like they come into heat right before we turn bulls out and then, not that they are late, but they aren't bred as quickly as they could be. Guess we could turn the bulls out earlier, but that just increases the amount of cold weather & snow that we have to calve in. Maybe we'll turn the bulls out later...they don't care as long as they get to do their jobs... ;-) .