Cow not catching questions!

[mpassmore85]

Have a 5 year old cow not catching she is in good health, top quality feed on a good breeder block. Up to date on all vaccines etc. her current calf is 7 months old and weaned. She is cycling every 19-21 days last 2 cycles I saw the bull breed her twice each time and still not catching.

Her last calf was no issue to calve. Only thing I can see as possible issue is she has a dry cough on occasion (maybe once in an hour) vet checked her out and she is physically fine likely has a virus. So gave her some extra vitamins and some other shot to boost immunity other than that she's fine.

Normally I'd ship her but bought her as a yearling and paid way way too much registered or not (wife thought she was cute haha)

 

[mpassmore85]

So does anyone have proven method to help her catch?

Or any tips? The bull is proven so that's not an issue and this is the second bull she has been with

 

[Bright Raven]

Wow. Reproductive physiologist puzzle.

I would wonder if she has damage to the cervix or uterus.

There could be an injury to the cervix preventing semen access. The uterus may be damaged preventing implantation.

If she is cycling, the ovary is functional and the hormone system is working. Sounds like her cycles are fine.

Did you pull her last calf?

 

[True Grit Farms]

Give her a shot of Cystorelin, if she doesn't stick after that ship her.

 

[Bright Raven]

Give her a shot of Cystorelin, if she doesn't stick after that ship her.

She is not cystic if she has a regular cycle. Or is your thought something else?

 

[mpassmore85]

Nope last calf shot out like a rocket she practically didn't notice she was just munching grass and poof our he came

Cystorelin is for cysts correct? Or does this help her catch?
Also was wondering about gnrh? My vet doesn't seem to know much about these things guessing most guys don't bother doing it

Vet said her "parts were functional".

 

[dun]

Cystorelin is GnRH. All it will do is force her to shed the Corpus Luteum (CL) and restart the cycle. Noramlly you would give shot of GnRH and 7 days later give a shot of lute. Then she would be in heat in 3-5 days. (your mileage may vary). It probably would do any good to give the shot but it sure wouldn;t hurt either.
You need to wait (I thnk) 5 days after her heat for the GnRH to work

 

[mpassmore85]

Ok I'm definitely open to trying anything really

 

[True Grit Farms]

Give her a shot of Cystorelin, if she doesn't stick after that ship her.

She is not cystic if she has a regular cycle. Or is your thought something else?

No reason besides I was told to do that myself and give a shot of MultiMin, but sounds like the vitamin thing has been tried already. I've seen Cystorelin and MultiMin work on a couple of heifers. If you can get an AI gun through the cervix the cow should take to the bull. You have to try something before you ship or eat her, especially when the it's the bosses.

 

[mpassmore85]

I'm sure she will be a pet regardless I'd rather her be a productive one though lol. Don't let your wife name your cows lol

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Cystorelin is GnRH. All it will do is force her to shed the Corpus Luteum (CL) and restart the cycle. Noramlly you would give shot of GnRH and 7 days later give a shot of lute. Then she would be in heat in 3-5 days. (your mileage may vary). It probably would do any good to give the shot but it sure wouldn;t hurt either.
You need to wait (I thnk) 5 days after her heat for the GnRH to work

Just a slight correction here Dun. GnRH (comes in many forms, including Cystorelin) DOES NOT force her to shed her CL. GnRH causes the follicle to rupture, forcing her to ovulate (if she had a mature follicle). Lute is the drug used to force her to shed the CL, thus allowing a follicle once again mature and ovulate. The CL is what maintains pregnancy, also known as yellow body.
So, the suggestion to give this cow a shot is cystorelin would make any follicles she might have on her ovaries to mature and rupture. A cow CAN cycle normally and be cystic. So, while it is not likely that it will help this cow, it is worth the try, because she could be cystic, which would prevent a CL from forming and allowing a pregnancy to occur.

To the poster, I know this sounds crazy, but if you can find a cheap embryo, you might try to put one in. We have had cows that would not stick to AI, but did stick an embryo. After calving the embryo calf, they go back to sticking to AI. If you live near a collection center (Trans Ova are all over the place), you might call and ask if they have a very cheap embryo they would sell and put in this cow. It is not as difficult as some people think.

 

[mpassmore85]

I've never had anything to do with any AI etc. Only stuff that's done around here is for dairies even the vets won't AI.

Traditionally we let nature take its course.


Also does this "CL" shed naturally on its own every cycle ? If there is a cyst technically it should get worse every cycle then?

 

[dun]

I've never had anything to do with any AI etc. Only stuff that's done around here is for dairies even the vets won't AI.

Traditionally we let nature take its course.


Also does this "CL" shed naturally on its own every cycle ? If there is a cyst technically it should get worse every cycle then?

The CL has to shed or she won;t have subsequent heat cycles. In the old days we used to go in manually and remove the CL. That was 60s vintage stuff.

 

[dun]

Cystorelin is GnRH. All it will do is force her to shed the Corpus Luteum (CL) and restart the cycle. Noramlly you would give shot of GnRH and 7 days later give a shot of lute. Then she would be in heat in 3-5 days. (your mileage may vary). It probably would do any good to give the shot but it sure wouldn;t hurt either.
You need to wait (I thnk) 5 days after her heat for the GnRH to work

Just a slight correction here Dun. GnRH (comes in many forms, including Cystorelin) DOES NOT force her to shed her CL. GnRH causes the follicle to rupture, forcing her to ovulate (if she had a mature follicle). Lute is the drug used to force her to shed the CL, thus allowing a follicle once again mature and ovulate. The CL is what maintains pregnancy, also known as yellow body.
So, the suggestion to give this cow a shot is cystorelin would make any follicles she might have on her ovaries to mature and rupture. A cow CAN cycle normally and be cystic. So, while it is not likely that it will help this cow, it is worth the try, because she could be cystic, which would prevent a CL from forming and allowing a pregnancy to occur.

To the poster, I know this sounds crazy, but if you can find a cheap embryo, you might try to put one in. We have had cows that would not stick to AI, but did stick an embryo. After calving the embryo calf, they go back to sticking to AI. If you live near a collection center (Trans Ova are all over the place), you might call and ask if they have a very cheap embryo they would sell and put in this cow. It is not as difficult as some people think.

I always get confused about the CL thanks for the correction. Been a long time since AI school

 

[mpassmore85]

So I want to use Lute also or just Cysto?

 

[dun]

So I want to use Lute also or just Cysto?

GnRH to restart the cycle, 7 days later the lute. Lue will cause her to ovulate if she has a viablle egg, but I would still do the GnRH first.

 

[True Grit Farms]

So I want to use Lute also or just Cysto?

I'd try shot of Cystorelin and MultiMin myself, what do you have to lose?

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

So I want to use Lute also or just Cysto?

Just cystorelin. It will knock of any possible cysts (though I do not think this is her problem). Lute will bring her into heat (knocks off the CL).

I am not saying AI, I am saying find a cheap embryo to put in her. AI is making her use her egg to conceive. An embryo is another cow's egg/sperm that is already 7 days since conception. If something is wrong with her eggs, putting a 7 day old fertilized egg in her will solve that problem, and reset her reproductive cycle for next year (so to speak, trying to keep it simple). The embryologist will be able to tell if she has scaring, or issues with her cervix. Someone who puts in embryos (embryologist) is not the same as someone who AI's. An embryologist is typically a vet, and has more training than an AI tech. We AI all of our cows ourselves, but I hire a professional to put our embryos in.

Do a search on google for embryo centers near you, or embryologist near you. You never know what you might find.

 

[mpassmore85]

So with an embryo does the calf get anything from the carrying mother genetically?
She produces milk to feed it etc still?

Also would you have to be concerned about birth weight etc?

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

So with an embryo does the calf get anything from the carrying mother genetically?
She produces milk to feed it etc still?

Also would you have to be concerned about birth weight etc?

The embryo gets nothing genetically from the cow. The cow provides the womb, and milk when it is born. She will think it is hers, but genetically is has no relation to her.

She is a cow, correct? You should have no concern about size. Find a center near you, tell them about your cow, ask if they have a cheap embryo that will be of average size to try putting in her (the value will not be the calf, but getting the cow to carry a calf). If you want her to have a calf, it is worth the try. Hopefully, after she calves, she will go back to a regular cycle and get pregnant by your bull.