I have 1 cow out of 60 that wont breed back. She was a heifer last year and had an excellent calf last march. Weaned the big calf off her in October. She's been with a bull from June - March and i noticed she is still coming back into heat. I saw the bull riding her the last 3 heat cycles. Is there something permently wrong with her. Or something we can do to fix this, besides sending her down the road. I heard sometimes after heifers have there first calf some of them don't breed back for some time. If anyone has an info it would be appreciated. Thanks
Cow wont breed back
- Thread starter Brandon$1
- Start date
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I have an 18 mo heifer doing the same thing - figured her to be cystic except she was cycling regularly.
The vet was just out working on another animal so I had him palpate her - he said her ovaries were quite small but otherwise normal feeling - said she was likely a "light ovulator" - said you could try to "help" her with GnRh but that it was a better idea to beef her. My plan - since grass is coming - is to let her fill out on spring grass then take her to the sale barn.
The vet was just out working on another animal so I had him palpate her - he said her ovaries were quite small but otherwise normal feeling - said she was likely a "light ovulator" - said you could try to "help" her with GnRh but that it was a better idea to beef her. My plan - since grass is coming - is to let her fill out on spring grass then take her to the sale barn.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
angus9259":30wxnucl said:
I have one of those also. There is usually the exception. I asked the vet what was wrong with her and he said she was needy. :lol:
I have good pasture and my experience in this environment is that the number of open cows is mostly a function of the bull.
A
Anonymous
I woulda liked to find those light ovulators in high school
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
hooknline":5rcruffi said:
Would you settle for needy?
A
Anonymous
Nope. Needy equaled well fed where I come from
Victoria
Well-known member
Since the cow is young and has been able to carry a calf I am thinking of four possibilities (other than what has been mentioned):
1) Her condition is too poor to be able to get pregnant. Hard to believe since the rest of your girls are pregnant unless she has been sickly.
2) She had a really tough calving on her first and/or didn't clean after (infection) which may have caused permanent damage.
3) She has an ovarian cyst. This can be checked by a vet. If she has a cyst then she can be put on shots to fix her. This does not always work but does have a fairly good success rate. I have done this with two cystic cows -both re-bred right after the regimen and have gotten pregnant in the years after. I don't have the shot schedule with me here but I can get it for you tomorrow. Why you may want to have her checked before starting her on the shots is...
4) She may be pregnant. Although not common it does happen that a cow will cycle part way or all the way through her pregnancy.
Right now you have a cow that even if she is fixed will be breeding back later than everyone else. Maybe she is worth it to you for the extra time and cost, maybe she isn't. The shots are fairly cheap for cysts.
1) Her condition is too poor to be able to get pregnant. Hard to believe since the rest of your girls are pregnant unless she has been sickly.
2) She had a really tough calving on her first and/or didn't clean after (infection) which may have caused permanent damage.
3) She has an ovarian cyst. This can be checked by a vet. If she has a cyst then she can be put on shots to fix her. This does not always work but does have a fairly good success rate. I have done this with two cystic cows -both re-bred right after the regimen and have gotten pregnant in the years after. I don't have the shot schedule with me here but I can get it for you tomorrow. Why you may want to have her checked before starting her on the shots is...
4) She may be pregnant. Although not common it does happen that a cow will cycle part way or all the way through her pregnancy.
Right now you have a cow that even if she is fixed will be breeding back later than everyone else. Maybe she is worth it to you for the extra time and cost, maybe she isn't. The shots are fairly cheap for cysts.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
hooknline":jb17cj2i said:
You need to move north!
Stocker Steve":ylnasizp said:
Other than the random odd duck, I've come to conclude the same thing. A bull can pass a BSE with flying colors, but that doesn't test his ability to "git r done". It doesn't test libido or technique. I've seen some ol cows standing under a bull with a look on their face that says "come on already . . . . it's two holes down from my tail . . . . ."
angus9259":xcecsvds said:
Did you read my post? She had 7 months postpartum to get right and was AI'd and then with my bull for 2 months and then with a very potent Angus bull and two yearling herf bulls for 2 more months. Her BCS was a 6 easy and she was shiney and clear eyed. I just think sometimes the second calf just does not happen. I had no choice but to move her out.
Victoria
Well-known member
Looked up the shot sched. We use two different methods. Method one we used on a. Cow we tried to put an embryo in. She didn't take and didn't breed back. We gave a shot of GNRH (Cystorelin) then 7-12 days later a shot of Estrumate.
Method 2: Given to a cow that aborted. She had one heat and then stopped coming into heat. She had a huge cyst. We followed a more complex methhod, supposed to be more effective but takes longer, more work and money.
Day 0:estrumate
Day7:estrumate
Day 14: cystorelin
Day 21: estrumate
Day 23: cystorelin
It's important the last 3 shots are given at the same time of day. I think I also gave the first two at rhe same time.
Method 2: Given to a cow that aborted. She had one heat and then stopped coming into heat. She had a huge cyst. We followed a more complex methhod, supposed to be more effective but takes longer, more work and money.
Day 0:estrumate
Day7:estrumate
Day 14: cystorelin
Day 21: estrumate
Day 23: cystorelin
It's important the last 3 shots are given at the same time of day. I think I also gave the first two at rhe same time.
Loch Valley Fold
Well-known member
Doesn't matter how many times you try sometimes the best thing & the cheapest in the long run is to sell her & buy another to replace the cow. In a dairy situation it doesn't matter if a cow fails to get back in calf you just keep milking her - in a beef operation that same cow that doesn't breed back every year is costing you $$$ in return she gets a free ride & you hope you may get another calf out of her. I've done it myself & in the end ended up selling the cow
