Fall Breeding Season

[Bright Raven]

Till-Hill and T & B Farms:

I hope you guys don't jinx me. My long standing conception rate on heifers is only slightly lower than cows. I do creep feed my heifers until they are weaned, then nothing but pasture to prevent fat in the udder. I breed at about 14 to 15 months. They probably average about 875 at that time.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Not to jump on Ron's thread, and I hate to jinx myself, but we have had a superior year for AI/embryos this fall so far. Here is my numbers:
5 cows AI stick first attempt
5 heifers AI stick first attempt
6 embryo implants stick
1 embryo implant did not
2 cows AI and have not stuck.
So for AI, that is 10 out of 12, first attempt and embryos 6 out of 7. I'll take those numbers! We have used no CiDR's this fall, all natural heats.

Now, a 7th embryo implant came in at 27 days, so was she pregnant and it was early embryonic death? Hard to tell. She has since had another embryo put in and we are waiting for her to cycle.
One of the heifer's that stuck first time was also a surprise, since she too had not cycled that we could tell at the beginning of breeding season. Had the vet check her when he came out to put an embryo in a cow, and come to find out she was 90 days bred!!! WHAT? She had to be bred at State Fair, by a random bull. We luted her, she aborted and came in a 6 days after that, then 9 days after the first heat. I went ahead and bred her, but was pretty sure she would not stick (how long does it take for the uterus to heal after a 90 day abort?). Well, she stuck!
We have another heifer, one attempt, that is due next week to cycle (if she did not stick). I have 5 cows that calved in December that have not cycled yet, so I expect another waive for breeding coming up soon. And I have two "problem" cows that I need to decide to ship or wait. One is a fresh two year old, a little drawn down on her weight (raising a Lock n Load heifer calf and doing a great job). We have AI'd her twice, so the third time she came in I put a cheap embryo in her and hope she sticks that. The other problem cow is an embryo herself (Built Right x Angus), and has always been a struggle for me. She had a hard time ever cycling as a yearling heifer (we had to put a CiDR in her to get her to come in heat), never stuck AI - even with having our embryologist AI her once for us (Ron even tried this one). We ended up putting an embryo in her (herself! She raised her full brother...lol). She calved last late spring, got drawn down as a two year old, so we rolled her to fall. AI'd twice, nothing, then I allowed one of our yearling bulls to breed her, and she returned to heat Thursday, at 20 days. I will try a cheap embryo in her again, and if she does not stick that one she will be out of here. I think it might be a "family trait", because her flush sister is a yearling, December born, and has yet to have a cycle herself. All of my heifers, including my spring (even a June heifer) have been cycling, so she is way behind her contemporaries.
Oh, and one 10 year old cow that has not cycled since she calved in October. I am debating on setting her up for another year or culling her based on her age and lack of cycle. She has always raised an embryo calf for us, but the last two years she has lost more weight than she should and takes longer to bounce back. I might just AI her and sell her as a bred or pair next fall. She is a good cow (BC Lookout x GCF Cayenne), small framed and easy to work with.
So our year has gone well, especially with me back to work full time and having to depend on the kids and hubby to do the heat checks in the AM and most days in the PM. I will look forward to longer days so I can see them in the daylight at least at night!

 

[Bright Raven]

Not to jump on Ron's thread, and I hate to jinx myself, but we have had a superior year for AI/embryos this fall so far. Here is my numbers:
5 cows AI stick first attempt
5 heifers AI stick first attempt
6 embryo implants stick
1 embryo implant did not
2 cows AI and have not stuck.
So for AI, that is 10 out of 12, first attempt and embryos 6 out of 7. I'll take those numbers! We have used no CiDR's this fall, all natural heats.

Now, a 7th embryo implant came in at 27 days, so was she pregnant and it was early embryonic death? Hard to tell. She has since had another embryo put in and we are waiting for her to cycle.
One of the heifer's that stuck first time was also a surprise, since she too had not cycled that we could tell at the beginning of breeding season. Had the vet check her when he came out to put an embryo in a cow, and come to find out she was 90 days bred!!! WHAT? She had to be bred at State Fair, by a random bull. We luted her, she aborted and came in a 6 days after that, then 9 days after the first heat. I went ahead and bred her, but was pretty sure she would not stick (how long does it take for the uterus to heal after a 90 day abort?). Well, she stuck!
We have another heifer, one attempt, that is due next week to cycle (if she did not stick). I have 5 cows that calved in December that have not cycled yet, so I expect another waive for breeding coming up soon. And I have two "problem" cows that I need to decide to ship or wait. One is a fresh two year old, a little drawn down on her weight (raising a Lock n Load heifer calf and doing a great job). We have AI'd her twice, so the third time she came in I put a cheap embryo in her and hope she sticks that. The other problem cow is an embryo herself (Built Right x Angus), and has always been a struggle for me. She had a hard time ever cycling as a yearling heifer (we had to put a CiDR in her to get her to come in heat), never stuck AI - even with having our embryologist AI her once for us (Ron even tried this one). We ended up putting an embryo in her (herself! She raised her full brother...lol). She calved last late spring, got drawn down as a two year old, so we rolled her to fall. AI'd twice, nothing, then I allowed one of our yearling bulls to breed her, and she returned to heat Thursday, at 20 days. I will try a cheap embryo in her again, and if she does not stick that one she will be out of here. I think it might be a "family trait", because her flush sister is a yearling, December born, and has yet to have a cycle herself. All of my heifers, including my spring (even a June heifer) have been cycling, so she is way behind her contemporaries.
Oh, and one 10 year old cow that has not cycled since she calved in October. I am debating on setting her up for another year or culling her based on her age and lack of cycle. She has always raised an embryo calf for us, but the last two years she has lost more weight than she should and takes longer to bounce back. I might just AI her and sell her as a bred or pair next fall. She is a good cow (BC Lookout x GCF Cayenne), small framed and easy to work with.
So our year has gone well, especially with me back to work full time and having to depend on the kids and hubby to do the heat checks in the AM and most days in the PM. I will look forward to longer days so I can see them in the daylight at least at night!

Those are fantastic results. Keep the luck going.

 

[Till-Hill]

Very impressive results, I hope to be that good someday. If you feel like you need a refresher to get you prepared for next fall, give me a call this April :lol: I'd even buy your plane ticket
My conceptions rates on heifers were terrible again this year. 33%. On cows, doing extremely well. Still have several to go, but looking to be 75-80%.
Almost a spitting image of last year, I've got to figure out the problem with the heifers. They are calving hard now from first bull service.

How well are your heifers fed? I custom ai for herd that shows same as you. Cant stick heifers but cows no problem. They creep feed and background their calves for pounds. Heifers weigh 1200-1400 when I breed them. We have tried starving them, keeping on feed, I mean everything in between. Cant get them to stick. Personally 10/13 on my heifers this year. No creep. 5-6# of 80/20 corn/distillers force fed mineral and crappy grass hay. Ww-yw average about 2# gain. That's one I like to breed

I try to develop them just like the experts say. I shoot for 65% of mature weight at breeding. I ran them through on Thursday to pelvic measure and track score. At 9-11 months old, all but 3 were already cycling. All of them passed their pelvic measurements. I have a better feeling about this year, I had enough good heifers this year I was able to be very picky when selecting replacements. They were picked on both their individual preformance, and their dams production record.
I am feeding them 10% fescue hay, 4# of 50/50 cornddg, and free choice concept aid mineral. They weighed 690-840. Do you think I'm pushing them too hard?

Seems like your doing everything right! How are they being fed after being bred then? Pre breeding vaccinations? Other than that I'd just say you are not having Ron and Firesweeps luck! Heifers here I've always been pretty happy. Cows I have a feed problem after I breed them. Trying to fix it this year.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

We had pretty good luck with heifers last year. All on natural heats and have to call our vet to come for AI. 5 stuck on the first attempt,two even were bred at the same time, 2 on the second, one very likely had an early abortion as she was silent after the first try and came back in heat abit over 2 months later, and one was very hard to see in heat, so the first try was pretty blind on her with no activity seen, and she might have settled now after two more tries. Our heifers started getting meal after weaning and still gets some to improve their milk quality and quantity after calving.
Most cows stuck on the first try (14-15). Haven't preg checked, so there might be some surprise, but they haven't showed any signs of repeat. The bull was running with them later, so either way they are incalf. Three cows needed 2 tries and three cows needed three attempts. Two cows haven't settled on AI no matter what but have settled with the bull on the first heat after letting him in. One more cow appeared to have a cyst, but now have AI'ed her and she seemed quiet. Managed to get incalf a 1st calf heifer, which was with the bull for two months and she still came back inheat. She might be the only one incalf with that AI bull, so even if she made some time off being not bred, but she might make up for that with her next calf.
All in all, I think it was pretty good first year for me to observe heats for AI. Some tend to be inheat for longer and I see blood only 2 or even 3 days after the activity and AI and for some it takes only 1 day.