CattleMan1920
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- Joined
- Dec 11, 2018
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Putangitangi said:Putangitangi said:I'm not going to directly quote myself but something about it being easy, which it is, except when it's not: heifers this year are stumping me. Only got one out of the three so far this season. It's been really hot when I did the two (or didn't do them, as it turned out) and while the heifers have been quiet enough, I've been far too hot. New yards will have a roof for shade (and rain shelter). Little soft cervixes are the ones I find really tough. Just couldn't find the os. Oh well. Next year. I don't really want them calving too late in the mob come spring.
I've just finished mating a few days ago: I was able to inseminate/have mated all the animals in my list (34 cows & heifers) within 24 days. I put a couple of home-bred yearling bulls out after insem and only one cow came back on heat. Even those heifers I hadn't been able to inseminate properly, appear to be in calf. I'm delighted! 46-day mating, should lead to a 35-day calving, which is very nice. Barring some stupid disaster, of course.
I went back through my insem records after posting here about the heifers I couldn't do and found that over time 30% of those I described similarly got pregnant from the sub-standard insemination. So sometimes I get enough of the right stuff in close enough to the right place.
I lowered herd numbers a couple of seasons ago after a horrible year of calving problems after a tough winter and currently farming feels a lot more pleasant than it did closer to the edge.
My calculations for this year are 97% on heat in the first three weeks and 93% conception rate on once-only natural-heat insem over 30 cows/heifers.
Very good job! That was no small task, and you should be proud of that accomplishment!
