Heat Watch

[txag]

does anyone use the HeatWatch heat detection system? if so, what is your opinion of it? pros & cons?

 

[Ann Bledsoe]

does anyone use the HeatWatch heat detection system? if so, what is your opinion of it? pros & cons?

If that's the one that electronically records mounts, the instructor at the AI class that I took talked about it. The biggest problem that KSU had was with animals playing with the sensor, showing a mount when there wasn't one. The sensors would slide a bit out of place and then penmates would press their nose to it, triggering it.

Ann B

 

[eric]

Seems there was a post in one of the other boards about this recently, you might want to do a check , but I recall hearing that it can get quite expensive for a large herd. Does'nt it run like $400-$500 for the processor, and then each sensor is about $50? Is that about right? Not much if you have about 10-15 cows, but can run into some real $$ if you have a large herd, and I also seem to remember the poster stating that you should plan on replacing about 1/4 of them each yr due to damage/loss.

 

[txag]

does anyone use the HeatWatch heat detection system? if so, what is your opinion of it? pros & cons?

If that's the one that electronically records mounts, the instructor at the AI class that I took talked about it. The biggest problem that KSU had was with animals playing with the sensor, showing a mount when there wasn't one. The sensors would slide a bit out of place and then penmates would press their nose to it, triggering it.

Ann B

yes, it's the electronic one. i wouldn't see the nosing being a problem because the computer records mounts & for how long. unless they kept their noses on it for the length of a standing mount, it would just look like a jump & not a standing mount. as for sliding off, that could be a problem.