heifer development

[plbcattle]

what is your protocol for developing replacment heifers that you keep from weaning until time they calf for the first time.

 

[dun]

After a 30-45 day weaning period they're turned back into the cow herd and are treated just like the rest of the herd. If they don;t make it to breeding size/quality on straight forage they grow wheels. Haven't had one do that in many years. Oops, just remembered one that cycled for the first time at 15 months so we put her on feed to butcher and she cycled agin at 17 months just beofre buthering her. Don;t think that was amanagment problem as much as an individual animal problem.

dun

 

[The Big Kahuna]

We separate the heifers we plan to keep at weaning time and put them into a pasture that is mostly kikuyu grass. It is understocked so that they have plenty to graze if we get adequate rainfall. They remain there until they are bred and then released with our main herd to fend.

 

[eric]

Dun, I know you AI your cows, but how many breeding age bulls do you have, either for clean up or actual breeding? If only one breeding age bull, do you seperate him? Reason for asking: I am planning on keeping 3 calves, born in March '05, for additions to herd. I have a bull, who is breeding all my other cows (9) at this time. When I wean the calves in October/November, my plan was to keep the calves in a smaller pasture until next spring, at which time the cows should have their next calves and the '05 calves should be ready for breeding.

What would be more beneficial.....keeping the (3) calves in the small pasture, by themselves, away from the bull and their mamas.....or

putting the calves back with the cows after a couple months weaning period and putting the bull in the pasture by himself?

 

[bigbull338]

well im not dun .but i can answer your question. id put the 3 heifers your going to breed cpme spring in the small pasture. an leave them there till your ready to breed them. then move them in with the cows. scott

 

[dun]

Dun, I know you AI your cows, but how many breeding age bulls do you have, either for clean up or actual breeding? If only one breeding age bull, do you seperate him? Reason for asking: I am planning on keeping 3 calves, born in March '05, for additions to herd. I have a bull, who is breeding all my other cows (9) at this time. When I wean the calves in October/November, my plan was to keep the calves in a smaller pasture until next spring, at which time the cows should have their next calves and the '05 calves should be ready for breeding.

What would be more beneficial.....keeping the (3) calves in the small pasture, by themselves, away from the bull and their mamas.....or

putting the calves back with the cows after a couple months weaning period and putting the bull in the pasture by himself?

Besides doing the first AI service, I'm also the cleanup bull. We use the 2 strikes rule. If they don;t settle to AI service by the second service they grow wheels. This year we havew one that will be growing wheels. Coincidentally she twinned this year and the last one that didn;t settle to AI was about 3-4 years ago, she also had twinned. Their condition was very good but they just wouldn;t settle.
If we used a bull for anything, I'ld keep him sperate from the cows except during a 45 day breeding season. The heifers I'ld turn back into the main cow herd. You probably don;t care, but my reasoning is that if they;re seperate theres a chance and tendency to feed them a little better then the cows. If a weaned heifer can;t grow to breeding size by yearling time on just forage she doesn;t need a home here.

dun

 

[ollie]

I don't want to steal the thread but Dun you have unusual success at AI. I had an old friend of mine who bred 19 in a row before he had one come back in heat. That was on fescue as well. He believed in putting the semen just inside each uterine horn. Do you deposit the semen just past the last ring on the cervix or do you suscribe to his theory?

 

[dun]

I don't want to steal the thread but Dun you have unusual success at AI. I had an old friend of mine who bred 19 in a row before he had one come back in heat. That was on fescue as well. He believed in putting the semen just inside each uterine horn. Do you deposit the semen just past the last ring on the cervix or do you suscribe to his theory?

Just inside the uterus. I figure it's the little guys job to get up the horns and fertilize the egg.
This was a horrible year and the neighbor is gloating. We ended up at 80% first service conceptions, way below our norm. When I talked to the ABS guy and he said he's not doing too well this year either and from what the vet said apparently neither are the bulls.

dun

 

[ollie]

12 Hrs out of first standing heat?

 

[dun]

12 Hrs out of first standing heat?

12 hours from observed standing heat. But it's not that precise. If I see them standing before noon I breed that night, after noon and I breed the next morning.

dun

 

[ollie]

Do you thaw your semen in a water bath or under your arm.

 

[preston39]

I don't want to steal the thread but Dun you have unusual success at AI. I had an old friend of mine who bred 19 in a row before he had one come back in heat. That was on fescue as well. He believed in putting the semen just inside each uterine horn. Do you deposit the semen just past the last ring on the cervix or do you suscribe to his theory?

ollie,
Just for clarification...are you saying at each AI'ing he deposited semen in both uterine horns in one trip?..or two trips putting semen in each uterine horn?

 

[dun]

Do you thaw your semen in a water bath or under your arm.

The stuff from Genex we pocket thaw, all others are warm water thawed. It used to be a lot more difficult because each stud had a different that temp. Now we warm water thaw at 98. Ampules used to be so much simpler because they were all ice bath thawed and ice water is pretty consistant in temp.

dun

 

[ollie]

Preston , he would deposit half a straw of semen in the front of one horn then back out and deposit the rest in the other.