heifer in standing heat 24+ hours

[jpj]

Hello,
Trying to AI a heifer that seems to have a long standing heat cycle. First time AI'd 12 hours after first sign of standing heat (used CIDR and Lutalyse protocol to bring into heat). She then came into heat 18 days later and then again AI'd 12 hours after first standing heat and noticed she was still standing after being AI's so AI'd again at another 12 hours. Now again at 18 days she is in standing heat. Now we are just heat detecting her to see what is going on and she is still standing after 24 hours. Going to put a CIDR in again after a week. Any suggestions as to what time frame we should AI this heifer for the third time.

Thanks

 

[MikeC]

Hello,
Trying to AI a heifer that seems to have a long standing heat cycle. First time AI'd 12 hours after first sign of standing heat (used CIDR and Lutalyse protocol to bring into heat). She then came into heat 18 days later and then again AI'd 12 hours after first standing heat and noticed she was still standing after being AI's so AI'd again at another 12 hours. Now again at 18 days she is in standing heat. Now we are just heat detecting her to see what is going on and she is still standing after 24 hours. Going to put a CIDR in again after a week. Any suggestions as to what time frame we should AI this heifer for the third time.

Thanks

Don't understand why you would put another CIDR in her. You already know when she's cycling.
I had a heifer that seemed like she was ALWAYS in heat. Sometimes lasted as long as yours. (24 hrs.) She never did breed through AI or the bull.
Here - 2 times AI and with the bull for a cycle. She takes a ride if not caught by then.

 

[Farminlund]

Since she is cycling, not much needed on your part other than to monitor her. If she stands again, try a later breeding, around 20-22 hrs if possible. Her longer standing period is not an indication of a later release of the egg (standing length & the egg release are actually not directly related - only the start is common to both), but if the heat of the summer is taking its toll on the sperm, the later deposit of semem may improve the chances of fertilization.

We have move to latter breeding for the summer recently for these reasons, however, I can not give you any definative statistics realitive to its success at this time. One seems to have caught while another may soon be standing - ie I see clear discharge.

Hope this helps - give it a try, it can't hurt.

 

[dj]

tell her it's take or steak time and introduce her to the bull next door

 

[Dee]

maybe I am way off here, but, is she a "show" heifer, or halter broke? Last year I was convinced my halter broke heifer was open, since she always seemed to be standing. She was just too tame, and used to being messed with. We always have trouble heat detecting the halter broke ones.

 

[jpj]

Yes, she is my daughter's show heifer. After the show season she is keeping them to start a small herd of shorthorns. So we cannot ship her out, and also there is no bull next door so that won't work either. She is definately standing because we have her out with two steers and another heifer every night and it is very easy to tell when she comes into heat. Going to put a cidr in just to sync with two more we want to AI the same weekend so we can watch all of them very closely. I read both ways that they ovulate 10 hours after they stop standing and also 30 hours after start of standing heat. Don't know which is more correct. Also heard that the heat might be affecting the sperm, it has been 90+ for a few weeks now. We AI'd two last year using the CIDR's and everything went like clockwork. This year so far two and it looks like one settled. This heifer is definately has a much longer standing heat then the others, so I thought maybe are timing is off with her.

Thanks for the replys.

 

[certherfbeef]

I would guess that she is cystic. IF you are positive she is open try a shot of furgatil(sp?) or the equivilant. Breed on the next standing heat.

Or give her a shot of GnRH when you breed her again.

Just curious, who is your vet?

One more comment, if you are showing in a P.A.C.E. show, she has to be safe in calf at a certain age to qualify. Otherwise, I might cut back on the feed and concentrate on getting her to settle. Maybe just shucking off some weight will make a world of difference.

 

[milkmaid]

Also heard that the heat might be affecting the sperm, it has been 90+ for a few weeks now.

It may be different with beef cattle, but I know dairy cows don't breed back very well when it gets hot out. Heat stress. Same when the temperatures go down to -20F.

 

[cowpunk'd]

My a.i tech has been very succesfull at settling my cows, we time it like so: if the cow is standing in the p.m, I give him a call that night. I watch her the following morning and if she is quiet we a.i when I get home from work around 5 p.m. I have had cows still standing the following morning, the tech does not want to a.i to early. He wants her quiet, if she is standing we wait. But I breed on natural heats which are more fertile then induced heats, and it doesn't get that hot here.

 

[certherfbeef]

jpj,

I posed your problem to my embryologist. Here is his solution, I will also post it in a private message for you.

Here is his reply to a copy of your post:

The first several times you bred her, she most likely just failed to ovulate on time or early enough for the semen to get her.

From last week to now, I would lay odds she has gone cyctic, now you have some problems to deal with.

If she was in heat, then had discharge for a week and is in again now, she deffinately has failed to ovulate at all -- and has developed a cyst.

You need get give her a 1.5 to 2 times normal dose of cystorelin or equivelant. Let her go on her own until she shows heat again, breed as normal (LATER in the heat) and give another dose at breeding. If this is not done, she MAY stay cycticfor a long time. Being a show hfr, she is probably pretty heavy too, that is NOT helping you at all.

Good luck to you jpj

 

[Farminlund]

jpj,

From last week to now, I would lay odds she has gone cyctic, now you have some problems to deal with.

If she was in heat, then had discharge for a week and is in again now, she deffinately has failed to ovulate at all -- and has developed a cyst.

You need get give her a 1.5 to 2 times normal dose of cystorelin or equivelant. Let her go on her own until she shows heat again, breed as normal (LATER in the heat) and give another dose at breeding. If this is not done, she MAY stay cycticfor a long time. Being a show hfr, she is probably pretty heavy too, that is NOT helping you at all. [/i]

What is the reason for developing the cyst?

The original post did not mention the discharge for a week but I assume this is an indication of a cyst & no ovulation - correct?

The hfr is standing on a regualar 18 day cycle is that normal for an animal with a cyst (ie a shorter cycle)?

If not given this shot (cystorelin) will she not recover from the cyst in a timely manner? How long does it take w/o the shot?

The reasons for all the questions is that I currently have a hfr in roughly the same situation - hot weather & no luck in 3 tries - going to give her one more chance this winter, then either freezer or the sale barn. She's out of a good line & has excellent frame so I want to keep her.

I had a hfr a couple yrs back that wouldn't breed during the winter (unusual), gave her a second chance the following summer, she settled & bred back very quickly this summer - so you never really know how things are going to work out over the long haul (I would have bet she would be problematic to get rebred while nursing her first calf during the summer heat).

 

[dun]

If she is cycling every 18 days and is only standing for roughly 8-12 hours that is all normal. The long duration of standing heats or rapid return to heat is usually a sign of being cystic.
We had the same problems in May & June getting cows to settle and it was determined to be a heat (outside temperature) thing. Even the bulls are having a hard time getting cows to settle this year.

dun

 

[Ann Bledsoe]

Excess heat will at the time of breeding can cause semen death, excess heat can also cause early embryonic death.
(if the cow's body temp goes above a certain point in those first few days after breeding there will be no pregnancy)

Ann B

 

[MikeC]

Excess heat will at the time of breeding can cause semen death, excess heat can also cause early embryonic death.
(if the cow's body temp goes above a certain point in those first few days after breeding there will be no pregnancy)

Ann B

Robertsonian Translocation 1/29 will cause cattle to abort early also.

But I agree with Dun, she's probably cystic.

 

[dun]

Robertsonian Translocation 1/29 will cause cattle to abort early also.

Not many of us raising Argentine creole cattle though

dun

 

[MikeC]

Robertsonian Translocation 1/29 will cause cattle to abort early also.

Not many of us raising Argentine creole cattle though
dun

We have to test for it to get semen into Canada. These are not Argentine cattle either.

 

[dun]

Robertsonian Translocation 1/29 will cause cattle to abort early also.

Not many of us raising Argentine creole cattle though
dun

We have to test for it to get semen into Canada. These are not Argentine cattle either.

I guess that makes sense to somebody. I had only recently heard about it and it was only in cattle descended from spanish cattle. But that may be old research

dun

 

[MikeC]

Robertsonian Translocation 1/29 will cause cattle to abort early also.

Not many of us raising Argentine creole cattle though
dun

We have to test for it to get semen into Canada. These are not Argentine cattle either.

I guess that makes sense to somebody. I had only recently heard about it and it was only in cattle descended from spanish cattle. But that may be old research
dun

I'm not that versed on it either,Dun. I talked to a Dr. at U. Cal Davis that did my testing and he told me that Simmental was the prevalent breed in the U.S. for it.
Still, it's pretty rare. I think he said only 1 out of a hundred? Or may have been one out of 200?