Heifer & Young Cow Breeding Problem

[Tennessee Cattleman]

I seem to be having a problem with my heifers & young cows getting bred & breeding late. In the past I have had very little problems with this issue with only 5% to 10% of heifers not breeding. This percentage has jumped to 20%-25% in the last 2-3 years. The only things that I can think of that has changed in my program is the feed and having more Red Angus blood in the herd. I changed the feed from ground corn to a mixture of 50% ground corn & 50% sweet feed (12% protein). I started using a Red Angus bull about 8 years ago and currently have 3 Red Angus bulls, all with a different sire/dame & background. The heifers & young cows look great with the heifers being turned with a bull at 15-16 months age. My older cows are calving like clock work.

 

[certherfbeef]

Are your heifers and young cows managed differently or do they all run together?

The mineral program would be the first place I'd look.

Do the same bulls service the older cows? If not...semen test the bulls with the heifers. Their "stuff" may not be getting the job done.

And, sometimes certian lines of certain breeds are just less fertile than others. If all else is in order...bull's "stuff" is good quality, heifers are not to fat, mineral program is dead on, and heifers are cyceling properly... cull hard for fertility

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

The heifers are managed seperately till the first calf is weaned. The bulls are used on the older cows with no problem. The heifers are in good shape but not overly fat. Could be problems in cycling or minerals. Rarely catch them cycling after bull is removed. Mineral program is the same as the older cows.

 

[randiliana]

Are your cows on a vaccination program? There are a lot of diseases out there that can cause them to abort early in their pregnancies, where you would not notice anything other than a lot of them coming up dry.

 

[milkmaid]

Are your cows on a vaccination program? There are a lot of diseases out there that can cause them to abort early in their pregnancies, where you would not notice anything other than a lot of them coming up dry.

Same thing I was thinking.

 

[msscamp]

The heifers are managed seperately till the first calf is weaned. The bulls are used on the older cows with no problem.

Although you don't say anything about how the younger cows are managed, since the heifers are managed differently than the older cows - whom you are having no problems with - I would venture to say it's a management problem.

 

[ENNOT]

They could be cystic. There are alot of factors that cause it, but certain lines are prone to it and alot of it has to do with feed. Next season you might try giving GnRH, like cystorelin, and lutalyse to see if that helps.

I worked on a place after college and we flushed quite a few cows. The place didn't have good grass all summer, so alot of hay and grain was fed. Some of those cows got overweight and we started getting alot of cysty cows. We rented some pasture from a neighbor and kind of let some of them slim down and that helped alot.

This is just a thought that comes to my mind when cattle aren't cycling real well. There could be several other reasons to why your percentage is getting so high on open cows.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I am thinking they are to fat.

 

[Grippie]

I am thinking they are to fat.

Thats the first thing that popped into my mind also...