Holstein AI

[Double R Ranch]

I know there's some mighty wise dairy breeders here. Hopefully I can pick your brain for a minute. :help:
Is there a specific trick to getting Holstein heifers to settle via AI?
Do they synchronize like beef cattle?
Cidr co-sync and TAI the same as for beef cattle?
Do they start cycling later than beef heifers?
What's your experience and what's your methods.
Thank you I'm advance!

 

[Buck Randall]

Holstein heifers generally aren't too difficult to settle. Most people around here just give lute shots to open heifers every 14 days and breed to standing heats. Heat detection is usually easy; dairy heifers ride like crazy. 60-75% conception rates are pretty common. They'll be cycling reliably by 12-13 months with good nutrition, but their nutritional requirements are higher than beef breeds.

If you want to do timed AI a 5 day CIDR co-synch is the way to go.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Thanks!
Have a 15 month old. She has had at least one good strong standing heat which is why I knew she was cycling. Haven't seen another standing since.
Synchronized her 7 day Co-sync with my beef heifers. Never showed heat. Bred her TAI at 72 hours. She didn't take. Didn't show any reheats for what would have been several cycles (confirmed open via blood work) so synchronized her again with no sign of standing heat. Did have tone and discharge this TAI and was wilder than she normally is so I bred her again TAI. Just not feeling like she's "right" and settling. Everything internal is correct. Just wondering if there's a major difference.
Maybe I'll try the lute every 14 days once I confirm open this round. See if I can catch a standing again. I've bred Holsteins before with no problem. Didn't know if I just got lucky.
Thanks again!

 

[Buck Randall]

The 7 day co-synch might be part of the problem. It's been a while since I took reproductive physiology, but the follicular waves are different in heifers than they are in cows, which can lead to more variability in their response to synch protocols designed for cows. Your heifer is probably one that doesn't respond well, especially if her natural cycle has been hard to pin down. TAI is more effective when you shorten to a 5 day CIDR co-synch in heifers.

It sounds like you have the ability to do a good job with the lute and heat detection, so I think you'll have the best luck with that.

 

[Dsth]

It has been several years since I have bred Holsteins heifers. I was told at my AI training that virgin heifers should be the easiest animals to settle. When I bred my own Holsteins, it was all natural heats since all this synch technology wasn't really around that I know of. at least I don't remember covering it. I now breed my own beef cattle. I agree with Buck's post. I have noticed that some cows/heifers don't seem to respond well to hormone treatment. I sometimes need to back off and let them cycle naturally to notice a good heat cycle. those animals seem to settle pretty well when cycled naturally and AI on standing heat. The problem is that they are generally later calving than the rest of the group. I also agree with earlier reply that Holstein heifers require a better feed ration to grow and cycle as expected.

 

[Ky hills]

I know there's some mighty wise dairy breeders here. Hopefully I can pick your brain for a minute. :help:
Is there a specific trick to getting Holstein heifers to settle via AI?
Do they synchronize like beef cattle?
Cidr co-sync and TAI the same as for beef cattle?
Do they start cycling later than beef heifers?
What's your experience and what's your methods.
Thank you I'm advance!

Have a friend that ran a dairy for years, and was 100% AI for several decades. We were discussing AI success rates and he told me that once he had some heifers he couldn't get settled, his vet recommended chelated minerals. I would think that breeding after observed standing heat would yield better results than TAI, if that is an option.

 

[TexasBred]

I know there's some mighty wise dairy breeders here. Hopefully I can pick your brain for a minute. :help:
Is there a specific trick to getting Holstein heifers to settle via AI?
Do they synchronize like beef cattle?
Cidr co-sync and TAI the same as for beef cattle?
Do they start cycling later than beef heifers?
What's your experience and what's your methods.
Thank you I'm advance!

Have a friend that ran a dairy for years, and was 100% AI for several decades. We were discussing AI success rates and he told me that once he had some heifers he couldn't get settled, his vet recommended chelated minerals. I would think that breeding after observed standing heat would yield better results than TAI, if that is an option.

Wife bred all our dairy cattle for 10 years and had a phenomenal success rate. All done on observed heat most of the time which mean some long days and nights from time to time. Success rate is usually directly proportional to the skill and patience of the AI tech.

 

[Double R Ranch]

The 7 day co-synch might be part of the problem. It's been a while since I took reproductive physiology, but the follicular waves are different in heifers than they are in cows, which can lead to more variability in their response to synch protocols designed for cows. Your heifer is probably one that doesn't respond well, especially if her natural cycle has been hard to pin down. TAI is more effective when you shorten to a 5 day CIDR co-synch in heifers.

It sounds like you have the ability to do a good job with the lute and heat detection, so I think you'll have the best luck with that.

By 5 day your saying same protocol as 7 just pull cidr at day 5 instead. That's easy enough to give a go.
I never really have any issues with heifers. I prefer to get them on a natural heat but this heifer just isn't showing them and no one in the herd is even acknowledging her heats which makes me wonder what's going on with her. I am wondering if it's nutrition related. I don't "extra" feed. Maybe this is one that needs that extra feed to make it happen.
I'll give a 5 day a try. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Double R Ranch]

It has been several years since I have bred Holsteins heifers. I was told at my AI training that virgin heifers should be the easiest animals to settle. When I bred my own Holsteins, it was all natural heats since all this synch technology wasn't really around that I know of. at least I don't remember covering it. I now breed my own beef cattle. I agree with Buck's post. I have noticed that some cows/heifers don't seem to respond well to hormone treatment. I sometimes need to back off and let them cycle naturally to notice a good heat cycle. those animals seem to settle pretty well when cycled naturally and AI on standing heat. The problem is that they are generally later calving than the rest of the group. I also agree with earlier reply that Holstein heifers require a better feed ration to grow and cycle as expected.

The plan is to use her for a nurse cow. That's why she's still here. May be rethinking this plan at this point. I've bred Holsteins before with no issues but not a lot of them. They didn't require any special treatment. I will probably try a feed ration and see if she will show a natural heat.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Double R Ranch]

Have a friend that ran a dairy for years, and was 100% AI for several decades. We were discussing AI success rates and he told me that once he had some heifers he couldn't get settled, his vet recommended chelated minerals. I would think that breeding after observed standing heat would yield better results than TAI, if that is an option.

Thanks! I'll ask around about this. Definitely standing heat would be preferable and if she would show one without sync I would go that route. Unfortunately she's only shown one then not a single one more. Starting to question nutritional issues with her.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Double R Ranch]

Wife bred all our dairy cattle for 10 years and had a phenomenal success rate. All done on observed heat most of the time which mean some long days and nights from time to time. Success rate is usually directly proportional to the skill and patience of the AI tech.

I would prefer her to just cycle naturally and get her bred that way. That would be the easiest. Sadly she just isn't showing natural heats. Been heat detecting her on pasture for multiple cycles with nothing. And I'm one who over checks for HD. That's why I've tried synchronizing her. She's about out of chances at this point. None of my herd gets this many chances. I just really wanted her as a nurse cow.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Ky hills]

I know there's some mighty wise dairy breeders here. Hopefully I can pick your brain for a minute. :help:
Is there a specific trick to getting Holstein heifers to settle via AI?
Do they synchronize like beef cattle?
Cidr co-sync and TAI the same as for beef cattle?
Do they start cycling later than beef heifers?
What's your experience and what's your methods.
Thank you I'm advance!

Have a friend that ran a dairy for years, and was 100% AI for several decades. We were discussing AI success rates and he told me that once he had some heifers he couldn't get settled, his vet recommended chelated minerals. I would think that breeding after observed standing heat would yield better results than TAI, if that is an option.

Wife bred all our dairy cattle for 10 years and had a phenomenal success rate. All done on observed heat most of the time which mean some long days and nights from time to time. Success rate is usually directly proportional to the skill and patience of the AI tech.

Agreed, back when we were AI beef cows by observed heat, we had at the least 85%. The key I think was that we had a local AI tech that was willing to come as needed twice a day sometimes. I would watch them for at least a half hour real early of a morning, and then the same before dark. We would breed the ones that showed heat in the morning that evening around 12 hours later, and the evening heats the next morning. That was done with a 2 rounds of Lutalyse I forget how many days apart now, and then I started watching them close a couple days after the second round of Lutalyse. With the new protocols of TAI and Cidrs, we did so poorly that I quit bothering with AI.

 

[darcelina4]

Have you done a free Martin test on her? Is she a bigger heifer? I'd spend the $25 on the test before I'd waste anymore semen on her.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Have you done a free Martin test on her? Is she a bigger heifer? I'd spend the $25 on the test before I'd waste anymore semen on her.

No free Martin test. Normal size heifer but a bit lean. All is normal inside and she has already had a standing heat.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Update on the Holstein this post was about.
First off thank you very much to all who commented!
This heifer has been on custom feed for about a month now. She was due to cycle Wednesday if she was in and didn't take when she was TAI'd. She's in standing heat this PM. So the short 5 day sync looks like that would have done the trick and the extra feed/nutrition has allowed for a shown standing heat.
We've decided that it's just too hot to be breeding her at this point in the year (113* today) and the added feed cost is silly for a non productive "future" nurse cow. We will loose our wallet if we take her to market so we're looking into our options but we've decided one way or another she will go.
I've settle Holsteins fine before. This one stumped me and it has been quite a while since I've bred one. Definitely never had to pour the feed to one to get it to breed. Will be looking into options for a nurse cow in the future but the smartest thing at this point is to cut our losses. We have a fair amount of $ into her and she's rather wild considering she's halter broke and all.
Again! Thank you all for the advice and suggestions! Much appreciated!