Improving odds on AI?

[Anonymous]

After a few years of raising feeders we are trying to start a cow calf heard. we have 3 angus of breeding age. A 2yr old and 2 heffers [16 mo old]. The 2 yr old was AI'd on Sept 27th to a bull named Time Saver. the heffers to Hall of Fame,[the only ones the technician had]. I saw the 2 yr old in heat tonight, 19 days after she was "bred". My question is: Is there any way to increase the odds of getting her bred using AI? We really don't want a bull just yet, for a number of reasons. Thanks in advance

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[Anonymous]

Good AI technicians will run well over 85% first service conceptions, many approach 100%. If you have a good technician the real keys to succesfull AI is heat detection and having calm cattle. A nervous semi-goofy cow/heifer rarely takes. Heifers are frequently harder to settle because their heat cycles may not be consistant, i.e., the may not ovulate when common practice tells us she should. If the temperatures were in the 90's when she was bred or for a week or so after, that can also affect it. About the only way I can think of to up the odds would be to breed her when she is observed in heat then 12 hours later, if she still shows signs of being in standing heat 4 to 6 hours after that, breed her again. We have used AI 100% since 1968, only once have we had to cull a heifer because she wouldn't settle by the second service. We give them two chances, if they don't settle from the second breeding, down the road they go. That applies to cows or heifers. I have bred cows for some herds that the cows/heifers never settle to AI. Whether that is a heat detection problem or the animals disposition I've never figured out.

dunmovin farms

> After a few years of raising
> feeders we are trying to start a
> cow calf heard. we have 3 angus of
> breeding age. A 2yr old and 2
> heffers [16 mo old]. The 2 yr old
> was AI'd on Sept 27th to a bull
> named Time Saver. the heffers to
> Hall of Fame,[the only ones the
> technician had]. I saw the 2 yr
> old in heat tonight, 19 days after
> she was "bred". My
> question is: Is there any way to
> increase the odds of getting her
> bred using AI? We really don't
> want a bull just yet, for a number
> of reasons. Thanks in advance

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks dunmovin. The AI tech just left, If she still looks like she's in heat this afternoon/eve I'll call him again. She's runnin with some steers, so it's easy to tell. She's as calm as can be in the head gate as are all the angus cow/heffers. We use a 5 head dairy head gate and let them eat some grain in it ocasionally without latching it. I have a gate I hook on the end ones and we can squeeze them against the wall when we need to. She came with a calf at her side. I don't think the problem is her.

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[Anonymous]

> Good AI technicians will run well
> over 85% first service
> conceptions, many approach 100%.
> If you have a good technician the
> real keys to succesfull AI is heat
> detection and having calm cattle.
> A nervous semi-goofy cow/heifer
> rarely takes. Heifers are
> frequently harder to settle
> because their heat cycles may not
> be consistant, i.e., the may not
> ovulate when common practice tells
> us she should. If the temperatures
> were in the 90's when she was bred
> or for a week or so after, that
> can also affect it. About the only
> way I can think of to up the odds
> would be to breed her when she is
> observed in heat then 12 hours
> later, if she still shows signs of
> being in standing heat 4 to 6
> hours after that, breed her again.
> We have used AI 100% since 1968,
> only once have we had to cull a
> heifer because she wouldn't settle
> by the second service. We give
> them two chances, if they don't
> settle from the second breeding,
> down the road they go. That
> applies to cows or heifers. I have
> bred cows for some herds that the
> cows/heifers never settle to AI.
> Whether that is a heat detection
> problem or the animals disposition
> I've never figured out.

> dunmovin farms Are you using any heat synchronization in your program? If so are you satisfided with the results? Thanks Al.

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[Anonymous]

Just because she had a calf there may still be problems but the odds are against it. She may be just subfertile, you don't know how many times she had to be bred to settle before this. She could have a very minor infection that could cause problems also. That being said, sometimes cows just don't always settle even if things are perfect. Bulls don't settle every cow the service either. No synch program, my arm gets too tired if I breed a bunch at the same time. I bred 37 head in one go at a local dairy, I'll never do that again. I also don't like to run them through the chute or pasture head catch more then is necessary, just a personal thing. Since we only give them one bite at the apple, even if the first cow bred doeasn't settle to the first service it only means about a 45 day calving season.

dunmovin farms

> Thanks dunmovin. The AI tech just
> left, If she still looks like
> she's in heat this afternoon/eve
> I'll call him again. She's runnin
> with some steers, so it's easy to
> tell. She's as calm as can be in
> the head gate as are all the angus
> cow/heffers. We use a 5 head dairy
> head gate and let them eat some
> grain in it ocasionally without
> latching it. I have a gate I hook
> on the end ones and we can squeeze
> them against the wall when we need
> to. She came with a calf at her
> side. I don't think the problem is
> her.

 

[Anonymous]

>Your right about the calf, things aren't always what they seem. The steers showed no interest in her this PM. Hopefully it "took". {spent the day preparing for snow and cold we're expecting tomorrow} {UGH}Thanks again

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[Anonymous]

The best way to increase your AI results is to make sure your teck is very skilled, synchronize females heat, and critical heat detection, make sure semen is good. All these things as well as having the cattle in good body condition will improve preg. rate. CIDR's are great for synchronizing, it has been our prefered method for over the last 5 years. Visit our web site's links page to learn more about CIDR's <A HREF="http://www.kemilimousin.com" TARGET="_blank">www.kemilimousin.com</A>

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