Lost Cidr

[BAR_R]

We had one cow lose a Cidr at some point. I guess it is my fault for not observing more closely…I have a ton of excuses if you want to hear them. Anyway, I was so pissed I just let her go w/o the Estrumate shot. I thought that at this late date I would just let the bull have her. I had her in a holding area for the evening knowing I needed to run her through the shoot this morning and I checked that to see if she might have expelled it in there but no luck. I knew I should have penned her and calf up for the week. Lesson learned there.

Now that I am dry, (it was raining like hell) I was thinking I should have given her the shot, have the tech come out, AI and hope for the best. She was my last cow and I already had the rest done at one once a couple of weeks ago. I was pulling the Cidrs and giving shots on my own (this is our first time AI ing at the farm) so I did not have any one handy to quiz. My buddy was there but he said he would just turn the bull in w/her. I have resolved to go to AI school in the fall so I can do the AI work on my timetable for next year!

I guess my questions are:

1. What would my chances have been not knowing when the cidr fell out to get her to stick on the 66 hour cycle?
2. Would it have been worth while to have the procedure done anyway?
3. What are the percentage differences in a natural service (young bull semen checked for fertility) and a timed AI?

 

[redcowsrule33]

Had it happen to me once, figured it wasn't a whole lot different than Ov-synch/Co-synch, gave her the Lutalyse shot on schedule and she came in heat right along with the rest of 'em and bred. I did breed based on an observed heat though; I have better luck with breeding observed heats and then doing TAI on non-responders. Strict TAI will have lower conception rates than natural service; however your overall pregnancy rate at the end of the breeding season should be similar as you will have one more heat cycle advantage over non-synched cows.

 

[Keren]

FWIW, I dip the tails of the CIDRs in fluro pink paint and let them dry before I insert them ... makes it easy to tell at a glance and from a distance who still has theirs in ... and makes it easier to find one on the ground. I have spent hours looking for a lost CIDR

 

[Willow Springs]

Make sure it actually fell out. I had a cow a couple years ago that made hers dissapear only to have it show up a month later sticking out of her vulva; not so good for fertility. I dug around pretty good looking for it but should've palpated her to feel for it.

 

[Cattleman200]

Yes you need to put her in the chute and check her. I recently set up 23 recips and two appeared to lose their CIDR`s when I was removing them. Both were inside the cows.

Circle H Ranch

 

[BAR_R]

I did go inside her to check for the cidr. I guess I left that out of the orginal post. I went to the aft vaginal wall and felt the cervix; at that point i figured it could not be in there.

This is an older cow that had twins this year. Not long after she had them I noticed she would gape open quite a bit when she urinated or layed down. I was woried about a prolapse issue then. So I guess if I had to bet on one of the cows expelling the cidr I would have bet on her.

 

[redcowsrule33]

Yes you need to put her in the chute and check her. I recently set up 23 recips and two appeared to lose their CIDR`s when I was removing them. Both were inside the cows.

Palpated a cow for a guy for pregnancy once, still had the CIDR in her. Scary part was his AI technician bred the cow with the CIDR in and never caught it. Makes me wonder about his skills, it'd be like getting past an elephant to put your key in the lock and never seeing the elephant....

We actually cut the tails off the CIDR's so only about 4-6" hang out as we have had other cows pull them out (curiosity). No problems finding them, haven't lost one since we started that.

 

[novaman]

I would have went ahead and gave her the shot. You were that far along, may as well given her the shot and see what happens. You are only out a couple buck if it doesn't work. Observed heat is far better than TAI. I've tried TAI and had very poor results.

 

[edrsimms]

Make sure it is really lost ---I have had to delve in past the elbow into a cow chasing down a CIDR --- dont worry ya cant use a glove and it all washes off