Lutolyse good or bad?

[fnfarms1]

So to try to tighten up calving etc I've used Lutolyse the last 3 years. However I feel like I've hurt myself. We've been having open cows still. It's not bulls because I've used different ones.

For example this year I had 2 bulls out with 41 cows. I shot 15 cows with the Lutolyse. We ended up with 7 open. Of those 7, 4 of them were given Lutolyse and never bred. 2 of the 7 had good excuses for not breeding. Opinions?

Side note, in the past I was shooting 5-7 cows at a time and doing them all. This year I got lazy and did 15 at once, I could understand some being later but not flat laying out. This year I even fed more feed than normal 15 days ahead of bull turn out and 45days after trying to ensure nutrition. All breeding is natural service.

 

[Turkeybird]

Could they be bred when you administer the lut?,( bull in yr round)?

 

[Nesikep]

There's a kinda rule, never have an even number of bulls with the cows.. especially 2.. they do more fighting than breeding.

For nutrition, I'd check your minerals, especially if you're noticing the higher producing cows are coming up open.. Selenium, copper, phosphorus, etc at all important. it was the best $100 I ever spent!

 

[elkwc]

There's a kinda rule, never have an even number of bulls with the cows.. especially 2.. they do more fighting than breeding.

For nutrition, I'd check your minerals, especially if you're noticing the higher producing cows are coming up open.. Selenium, copper, phosphorus, etc at all important. it was the best $100 I ever spent!

Nesi I've never heard that rule. We have run 2 bulls a lot and always knock on wood have had very good conception rates.

 

[Ebenezer]

Why do you need the crutch? Already a long breeding season without? Might be the problem already existed as proved that you had a breeding season that you thought was too long?

 

[Coosh71]

We lutylase first calf heifers (2 rounds/2 weeksapart), before putting the bull on. We have had great results in getting them all bred. Example...2 years ago kept 10 heifers, 100% bred in 45 days and 8 calved the first week of their calving schedule. Heifers we're 800# at breeding and were given pregguard a couple months before breeding. I don't know that lute would keep your cows from cycling. Never heard of it doing g that, just the opposite.

 

[kenny thomas]

Look for other issues. If they are not coming in heat before the lute shot it won't help. If they are coming in it's hard to tighten them up closer than the 21 days between heats. Again I stress, lute will not bring them in heat if they aren't coming in before.

 

[fnfarms1]

I wrote a reply to all your comments. Not sure why it didn't post. Here goes again
I've always used 2 bulls. Hoped to help tighten my season and insurance against one getting hurt. Last year I used 3 due to buying 2 young bulls, I kept my old bull and ran all 3. My season used to be 120-150days. It's now 85-90days depending when I can pull bulls out etc around my work schedule. My bulls aren't in year round. May13th-Aug5th this year. Last year May15th-Sept 1st

My mineral is Cargill Right Now. I feel it's a quality mineral. I've also been giving Multimin 90 in spring.

I realize them being bred is possible when shots were given due to neighbor bulls. Not probable due to never having seen bulls in my pasture. Not the usual for them to visit and get back over fence without fence damage or being seen. My bulls went out same day as shots given, May 13th.

In the past I have culled open cows at time I sell calves and they all go to town. This year I've turned bulls back out and will sell those 7 opens as bred cows in the spring to try to recoup some $. Knowing I'll have some cost in keeping them, but cows are cheap right now.

I only give the 1 shot. I know AI guys do 2 shots. First to sync them, second to bring in heat. My vet said worst case would be delaying them 30days if I hit their heat cycle bad. I'm not even sure the shot was the cause. 15 out of 41 cows were given Lutolyse, 7 opens out of 41.
2 of the 7 opens I feel had a reason (1 first calver, 1 calved after bulls were up). 4 of the other 5 opens were given Lutolyse.

 

[kenny thomas]

Again the only thing lute does to an open cow is changing the heat cycle. It won't bring them in unless they are cycling already.

 

[fnfarms1]

Again the only thing lute does to an open cow is changing the heat cycle. It won't bring them in unless they are cycling already.

So your saying sounds like there's a different issue? Not cycling at all? Seems if that's the case then culling is a definite.

 

[Nesikep]

Mineral is specific to your geographic location.. a "quality mineral" that's not formulated for your needs can worsen some problems
Most people around here need a high Calcium to phosphorus ratio.. everyone looks at me funny when I say I give a 1:2 Ca mineral... I'm really low on phosphorus, copper and selenium here.

 

[fnfarms1]

I'll look into that. Dumb question but would a soil sample help? How do I find what I need?

I had it in my first post that didn't post. 3 of the open cows had my first calves. Were part of a 10 cow group I bought and raised some huge calves (biggest in my herd). But didn't rebreed.
Their calves were 4mths old at shot/bull turnout and still didn't breed back.

 

[kenny thomas]

Like you said earlier I typed a good reply and didn't get it posted.
Sometime a really good milking heifer will not breed back well. The process of them milking good and still growing is more than they can handle without a lot of suppliments. We shouldn't but I usually give them a second chance.

 

[bse]

Try giving a shot of gnrh. Before bull turnout instead of pg(lute)

 

[fnfarms1]

Try giving a shot of gnrh. Before bull turnout instead of pg(lute)

What is that?
Also only 1 of the opens was a first calver

 

[bse]

It's cysterelin or factryl,

 

[wbvs58]

You need to increase the feed a lot more than 15 days prior to get a good rising plain of nutrition.

Ken