natural heat versus synch

[trappersteve]

Plan on taking an AI course in January and was gonna try to learn as much as possible and was wondering if conception rate is better on synchronized cows or natural heat?

 

[Kscattle]

Natural heat is better but chances are you won't catch/see all your cows in natural heat. That why people sync them, to breed more cows, natural heat your cows might come in heat at night or while your working, etc. some cows get rode hard for hours, some cows get rode just a few times.

 

[cow pollinater]

Your conception is better on natural heats but cows that are cycling well enough for you to catch in heat will also be the ones that are a sure bet if you sync them plus you'll get a few that you would most likely not have seen a heat on.
I think the real benefit to syncronization is that it makes everything easy enough that people will AI year after year. You can drive yourself batty trying to track heats all through breeding season. It just makes it so much easier to run everyone through the chute a few times on a set schedule and be done with it.

 

[boondocks]

Plan on taking an AI course in January and was gonna try to learn as much as possible and was wondering if conception rate is better on synchronized cows or natural heat?

Hi Trapper,
Mind sharing a link to the course you're considering (or the name)? I'm looking to get trained so am trying to get all the options on the table. There were a few this fall I couldn't make.
thanks!

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

You can drive yourself batty trying to track heats all through breeding season. It just makes it so much easier to run everyone through the chute a few times on a set schedule and be done with it.

I agree with cow pollinator, if you have dairy cows that you are around everyday most of the day watching for natural heats might work great. At the dairy we use tail chalk and it works great. With our beef, we do some heat detectors and it works good. But, groups that are on pasture we will sync, just because we cant watch them and bring them in at many different times, they are synched once and sent back out with the clean up bulls.

With that said, I do like ai'ing on natural heats, just seems things are more "toned up", and is easier, but of course this is not true every time. Also, I like the time we spend with the herd watching for heats, we notice a lot of things we probably would miss otherwise. I think it really depends on your situation mostly and labor/facilities available.

 

[trappersteve]

Boondocks sent you a pm!


Cowgirl I have only a few heifers and a cow and I spend more time with them than I spend with the old lady so that's why I was wondering. I have caught almost all their heats and wrote them down so I know pretty much when their coming in again that's one reason im taking the AI course

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

Cowgirl I have only a few heifers and a cow and I spend more time with them than I spend with the old lady so that's why I was wondering. I have caught almost all their heats and wrote them down so I know pretty much when their coming in again that's one reason im taking the AI course

Steve, AI'ing is defiantly for you! Sounds like you have a pretty good plan taking shape. Good luck, and dont be discouraged at first when you start ai'ing. I know I was like what the .... the first few I tried in class, but with time the light bulb will come on and oh yeah this aint so bad. Oh, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that leaves my significant other to spend time with my cows
Jenna

 

[trappersteve]

Thanks Jenna from what I've heard AI is more of knowing the anatomy of the animal and knowing what your feeling for than anything

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Cowgirl I have only a few heifers and a cow and I spend more time with them than I spend with the old lady so that's why I was wondering. I have caught almost all their heats and wrote them down so I know pretty much when their coming in again that's one reason im taking the AI course

Steve, AI'ing is defiantly for you! Sounds like you have a pretty good plan taking shape. Good luck, and dont be discouraged at first when you start ai'ing. I know I was like what the .... the first few I tried in class, but with time the light bulb will come on and oh yeah this aint so bad. Oh, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that leaves my significant other to spend time with my cows
Jenna

Agreed :nod: We run 25 cows, and AI everything (or put in embryos) and MOST of our heats are natural. I look at my cows at least twice a day, ride the 4 wheeler out to pasture and just sit and watch for 20 to 30 min, with tail chalk on all open cows. We have yet to miss one, and have been doing this since 2007. Heats vary between 18 to 21 days in our herd, so I watch closely for the girls due in during that time. Having a young bull calf out with them really helps! We have two June calves, one a steer and one still a bull. That steer never looks twice, but that bull calf will tell me a cow is coming in 12 hours before I actually see any signs of heat. We start breeding for next fall calves on the 23rd of this month, and EVERY cow except one has cycled at least once since calving. I am set and ready to start AIing, just waiting for the week to pass! I always look forward to the next years calves after all the planned mating I do for each female in our herd. :heart: it!

 

[TexasBred]

When we dairied we kept between 340-400 milking year round plus another 100 or so dry cows. All matings were done on observed heat. Office was in the barn so was no trouble to check cattle many times during the day and early evening. First milking started at 4am, 2nd at noon, 3rd at 8 pm so cattle were being observed pretty much constantly. 1st service conception rates were great year round but I give my AI Tech (my wife) credit for that.