Pretty Excited! Bred my first cow today!

[blackcowz]

Hi all!
Boy, I got to breed my very first cow today! I went to A.I. school back in April, so I finally got to put my skills to the test. Yesterday, we got all our replacement heifers and registered cattle together to A.I. We stuck Estrotect patches on all 20 and last night we had one cow's patch turn pink. We watched her, and sure enough, she was in heat. This morning Dad came into my room and told me to go A.I. her. I was a little nervous, but I was able to find my way through the cervix and deposited my load. Hopefully, we'll have a OCC Homer calf on the ground early April of next year!

 

[dun]

Congrats! Pretty satisfying feeling isn;t it.

 

[Frankie]

Hi all!
Boy, I got to breed my very first cow today! I went to A.I. school back in April, so I finally got to put my skills to the test. Yesterday, we got all our replacement heifers and registered cattle together to A.I. We stuck Estrotect patches on all 20 and last night we had one cow's patch turn pink. We watched her, and sure enough, she was in heat. This morning Dad came into my room and told me to go A.I. her. I was a little nervous, but I was able to find my way through the cervix and deposited my load. Hopefully, we'll have a OCC Homer calf on the ground early April of next year!

Congratulations. The first of many, we hope.

 

[blackcowz]

Thanks to the both of you! It was great to have a real heat and be able to find everything. Thanks to the expert advice on this board, hopefully I'm on my way to making some quality Angus seedstock through the use of A.I. :nod:

 

[dun]

If you think you're excited now, wait till that first calf hits the ground. You'll be like a proud pappa handing out cigars!

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Congratulations Cade! The feeling is like your first driving experience - ALONE - without a co-pilot sitting next to you! or - like that FIRST kiss - :shock: :roll: :clap: (That is - if I can remember that far back!)

It is just like driving a truck or a car. The more you do it, the more it becomes automatic and easier. And the better you get at it!


DOC HARRIS

 

[hillsdown]

Congratulations. :clap:

You would come in very handy around here next April.. ;-)

 

[bigbull338]

congrats on AIing your 1st cow.heres hoping she sticks.

 

[T Diamond]

I too was really excited last year when my heifer, my 1st A.I. , was preg checked @ 30 days. Got a nice little heifer on the ground this Feb. Happy that I got 3 out of 4 last year. So far I got both my cow and my younger heifer. The other heifer was a challenge ad could not get thru the cervix so she went for live cover. Got 2 more weeks until the 21 day mark. It is such a great feeling to see the end results the next calving season. Good luck and I hope she holds.

 

[KNERSIE]

Well done! That is a skill that will come in handy for years to come. AI is pretty much like playing golf, just when you feel you are good at it you will suffer a humbling experience. Everyone of us that have been AI-ing for a long time get a heifer from time to time that you just cannot get the pistolette through the cervix, the good thing is sometimes those even stick to AI.

I can't even imagine where my herd would have been without AI.

 

[blackcowz]

Thank you all very much for the encouragement! Boy, I feel so wonderful. Well, here it is only the second heifer in heat and I have a dilemma. According to what I learned from Harold Miller, heifers tend to stay in heat longer than cows, averaging 18 hours. I have a heifers that was standing at 6-6:30pm last night but is still standing to be ridden at 7:30 this morning. Should I now wait till 12 noon to breed her at the 18 hour mark? Thanks!

 

[dun]

Thank you all very much for the encouragement! Boy, I feel so wonderful. Well, here it is only the second heifer in heat and I have a dilemma. According to what I learned from Harold Miller, heifers tend to stay in heat longer than cows, averaging 18 hours. I have a heifers that was standing at 6-6:30pm last night but is still standing to be ridden at 7:30 this morning. Should I now wait till 12 noon to breed her at the 18 hour mark? Thanks!

If it's convenient I would

 

[KNERSIE]

Thank you all very much for the encouragement! Boy, I feel so wonderful. Well, here it is only the second heifer in heat and I have a dilemma. According to what I learned from Harold Miller, heifers tend to stay in heat longer than cows, averaging 18 hours. I have a heifers that was standing at 6-6:30pm last night but is still standing to be ridden at 7:30 this morning. Should I now wait till 12 noon to breed her at the 18 hour mark? Thanks!

If it's convenient I would

Personally I would have bred her in the morning, but waiting till noon wouldn't have hurt. The best conception rates are achieved if you AI 12-18 hours after the ONSET of standing heat.

 

[blackcowz]

Well, at about 10 she started to run away from getting mounted, so I brought her in. AI'd her at 11:15 (give or take a couple minutes, she had been about 17 hours in standing heat). I wasn't surprised at the size of the tract per se, but it was quite a bit smaller than the 3 year old's tract. However, the tone of the cervix and uterine body allowed me to find it and get in fairly easily. Hopefully, another April Homer calf in the making! Thanks again.