Question about heat detectors

[rockcreekfarm]

I am trying to decide which heat detectors to buy. Right now I am looking at either Kamars or Estrotech. What heat detectors to you guys use? Which is better?

 

[Lucky_P]

Never used either of those. Used to 'chalk' 'em heavily with the orange paintsticks, but they were messy as lleh, and I often had to wonder 'is she, or isn't she?'
Fluorescent tailhead spray paint is working like a charm here this season - but somebody's watching the cows for heat several times a day during breeding season - and I check 'em a couple of times between sunset and when I go to bed. If a cow 'stands' after the 11pm check, her paint will be GONE at morning feeding time - and, most will probably still be standing at daylight.

 

[dun]

We've started using the estrotect scratch offs. Only problem we've found is that on real wooly cows they don't seem to stick very well and they have to be pretty warm in order to stick well. On cold days just keeping them inside your shirt against the skin for a while isn;t always enough.

 

[HomePlaceAngus]

Yeh, I agree with dunn. We use the estrotect patches. I really have not had a problem with them sticking. I have herd others say that they apply some type of glue on them. Another problem is if they are running under any kind of trees they get scratched up perty good. You still learn to read them though.

 

[Angus2131]

We've used both and I liked Kamars better. It did stick pretty good and the Estrotech stuck pretty well for us but like Dun and HomePlaceAngus said that when they go under brush they scratch it. We have a lot of low branched trees in the field so made it a little difficult. I have never used the spray paint method that Lucky P does. May have to give that a try next year when we go to bred again.

 

[Mid South Guy]

Used both and had no problems staying on. Will get some false positives though. Still need to closely observe for standing heats. Best heat detecter I ever had was 1/2 Jersey X 1/2 Angus teaser bull with a chin ball marker. Horny little sucker. Had to refill the ink every couple of days. Even found a few briar patches marked up.

 

[HOSS]

I use the estrotech exclusively. I use a curry-comb for a few strokes to comb the hair out before I apply the patch. Like dun said they need to be warm. I have not had a problem with them coming off. They seem to stick too good for me as they take a crowbar to remove. My biggest complaint is that they have a tendency to scratch off when the cows get under branches or go under the fly rub allot. Some will get dried manure in their tail switch and it will scratch the coating off if they are really swatting flies. I used to use the paint stick but it always seemed to wash off too easy in the rain or when the cows go for a swim in the pond.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Seems like a bull would be a pretty accurate heat detector as well.

 

[greatgerts]

Seems like a bull would be a pretty accurate heat detector as well.

Not if you are AI'ing though. Kind of defeats the whole purpose.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I know gerts, I was being a tad facetious. We don't AI although I am becoming more and more interested in the procedure.

Have a great day greatgerts!

 

[greatgerts]

I know gerts, I was being a tad facetious. We don't AI although I am becoming more and more interested in the procedure.

Have a great day greatgerts!

It is something great to learn. We only do a few a year, so we are not very good at it. My wife just learned how in October, and I am hoping she is better than I am. Then, I can worry with other issues and she can do the breeding since our spring calvers will be in when she is off of work (she's a school teacher).

 

[pdfangus]

timed ai with a good technician works pretty well....

a good observer for three or four days makes things even better.

I have used gomer bulls but the expense and the nuisance of having to deal with them 365 was not worth the benefit.

I have used tailhead chalk for years....easy and cheap and durable and you can color code with various colors of chalk.

heat detection does not take anything but time. good heat detection can not be done while playing with the cell phone or talking to the neighbor or reading the paper or catching up on the records,or just driving by.

My best heat detection was done by parking the horse a little ways away from the cows preferably hjigh enough that I could see em all. Then fire up a cigar and hook a leg over the saddle horn and just sit there and enjoy life and watch the cows. after thirty or forty minutes I know who is in heat and who is coming in and I ride thru and confirm the numbers of who was standing. If it is evening I go to the next group. If it is morning I move the herd to to breeding pens. too many people do not have the patience to heat detect. I found it to be the most enjoyable time of the day. course there was the evening the dogs got in a tussle with a coon and the three of them rolled in a snarling ball under the horse and put her to bucking. Lost my cigar.

 

[rockcreekfarm]

Thanks guys for you help, I took the select sires A.I class last month and I'm gonna try to breed a few just to see how I do. I might try Kamars first seeing that our cows could go through a lot of brush and trees and limbs.

 

[pdfangus]

DON'T WAIT TO LONG TO START BREEDING

DON'T GET FRUSTRATED IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM OR TWO....

THE WAY YOU GET BETTER IS WORKING THRU THOSE PROBLEMS....

ESTABLISH A PRE BREEDING RITUAL AND HAVE THINGS WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SO THAT YOU CAN DO IT IN THE DARK. GET YOUR SUPPLIES READY AND ACESSIBLE BEFORE YOU EVER TAKE THE SEMEN OUT OF THE WATER. ATTENTION TO DETAIL....CARE IN SEMEN PREP IS AS IMPORTANT AS BREEDING TECHNIQUE.

BREEDING THIS TIME OF YEAR i BREED OUT OF THE TRUCK CAB WHERE I CAN KEEP THINGS WARM.

I PERSONALLY THINK THE BREEDING SHEATH COVERS ARE PRACTICALLY INVALUABLE. THESE ARE THE LARGER PLASTIC COVERS THAT GO OVER THE LOADED GUN.