branguscowgirl
Well-known member
Yeah that too Dun! ;-)
Stick-on heat detection patches
- Thread starter regolith
- Start date
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M5farm
Well-known member
Well, I'm glad I finally read this thread being it went from heat patchs to over the shoulder boulder holders.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
When the girls start talkin, your ears will start popin! :lol:M5farm":1dfbxwqo said:
OP
OP
regolith
Well-known member
They sure do show up from a distance:
Didn't patch this one, was expecting her. Her half-sister above last cycled nearly 50 days ago.
Didn't patch this one, was expecting her. Her half-sister above last cycled nearly 50 days ago.
shortybreeder
Well-known member
Has anyone tried these? http://estrotect.com/about-accubreed/ or have any idea what the cost is? I'd like to use it on my beef cows or in our dairy barn, but it seems like it could be expensive...
I'm also considering these: http://www.standingheat.com/ if anyone has experience with them?
I'm also considering these: http://www.standingheat.com/ if anyone has experience with them?
I looked into them a couple of years ago. Yes they were pricey and they didn;t do well in hilly terrain unles the receiver was at the highest point with no obstructions between it and the cowshortybreeder":2ww6ddk8 said:
OP
OP
regolith
Well-known member
Did some preg scans today as it hasn't rained for a month and the grass is drying up.
Was not at all happy with the result. By pulling out just the cows I had any reason at all to suspect were open, plus the ones with long mating intervals to have their dates confirmed, (20 cows) we found 10% of the herd open. Most of those were not cycling.
So far the heat detectors have only picked up one cow that wasn't also showing obvious signs - she was scanned open today, heat detector triggered about four days ago last mated six weeks plus four days ago.
Flies made the detectors not very useful - I wouldn't use them at this time of year again. Vet suggested the bubble type so *maybe* but the real bottom line for me is that the detectors didn't pick up anything I didn't see.
The usual 'fix' of applying a cidr to noncyclers wouldn't have changed anything as *all* of these cows cycled in a reasonable time after calving and had stopped showing heats since then. I don't think a bull would have done any better, but so far for two years 100% AI I haven't done too good.
Vet found one pregnancy that showed signs of heat at three weeks pregnant. Other than that, all that were in-calf were due to their latest possible date.
Still seven cows to check that were too soon to scan today. All but one of those have gone past 21 days without a heat, that last is at 18 days now.
The good news is that a bunch of big appetites are being shipped within the next couple days which will leave more grass for everyone else. 30% probability of heavy rain around a week from now...
Was not at all happy with the result. By pulling out just the cows I had any reason at all to suspect were open, plus the ones with long mating intervals to have their dates confirmed, (20 cows) we found 10% of the herd open. Most of those were not cycling.
So far the heat detectors have only picked up one cow that wasn't also showing obvious signs - she was scanned open today, heat detector triggered about four days ago last mated six weeks plus four days ago.
Flies made the detectors not very useful - I wouldn't use them at this time of year again. Vet suggested the bubble type so *maybe* but the real bottom line for me is that the detectors didn't pick up anything I didn't see.
The usual 'fix' of applying a cidr to noncyclers wouldn't have changed anything as *all* of these cows cycled in a reasonable time after calving and had stopped showing heats since then. I don't think a bull would have done any better, but so far for two years 100% AI I haven't done too good.
Vet found one pregnancy that showed signs of heat at three weeks pregnant. Other than that, all that were in-calf were due to their latest possible date.
Still seven cows to check that were too soon to scan today. All but one of those have gone past 21 days without a heat, that last is at 18 days now.
The good news is that a bunch of big appetites are being shipped within the next couple days which will leave more grass for everyone else. 30% probability of heavy rain around a week from now...
Amo
Well-known member
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branguscowgirl":4yg1y3kk said:
Don't feel bad. All my buddies use them. Ive tried them too. Eye patch glue gets messy in a hurry.
I have tried all the tips & tricks everybody says. They can get them to stay on for months. Im lucky if I get 2 days! Follow the directions for how to place them on, plus where I AI has some low hanging tree branches. Between the tail rubbing off so not knowing if its starting to come in or just the tail, or the dang things just not being on there. I don't know if it got rode so hard that its not on, or if she went under a tree & ripped it off. The Kmars are always on there. Eye patch glue garuntes that is won't "rubb" off with the tree. Plus if your on foot, I think you can sort easier because the Kmars stick up higher.
Helped buddies that use Estrotects. They aren't much harder to see, easier to apply, & they stay on for them. I watch my cows pretty well during that time, but I got frustrated with the lottery ticket deal. If they go out of business, proably just give up AI or at least heat detection.
Mine don't stay.
I have kept the cows at the home pasture for the first month for several years. There are no trees. By April breeding here in CA, most of my cows are pretty slick haired, and I don't need to shave them. If they are really dirty, I do scrub the dirt off, but most are not since we usually are mostly over the rain and mud.
But I do breed for high docility. Now I don't know what is happening, but they are not there and no where to be found.
One day, in the pasture, I saw a 3 month old bull calf that was licking and pulling on a patch. The cow made absolutely no effort to move--she didn't even seem to mind his pulling and tugging on the patch. I saw the patch on the ground a half hour or so later, and the cow that he was "working on" had no patch. I did not keep this 3 month old calf so he isn't the one doing it. However, the patches keep disappearing. I'd say that about 25% of the patches disappear. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is. "Did the patch come off during breeding?" "Did a calf pull it off?" "Where IS it?" And frankly, I walk the pasture every day to check for heats so I doubt I'd miss the patches on the ground. I seldom find even one.
I suspect my bull has decided that he doesn't want me to know which cows he has bred, and he's pulling them off. I guess he is eating them too. I don't have any other semi-logical explanation for where they go.
This year, I'm considering using glue in addition to the patch. If I can glue it down good enough, it might make the cow get up as it is being pulled on. Maybe it won't get removed then.
I have kept the cows at the home pasture for the first month for several years. There are no trees. By April breeding here in CA, most of my cows are pretty slick haired, and I don't need to shave them. If they are really dirty, I do scrub the dirt off, but most are not since we usually are mostly over the rain and mud.
But I do breed for high docility. Now I don't know what is happening, but they are not there and no where to be found.
One day, in the pasture, I saw a 3 month old bull calf that was licking and pulling on a patch. The cow made absolutely no effort to move--she didn't even seem to mind his pulling and tugging on the patch. I saw the patch on the ground a half hour or so later, and the cow that he was "working on" had no patch. I did not keep this 3 month old calf so he isn't the one doing it. However, the patches keep disappearing. I'd say that about 25% of the patches disappear. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is. "Did the patch come off during breeding?" "Did a calf pull it off?" "Where IS it?" And frankly, I walk the pasture every day to check for heats so I doubt I'd miss the patches on the ground. I seldom find even one.
I suspect my bull has decided that he doesn't want me to know which cows he has bred, and he's pulling them off. I guess he is eating them too. I don't have any other semi-logical explanation for where they go.
This year, I'm considering using glue in addition to the patch. If I can glue it down good enough, it might make the cow get up as it is being pulled on. Maybe it won't get removed then.
There is a great new heat detector, rather than the top layer scratching off, this one only rubs off from the mounting cow. You can find them on Amazon by searching for AI Tags. There is an AI Tags website to see information about them aitags.com
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Yes, they must be warm. I also use the estrotech, hot pink. If you let it touch your fingers too firmly, they are a booger to get off!!! We have to use pliers to pull them off after they are scratched up. Great TOOL.
NEFarmwife
Well-known member
Funny because this "city girl" started dating her now husband and thought the hot pink stickers were "clearance cows"... True story. :nod:branguscowgirl":4ahnuruf said:
jkwilson
Well-known member
I use the Estrotect. Usually when AIing or putting in an embryo. Tells me if I missed something. I use pink and green so I know which is old and which is new. I can usually put one on a cow at a bunk, but the old ones are hard to pull if you don't have an edge turned up. I've had cows wear one for months.
I generally put a different color on before they go out with the bull.
I generally put a different color on before they go out with the bull.
Randi
Well-known member
We synched about 100 head last spring and used the Estrotect patches. Turned them out with bulls and some had the patches on a month later yet. We used a cattle blower and a shedding comb to clean them up. Which worked real good.
But, next time I will bring along a set of clippers. As we lost quite a few due to shedding. The cows that had shed out well kept the patches much better, the ones that were still shedding lost a lot more of the patches. And I combed them out quite well before sticking the patches on.
But, next time I will bring along a set of clippers. As we lost quite a few due to shedding. The cows that had shed out well kept the patches much better, the ones that were still shedding lost a lot more of the patches. And I combed them out quite well before sticking the patches on.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Just a "heads up". Don't run the cows thru the chute and give the a pour on while you are patching them. Even if you put the pour-on at the shoulders, the patch will just slip off in a few hours.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Thought advertising or soliciting was against TOS.AI Tags":mdzwyjkw said:
greatgerts
Well-known member
ez14.":2an2nktp said:
And yet... not banned or punished for one of the main rules of the forum.
