Use of CiDRs to bump up calving season

[KNERSIE]

Just as background...

I moved two years ago to an area where fall calving is the only option, still have a few cows that are out of sync with when I need to calve. They are due any day now and ideally I'd like to get them bred by end October.

I know I should wait 45 days, etc, etc, but I have seen cow settling 17 days after calving in the past.

My question is what is the absolute earliest I can induce a cow to cycle by using CiDRs, even if they don't settle on the first heat, but in order to have a fertile 2nd heat? I share a bull in partnership with a few others and he needs to be collected as soon after my breeding season as possible, so he'll be here still to use him to hand mate if needed. It's only 3 cows, but they are valuable genetics for my herd so don't just want to sell them.

 

[regolith]

I wouldn't. I've done it before and saw some very erratic cycles following the ones that were synched early (I don't think I was using cidrs that year, just an injection programme)

Wellfed cattle have a pretty good chance of cycling early and holding to their first cycle. Having said that, I think your minimum for cidring is going to be between 4 - 5 weeks post-calving. Long enough for the uterus to fully recover, at any rate.

Are you not in the southern hemisphere any more? I start mating at the beginning of October for spring calving.

 

[LRTX1]

I've had decent luck pulling the calves off the cow for 48hrs at the 30 -45 day mark after calving. Someone smarter than me can explain why it makes a cow go in heat.

 

[angus9259]

I've seen well fed cattle breed natural at 21 days post calving. Not sure you can push it any faster than that - but I don't know.

I hate it when people don't actually answer the question asked, but here it goes.....

If they are that valuable, why not flush em for a season and hold them open for a year and go back to natural calves after that?

 

[Lucky_P]

One thing that was recommended at a recent meeting I attended... to 'speed up' late-calvers, was to give a dose of prostaglandin about 20 days post-calving. If in good body condition with adequate nutrition, hey'll probably cycle in... and while they may or may not conceive on that heat, the next one is likely to be 'good'.

 

[KNERSIE]

Would there be a CL for the pristaglandin to work on at 20 days PP?

 

[Lucky_P]

For some, there will be.
If nothing else, the prostaglandin injection will help foster uterine involution.

I had one tail-ender that I injected at about 20 days last fall - she did cycle in - but didn't conceive on that AI (but did on natural service at subsequent heat)... so... I don't know that I'd stick expensive semen in one that close to calving, but if you're doing natural service, the bull's there anyway, so nothing to lose.

 

[Ebenezer]

Already seen the same comment in other replys: Feed for fertility, especially energy. Otherwise, you are wasting time and money.

 

[KNERSIE]

For some, there will be.
If nothing else, the prostaglandin injection will help foster uterine involution.

I had one tail-ender that I injected at about 20 days last fall - she did cycle in - but didn't conceive on that AI (but did on natural service at subsequent heat)... so... I don't know that I'd stick expensive semen in one that close to calving, but if you're doing natural service, the bull's there anyway, so nothing to lose.

would a gnrh followed by prostaglandin 7 days later not also be an option?

 

[dun]

For some, there will be.
If nothing else, the prostaglandin injection will help foster uterine involution.

I had one tail-ender that I injected at about 20 days last fall - she did cycle in - but didn't conceive on that AI (but did on natural service at subsequent heat)... so... I don't know that I'd stick expensive semen in one that close to calving, but if you're doing natural service, the bull's there anyway, so nothing to lose.

would a gnrh followed by prostaglandin 7 days later not also be an option?

As long as there is a CL, GnRh followed 7 days later with lute will bring them in. We've had a few that cycled and settled about 2 weeks after calving. Have had better luck settling waiting 30 days though.

 

[angus9259]

One thing that was recommended at a recent meeting I attended... to 'speed up' late-calvers, was to give a dose of prostaglandin about 20 days post-calving. If in good body condition with adequate nutrition, hey'll probably cycle in... and while they may or may not conceive on that heat, the next one is likely to be 'good'.

Seems like my cattle - fed proper - are coming in 40 days PP anyway so not sure there's a huge value - unless, as has beens said, you are doing live cover, the bulls there anyway, maybe she'll catch at 20.