14 day AI protocol???
- Thread starter Howdy1
- Start date
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
The owner never did tell me exactly I"m thinking low 30's-we used a different method the next year. Protocols are between producers, their vet and their techs I don't like to recommend anything without knowing the herd and management in place-one outfits cake can be another outfits crisis.
Howdy1
Well-known member
Thanks for all the discussion. I just found out some more things are happening around here for May so the AI is on the back burner for another year. The bulls should all be smiling now! I had already decided to use the 14 day protocol. Most of my AI friends have been getting 5-10% better conception with it. Sounds like they have been averaging around 60% on heifers in our area. Some up to 70%. Some down to 50%.
We want to TIA because we don't have time to heat detect and we want the heifers to all calve in a narrow window. I would rather be silly busy for a couple weeks instead of dragging out calving heifers for 45 days. We are willing to give up open heifers for the convenience of the TIA.
We want to TIA because we don't have time to heat detect and we want the heifers to all calve in a narrow window. I would rather be silly busy for a couple weeks instead of dragging out calving heifers for 45 days. We are willing to give up open heifers for the convenience of the TIA.
How good is the success in reusing cidr's, what do you use to clean them,
Also where do most of you get your drugs that you use!
The only pkace locally for me, knows they are the only game in town and charge lots higher.
In order for me to get drugs I have to have the vet inspect the herd and the only one near me does A.I. work so he wants to do it himself, plus he is part owner of the place that sels drugs so he does not want to use like Valley Vet or others.
Also where do most of you get your drugs that you use!
The only pkace locally for me, knows they are the only game in town and charge lots higher.
In order for me to get drugs I have to have the vet inspect the herd and the only one near me does A.I. work so he wants to do it himself, plus he is part owner of the place that sels drugs so he does not want to use like Valley Vet or others.
gcreekrch
Well-known member
If you factor in semen, cidr's, pay a tech or yourself, time and other costs and end up with only a 30 to 40% conception rate, wouldn't it be cheaper to buy good bulls and let them do the job? :?
I realize the want for the possibility of better genetics but that doesn't always work out either.
I realize the want for the possibility of better genetics but that doesn't always work out either.
cowsense
Well-known member
We've used quite a bit of AI over the years and firmly believe that the secret to success is proper HEAT DETECTION. Pure & simple! We do use prostaglandins but still AI only after observing standing heat. Why take a chance on reduced conception & later calving cows by using the shortcut of TAI?
Over the years I've usually always achieved high 70's to low 80's first service conception(except for friggin Holsteins.....that's a whole other story) and would not be prepared to face lower success rates just to save a bit of time.
Over the years I've usually always achieved high 70's to low 80's first service conception(except for friggin Holsteins.....that's a whole other story) and would not be prepared to face lower success rates just to save a bit of time.
SMN Herf
Well-known member
Does anyone have any experience witht he Heat Wath system? Does it work and is it dependable? With the price of bulls, drugs and the time to put them in, and then still have to heat detect it looks like it may be more cost effective than ever.
WVGenetics
Well-known member
SMN Herf said:
I've used HeatWatch quite a bit and it works well when you can keep the patches that hold the weight sensors glued on. Some heifers will stand up to 60 or better times in a single heat and I don't care how much glue you put on one, they come off. If you have any mud, they are hard to find. I've even used a metal detector.
Its a pretty expensive system, so I don't think I'd recommend it unless you have some extra cash to throw around. Each of the weight sensors is $65 or at least they were 2 years ago. They are reusable of course but can be lost or broken and run on battery power so you will eventually have to have the batteries replaced. Plus, the company has been sold. They were a pleasure to work with when Buzz Yancey owned it out in Denver but he sold to some investors in New Jersey and their customer service stinks!
Big Swede
Well-known member
I found this thread after we ultrasounded our heifers yesterday. We used the 14 day CIDR Protocol and bred all the heifers on one day. I told myself if we got 120 bred heifers out of the 200 I would be thrilled. Well we got 122, right at 61 percent. Didn't use a clean up bull but in the future I might in case we have a wreck. The problem with bull bred heifers is that if I had more than I needed it's kind of tough to market heifers that are bred to calve on May 1st. That doesn't fit too many guy's herds.
Sold the opens today on a good market, 893 pounders @ $1.31.
Sold the opens today on a good market, 893 pounders @ $1.31.
3 M L & C
Well-known member
Big Swede said:
Did you go strickly off of time to breed them, or was there some heat detection thrown in there to help you know when to start? I would say 61 percent is pretty dang good if you went just off of a timed ai. Saved a ton of time and jacking around looking at heat detectors. I used the 14 day program this year also, but the guy that ai's wasn't so sure about it so he heat detected them also. He was impressed how the whole group came in so close together. I think they all were breed within 24 hours. One morning that evening and the next morning. Way better than the 7 day program. I have been told you need to make sure the cidr's are clean and put in properly being they are in there that long.
gcreekrch said:
Dad AI'd for many years a long time ago, and finally realized that he could raise commercial cattle that were just as good or better by buying good commercial bulls from good herds that he knew. We also raised our own bulls from our purebred herd and could out perform the high priced genetics more often than not.
I guess the lesson learned was that with a good eye one can get very good results with a lot less work than going the AI method. Another way of saying it is that there is often more than one way to accomplish ones goals.
3 M L & C
Well-known member
Silver said:
I don't disagree Silver. I do it mostly for these reasons. I sell all my heifers as pairs, and people at the sale think when the guy says ai calves they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Also I like having them calve in groups. You calve for about 10 days then have a 10 day break then 10 more days again. And if you get half of them breed on the first day of the breeding season it cuts down on the calving period. If I could find a way to hand breed my heifers with a shot of lutalyse and it didn't take up so much time I would probably do that. We are usually getting to the field when breeding heifers comes about.