AI Breeding... Can somebody give me a quick rundown?

[pknoeber]

I'm a banker and a farmer, who knows stocker, backgrounding and feedyard cattle... I don't really know jack about cow/calf...

I need a quick explanation about AI'ing cattle, and specifically, how long you'll have them locked up. As in, bring them in, lock them up to synchronize them, hold them and breed them... Or is it handled differently?

Thanks.

 

[RSL]

On a full synch/timed breeding program you will need about a week.
Day 1 - CIDR in, GNRH shot
Day 5 - CIDR out, Estrumate shot
Day 7 - breed, GNRH shot

They don't need to be "IN" per se over that time frame.
There are lots of other options and variations on this program.
Here is a pretty good article with lots of detail.

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS_575_W.pdf

 

[littlejoe]

are you talking cows or virgin heifers?

ya got about 82 days to get a cow rebred-and have her calve again no later than last time-not all will be cycling.

some protocols will actually help them cycle.

but you got the calves to contend with.

heifers in comparision are a piece of cake.

probably have been cycling for mos before you want to breed them.

any that don't catch still retain value and no better time to wash out.

you can confine them w/o calves to contend with---and probably got them in close this time of yr anyhow.

i keep it simple---about longest program and least drugs. feed mga for a couple of weeks, continue feeding w/o mga for about17 days, lutalyse and breed on heat detection. you'll get a non fertile heat when you quite the mga. you breed on the next one.

lots of other protocols, timed breeding, etc. less time invested. i like doing it the way i do, heifers get flushed nicely, gentles them down, got them around anyhow. i use kmars?--deal you glue on tailhead, breaks when they're rode.

 

[ANGUS327]

I use a "bull" he heat detects and breeds in one smooth operation and I don't have to be there.