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Results of our Syncronizing Efforts

randiliana

Well-known member
For those of you who remember, or are interested, here are the results.

Last spring, we syncronized 40 heifers by giving them a shot of Estrumate when we vaccinated, then turning the bulls in with them 15 days later. We separated them into 2 different groups, because a number of them were sired by one of the bulls that we were using. We had 3 drys and also sold another 8 head. One more turned up dry this spring. With what we had left, 14 were bred to each bull. Because of pasture problems they were taken up to were our cows were summered, and the bulls destroyed fences shortly thereafter. So as of May 27(about 12 days after we turned bulls in with the heifers) they can be bred to any bull.


Group #1 (bull #2046)
Out of 14 heifers, we had 12 calve from Feb 20 to Mar 3. 1 of those was to a different bull and approx 15 days early. So we had 11 out of 14 calve within a 10 day period. Or about 80%. We are still waiting on 1.

Group #2 (bull #2146)
Out of 14 heifers we had 4 calve from Feb 25 to Mar 1. One more calved to a different sire on Mar 7. So we had 4 out of 14 within a 7 day period. or about 30%. We are still waiting on 8 more to calve.

To the best of my knowledge, there was nothing wrong with the heifers. They are all bred, and are going to calve within the next month. As it turns out when I looked back on my records from last year the 2146 bull didn't have a calf born before March 20th. We start about March 5th. It could have been that his cows were not cycling, but I have my doubts on that.

I think that syncronizing the way we did works quite well. However, you sure want to know your bulls are doing their job. Not just semen tested, but make sure that they are actually working. This bull found a new home last summer due to handling problems, but in hindsight should have found one long before breeding season started. Ah, well, live and learn.

I would go ahead and syncronize this way again. We only had to handle them once, when we vaccinated and the results on Group #1 make me think it worked just fine.
 

randiliana

Well-known member
Grassfarmer said:
I'm curious - what were you vaccinating with at the same time as you gave the Estrumate?

Express10 or 3, I can't remember for sure, they changed the name again.

Covers BVD, IBR and PI3
 

randiliana

Well-known member
guest1 said:
After going to the trouble of synching them why not go ahead and AI them? I've never liked the idea of having just 1 bull with a group of cattle, and i've never had any breeding wrecks either.

Because we had the bull power, I'm the AI tech here and am not up to doing more than a couple per day, and we just didn't have the time.

We almost always run 1 bull per group of cattle. I like knowing what bull the calves are out of, and we haven't had a bull get injured in 12 years.
 

randiliana

Well-known member
Northern Rancher said:
You can,t breed more than one or two a day-why not?

Because I am not in good enough shape to do it, that is why. Have only done a few since I took the course 5 years ago. If we didn't have the bull power around to breed them, I probably would have AI'd them, but no point in buying a bunch of semen when we had 2 perfectly good bulls standing around.
 

Northern Rancher

Well-known member
I've done 250 in a day and I'm not very buff lol. I think you probably fight the cow a bit too much-I just relax when they strain and attack when the time is ripe.
 

randiliana

Well-known member
You could be right about that. It has been a couple years since I have AI'd anything. Might try it this year if we decide to syncronize again. Only have 1 heifer bull, and while I'm sure he could breed all the heifers we will have in a normal season, don't think I want to put him up against 40 syncronized ones.

I do, do all our pregchecking, but it doesn't take much to wear me out if the calf is hard to find.
 

Big Swede

Well-known member
Geez NR 250 in a day? You big stud! I think our biggest day was about 120 with a double breeding box and 2 technicians. Felt like I was run over by a truck by the end of the day. Maybe you're more buff than you claim to be. :wink:
 

RSL

Well-known member
Myself and my littlest brother did 100 one year from 6am to 2pm with a 1 hour break for dinner, and rounding up cows in two different pastures. That includes the tech (me) helping to load the chute and thawing time post chute being loaded, as well as hauling horses and gear from home (first stop) to the other place 4 miles away.
The biggest time cost is with very little help we don't thaw the semen until the cow is loaded in the chute.
Quiet and gentle is usually the most effective when it comes to love :wink:
 

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