Breeding cows later

[dexterlady]

I just put this in the wrong place so I will put it here!..DUH!...I have weaned Skye from Sassy, who is ready to breed back...I also have three other cow/heifers that need to be bred...Does anyone think by waiting until January to breed them all, would this hurt anything...I am really concerned the longer I wait, it may be harder to get them to settle....Our new bull is 10 months old but not quite big enough to breed yet, so I thought I would AI all these girls...Only thing is I will have July calves and it is the hottest here in Texas in July....What is every ones thoughts on this?...Any advice greatly appreciated....Donna J.

[kansasdexters]

Hi Donna,

We breed our cows and heifers to calve on a schedule, and to avoid having any calves in the worst weather months in the winter and summer. We keep our bulls separate from our cows year round, and breed by either bringing a cow that is in standing heat to the bull, or by AI breeding. That way, we always know when to anticipate the birth of each calf, and we know how many services each cow needed in order to conceive.

Waiting until January 2015 (only 2.5 months away!) should not be a problem at all, other than keeping the bull away from any females that are in standing heat. During this time, it is helpful to track when each cow or heifer goes into standing heat, so that you can make a schedule of when they are expected to cycle in January and put them with the bull at the appropriate time (or use this schedule to help plan any AI breeding). Knowing the interval between heat cycles for each cow is valuable information, and helps to "check back" after breeding to determine if they cycle again and need to be serviced a second time by the bull or need a second attempt on the AI breeding.


Patti

[dexterlady]

Thanks Patti...I just didn't want to worry about getting the heat cycles messed up so the cows wouldn't come into heat.....Thanks for the info....Donna

[zephyrhillsusan]

And if you want to save yourself some money and trouble, I will bet your guy will get the job done for you in January! Our bull was a couple weeks over one year when he settled his first cow, and she was definitely taller than him.

In case of any questions on your part, since he's new on the job, you might try "Estrotect" heat detector patches. I'll be glad to mail you four to use so you can see if you like them. Someone gave me one to try the first time. They're about $1 each, and although $50 seems like a lot at once if you're buying a package (only sold that way), I'm finding they are worth it to remove any doubt. We can't always see our animals all the time, plus they tend to breed at night or in the early morning, so the patches really show when a cow has been standing. I count 28 days from then, add a couple days to be sure, then send milk (for the next one I'll be sending blood because it's a heifer) to AntelBio, and within 24 hours of them getting the sample, I have an answer. For the milk tests, with shipping and the test, it's coming out between $15-20 for a positive preg check--much earlier and cheaper than the vet can do it.

[dexterlady]

Hello Susan, I think I will take you up on the offer for those patches....I will send you a check for them..If you can just send me your address, I will have a check in the mail to you.....Thanks...Donna J.

[dexterlady]

BTW..My email addy is [e-mail]....Just email me your address....

[zephyrhillsusan]

Forget the check, Donna! Just call it paying it forward from the person who gave me my first sample! Just come back on here and let us know how they worked. I've been sick and haven't been on here, so just now saw this. They'll go out in the mail tomorrow.

Here's a link about how to apply them.  I don't use the Estrotect brush or cloth.  When I go out to apply one, I put in inside my clothing to warm it.  The site says you can do 4 or 5 that way, any more and you need to warm them more efficiently.  I just brush the dirt away with a bristle curry comb (like the kind our moms used to scrub the floor with), then I have a bottle of alcohol and a 4x4 gauze in a packet.  I rip off the top of the packet and pour alcohol in, then rub good all on the application area until the gauze isn't picking up any more dirt.  I wait a couple minutes until the alcohol evaporates, then apply the patch.  It goes across the tail head, not in line with it (their drawing could be clearer).  I hold my hand down on it for warmth and gently rub it firmly on.

Then just check every day.  They say the patch says "breed," I say it says "bred."  (Or will be soon!)  And btw, I think their slogan is pretty funny.