Re-breeding after calving

[boondocks]

Hi all,
Our final calf of the season came today. Although we had too many open this year due to low AI conception, those that did deliver all did so unassisted and within a 3 week window or so.

We are trying to keep a tight calving window but also gradually move our calving from June/July to April/May. We'd like to do a round of AI in 6 weeks max. Think that gives enough time for our mama that calved today (a veteran) and the heifer that calved yesterday? (The others calved several weeks earlier). They are all in good condition, get good minerals free choice, etc.

Thanks!

 

[dun]

If they haven;t started cycling by the time you AI the others I would give them a shot of GnRH followed a week later with lute and go ahead and breed them. That is if it's been at least 2 weeks since they calved. As long as their condition is good there shouldn;t be a problem.

 

[boondocks]

Thanks Dun. We usually do a timed sync along the lines you suggested. So will maybe start the sync in a month, then AI, then re/AI on any observed heats about 3 wks later. That would give us the possibility of 2 AI chances by mid-Sept; even if they only take on the second try, that should still let us move calving up a wee bit. (We plan to either sell or (in limited cases) hold open this winter any that aren't bred by mid-Sept, latest).

 

[Son of Butch]

Hi all,
we had too many open this year due to low AI conception,
They are all in good condition, get good minerals free choice, etc.

Raises the question as to the true cost of A.I. [especially when things go wrong]
Does anyone have any figures on the cost of days open per cow in beef herds?
[It was a big deal in dairy herds before bst]
I have never seen any real world herd comparisons of pounds weaned per cow exposed
vs pounds weaned per cow A.I.'d

 

[bse]

6 weeks after calving is plenty of time, should be around second cycle. If she is the only one a bit late, id move it up to 6 weeks after previous calf.
Sob I dont know real world numbers about AI but a bad year can happen with a bull.
Id think with AI you will have more ponds weaned, reason being lets use 10 cows all AI'ed and only get 50% (industry standard), and you rebreed the 5 opens and get 50%, could be 2 or 3 we will use 3, thats 8 calves in 21 days, breed them a 3rd time probaly get them all. that would be more lbs weaned by having 50% in a few days by them being synched. Now a bull can accomplish the same thing, just maybe not as tight a window. With AI youve saved the cost of a bull maybe. I really think if folks would just AI replacement hefiers it would be money in there pocket, they could use performance bulls on there cows, so more lbs weaned. Cost would be 35 a head if you do your own work maybe 60 having it done.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have been able to move most cows up 4 to 6 weeks per year, if needed. Even broken mouth cows. A few "hard breeders" just don't move up even though they are in good shape.

Do you think most hard breeders are due to genetics?

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have never seen any real world herd comparisons of pounds weaned per cow exposed vs pounds weaned per cow A.I.'d

Look in the back of the Genex AI catalogs, and then adjust for real world feed and other expenses.
Their basic idea is right - - you can wean more pounds per cow per year when you sync to a proven bull. Older calf and more growth, on average.
I estimate up to $80 per cow for your labor.

 

[KNERSIE]

If they haven;t started cycling by the time you AI the others I would give them a shot of GnRH followed a week later with lute and go ahead and breed them. That is if it's been at least 2 weeks since they calved. As long as their condition is good there shouldn;t be a problem.

Have you had success with that that early? Vets usually recommend 42 days after calving, I think the instructions on the CIDR package said 50 days if memory serves. The soonest I've seen settle on AI (natural heat) was 33 days and with live cover 17 days.

 

[boondocks]

Thanks for the suggestions. Very helpful!
In terms of cost of AI, the out of pocket costs are low relative to cost of a good bull. It has also allowed us to use a different sire on heifers. We are also newbies, with fencing on land that is very rocky (read: hard to keep a good strong intact fence) and would quite frankly sell them all off before we would have a bull here. Now, we have in a few occasions taken the odd open cow to frolic with someone else's bull for a bit.

My 2 shillings.

 

[dun]

If they haven;t started cycling by the time you AI the others I would give them a shot of GnRH followed a week later with lute and go ahead and breed them. That is if it's been at least 2 weeks since they calved. As long as their condition is good there shouldn;t be a problem.

Have you had success with that that early? Vets usually recommend 42 days after calving, I think the instructions on the CIDR package said 50 days if memory serves. The soonest I've seen settle on AI (natural heat) was 33 days and with live cover 17 days.

We've had good luck with some cows and others no luck. The ones that didn;t move up ended up running with the bull and they still calved about the same time which means they left for greener pastures. I think a lot depends on how easy the calving was and how well the cleaned. By a strange quirk, the ones that did move up were all from the same cow family. But those you could just wave a straw at them and they seemed to settle. I prefer to wait at least 30 days, but if I'm trying to move them up it doesn;t hurt to try a little sooner, that's why I said 2 weeks post calving.