AI-ing Beef Heifers

[Whitepeak]

We have a batch of approx 20 replacement heifers (Inc the wife's pedigree Longhorn ?) coming through that I'm fancying using AI on. We normally just run a stock bull with everything.
I'm thinking of AI-ing in March/April before turning them out with the bull to catch any repeats.
But I'm not sure whether to synchronise them all and use fixed time AI, or serve to natural heats?? If synchronisation what programme? How many services to AI would people recommend?
I did my AI course a few years ago, so was thinking of doing them myself.
Cheers

 

[M-J-G]

I used to synchronise heifers and fixed time double AI and then turn out with the bull to catch repeats.

I got good results (around 70%) to one cycle of AI, but the repeats were very slow to conceive.

So I gave up on it and have just put a bull in ever since.

 

[bean]

I tend to tail paint and ai to natural heats then stock bull. This year served all in first cycle don't know about hold numbers not pd yet. I find synchronise they tend to miss a heat

 

[clod hopper]

If you have the time do natural heats and if you're comfortable doing it yourself.
As above if synchronized can take longer to show repeat heats and lose the benefits of more heats before second calf mating next year. Risk later calving or even culling young cows.

 

[Dog Bowl]

Have served every heifer this year on natural heats whilst housed. Then chucked a bull in with them to mop up. Looking forward to PD'ing. Kind of works for me in my system. Would love to persist with the AI but its just impossible if I want them out at grass away from the buildings. Always toy with the idea of keeping a group of bulling heifers inside for the entire service period but ££££

 

[Old Spot]

I used to sync, but now natural heats. I have them in a close field, round them up each day and serve the bullers.
very pleased with last years results and bulling well this year. I trained for AI years ago, had a 15 year gap without serving a cow, like riding a bike! If you can AI I think natural is the way to go.
as with all livestock tasks have a plan I too would like to go on more than 3 weeks with some but for the few it would be the bull goes in.

 

[Bill the Bass]

If you haven’t been ai’ing yourself regularly during the past few years I wouldn’t start in heifers.

 

[Bob the beef]

Used to syncro pedigree cows. Never got more than 65% and on occasions less. As said above can take a long time for them to cycle naturally again
Gave up on AI after a pedigree cow gave birth to a dairy calf just use bulls now

 

[Woolless]

What sort of numbers will a sweeper bull manage after synchronisation for AI? I suppose if there's some variation in return to oestrus, it'll help him out?

 

[Whitepeak]

Thanks for all the advice. Interesting that synchronising can effect subsequent heats, not sure I'd want them to be dribbling on through the summer. We have several pens next to a good handling system so serving to natural heats won't be a problem. Probably give them atleast 2 cycles, don't think the Mrs will be too pleased if I only ai'd her Longhorn once before I turned it out with the Blonde bull ?
I was thinking of doing a refresher course, plus I have a few dairy farmer friends who have said I could go there for a practice.

 

[M-J-G]

What sort of numbers will a sweeper bull manage after synchronisation for AI? I suppose if there's some variation in return to oestrus, it'll help him out?

The most I used to synchro was 25, so 30 to 40% of that returning.
A bull should handle that ok over a day or 2.

Even in natural mating where a bull is running with 40 or 50 cows you could easily get 10 cows bulling some days.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Thanks for all the advice. Interesting that synchronising can effect subsequent heats, not sure I'd want them to be dribbling on through the summer. We have several pens next to a good handling system so serving to natural heats won't be a problem. Probably give them atleast 2 cycles, don't think the Mrs will be too pleased if I only ai'd her Longhorn once before I turned it out with the Blonde bull ?
I was thinking of doing a refresher course, plus I have a few dairy farmer friends who have said I could go there for a practice.

If serving heifers serve them on standing heat you will find it easier. Well that’s what I found.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

I sync heifers and turn them out to bulls. Sync cows and ai them as you get better conception with cows.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

I sync heifers and turn them out to bulls. Sync cows and ai them as you get better conception with cows.

In theory heifers should be the most fertile.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

In theory heifers should be the most fertile.

Agreed but they are more nervous in the crush when being inseminated. I always get better results with cows than heifers. I put heifers on a 30 day programme so they come bulling over 2/3 days and put 8-10 heifers per bull

 

[Whitepeak]

For those that serve to natural heats, are you using any heat detection aids like kamars, chalk etc. Or just doing it from observations.

 

[M-J-G]

I sync heifers and turn them out to bulls. Sync cows and ai them as you get better conception with cows.

I've found the opposite, heifers were pretty good, cows were very poor.

 

[M-J-G]

Agreed but they are more nervous in the crush when being inseminated. I always get better results with cows than heifers. I put heifers on a 30 day programme so they come bulling over 2/3 days and put 8-10 heifers per bull

Do you think the nerves were making them less likely to be fertile?

 

[primmiemoo]

For those that serve to natural heats, are you using any heat detection aids like kamars, chalk etc. Or just doing it from observations.

Years back, we'd run a steer in with a halter that would hold a raddle crayon under his chin. He would indicate standing heats that happened overnight.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Do you think the nerves were making them less likely to be fertile?

Just found they stress out and get nervous in crush as they aren’t use to going through as much as cows are. Think the nervousness effects conception rather than fertility.