All things Dairy
- Thread starter Cows 'n grass
- Start date
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Same company or different?
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Had a similar problem few years ago , rest of tank was spotless! Bactos astronomically high !Struggling with a bacto of mid 30s-mid 40s for the last month. Tanker was earlier than usual tonight so got in for a look after spending most of the last week checking everything else, absolutely spotless except one tiny bit of cheese on the back of the paddle. Looks like a milk sample bottle blocking the spray ball has caused it
Should bring the bacto down a bit hopefully.
TheRanger
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
There will be variations in semen fertility, with 100 different factors at play (genetics, sexing technique, handling, transportation, etc).
With an average sample size of 13, probably not worth drawing any large conclusions.
Genuinely reckon some bulls are better than others.
Not something the AI companies ever give us data on.
The question is, is one bull better because the semen is more viable to start with? Or has been kept/stored better? Or goes through the sexing machine better? Or was handled better in transit? Or a combination?
Too many variables
TheRanger
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
Really hoping this solves it, because our 3 month average has just crept over the penalty threshold. Don't think we've ever had a bacto penalty before so will be really annoyed if the tanker driver dropping a sample bottle into the tank and not telling me has caused it.
For example, some bulls are not available as sexed, because they are not viable enough after going through the sexing machine.Genuinely reckon some bulls are better than others.
Not something the AI companies ever give us data on.
The question is, is one bull better because the semen is more viable to start with? Or has been kept/stored better? Or goes through the sexing machine better? Or was handled better in transit? Or a combination?
Too many variables
That therefore means that there are others that are just above the threshold, and others far above it.
TheRanger
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
Alta can rank their bulls on real world conception rates, but as you say, so many variables it's probably not worth fixating on it too much.
Yes
Came to the same conclusion it wasnt a big sample to come to much, just worked out quickly what held to what,
There are many many variables, before it ever reaches the cow!Genuinely reckon some bulls are better than others.
Not something the AI companies ever give us data on.
The question is, is one bull better because the semen is more viable to start with? Or has been kept/stored better? Or goes through the sexing machine better? Or was handled better in transit? Or a combination?
Too many variables
TheRanger
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
Very good conception rates on the sexed. Can't seem to get >40% with sexed on cows here, but regularly getting 60% plus with BB, and 60%+ with sexed on maidens.
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Sample size just isn't big enough.
One year a Norwegian red was our worst bull of 6. Following year he was the best.
I serve 7 days a week and all cows are picked under the same routine by cow manager. Wednesdays conception rate this year is far worse than the rest of the week.
Sylution
Member
- Location
- Carmarthenshire
Sassafras has worked well here, also Jingle has worked well. From my smallish sample 36 and 38 pregnancies from 50 straws each purchased. Applejax has however been disappointing, had 21pregnancies out of 50 to the first 50 purchased and had purchased 50more before realising this.
Now I only use on what I think are the most fertile cow families and heifers, but so it will take a few years to finish him off. Lovely calves mind and have a few milking heifers from him now that are really nice. Used a bull years ago Regencrest Ireland and only 3 held out of 20.... When fertility to other bulls was good. Don't think all bulls suit sexing. 
- Location
- somerset
hope you sort it quickly. We had problems for months, around the 50 mark, in/out of penalty bands, costs us £1,000's, in swabbing, testing, penalties, searching and chemicals
started taking the whole parlour to pieces, in desperation. Found 'it' almost immediately, more luck than anything. Taking the 100mm milkline apart, sunlight just caught 'something', that was it, the surge washing, wasn't touching about 6ins on the top of the pipe. Easy cure, but that pipe had been swabbed from every milk point, and been given the 'it cannot possibly be there'.............
had 2 huge bacto's recently. Tanker firm changed, went from auto sample, to manual, from the tap, which was never used, easy cure, thankfully.
Kiss
Member
- Location
- North west
need to shred the cows also to know what’s gone on with the sexed
lactation (we don’t go above 5th with sexed)
Days open want them open 6 weeks
Previous heat won’t go on first cycle with sexed
Would be sent away for analysis to before it got anywhere near a cow here.
lactation (we don’t go above 5th with sexed)
Days open want them open 6 weeks
Previous heat won’t go on first cycle with sexed
Would be sent away for analysis to before it got anywhere near a cow here.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
Has anybody got a submersible pump they use for pumping milk that they would recommend? We are settling up a new feeding system for the heifer calves totally separate from the beef calves so no Chance of whole milk reaching them. Had grand plans of a bulk tank and a milk pump as per the other system. But cash flow means we have set it up (so far) with all existing materials.
- Location
- God's side of the border.
Season 2024 gets underway
Hill Dairy
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
We run one of these on a remote control swich with float cable tied up.
