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Using a vasectomised bull - first time

  • 24-06-2010 9:09am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭


    I use all AI on my suckler cows. This year I decided to vasectomise a small weanling bull I had from last year. It worked a treat, with some cows bulling only a month after calving.
    The problem is I'm getting a serious amount of repeats. For the last 2 years I ran a bullock with them, and while they were slow to come bulling, I had very few repeats. Maybe 1 or 2 in a herd of about 15.

    Anyone have any ideas what's wrong?

    I put a mineral bucket with them from the start.
    What i have noticed is, the bull will try and mount them long before true 'standing heat' so it's harder to judge the right time for AI'ing.
    Also while he is vasectomised, he still fills them internally with semen (obviously with no sperm) but could this effect the AI process.

    Don't say it's BVD or Lepto. :mad:


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭theroad


    Well, I've used a vasectomised bull with our dairy herd for the last two seasons and am fairly happy with how he worked out. Yes, he follows the cows for a day before they will stand...and then mounts them when they will... That's still plenty of time to serve the cows with AI, though I am told sucklers go off heat a bit quicker.

    A natural serve doesn't deposit semen beyond the cervix, so I'd be surprised if his seminal fluid interfered with AI. If anything I'd have thought it might help by lubricating the gun going to the cervix.

    What could the problem be? Bad semen (check with Oliver McDonnell!), dodgy technique (nothing personal, just trying to list the options), nutrition, stress on the cows, disease (BVD, lepto, IBR, neospora...) Dunno. You could get them scanned to see they're ok internally. Or it could be just an unlucky run that will sort itself out naturally. It would be worth running past the vet, if you trust his judgement.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    Thanks 'theroad'. No I dont actually do the AI myself. It's done by an NCBC technician. He's always done it.He's at it years, so I doubt it very much if it's down to him.

    The cows, it anything, are in better condition than previous years.
    I just hope it's not a disease in the herd.

    Maybe I should talk to the vet.

    Could be all the sun we're getting.:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 858 ✭✭✭tismesoitis


    pakalasa wrote: »
    I use all AI on my suckler cows. This year I decided to vasectomise a small weanling bull I had from last year. It worked a treat, with some cows bulling only a month after calving.
    The problem is I'm getting a serious amount of repeats. For the last 2 years I ran a bullock with them, and while they were slow to come bulling, I had very few repeats. Maybe 1 or 2 in a herd of about 15.

    Anyone have any ideas what's wrong?

    I put a mineral bucket with them from the start.
    What i have noticed is, the bull will try and mount them long before true 'standing heat' so it's harder to judge the right time for AI'ing.
    Also while he is vasectomised, he still fills them internally with semen (obviously with no sperm) but could this effect the AI process.
    Don't say it's BVD or Lepto. :mad:
    we used a vasectomised bull 4 the 1st time this year too and also had lower conception rates although he tightened up the calving big time. i put the lower conception down to actually serving them so much sooner after calving. we actually had one cow scaned incalve after being served 34 days after calving.on the whole i'd recon we pulled all the cows back at least 2 weeks despite more repeats.:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    tismesoitis,
    Yep I was thinking the same myself. I've heard of dairy farmers skipping the first heat and not AI'ing till the second before.

    BTW, I would recomend the vasectomised bull to anyone. The way I see it, the young bull will be growing away, putting on weight, so he'll more than earn his keep. I hope to keep mine for another year, if he dont turn wicked.:rolleyes:


This discussion has been closed.
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