Bullin Heifers

alderdeer

Im in da process of changing system from stores to sucklin, I already have 10 cows which ive always used AI on so i have a small bit of experience tryin to get em in calf,
This year i have a further 40 heifers to bull and thats where my problem is, Eventually i would like to buy a char bull, but for this year im considering buying a limousin, or else use AI on all but i think it might be a bit too big of a number to catch em all in heat, it was suggested to me to syncronise em but i dont know a thing about it, mostly the cost of it is it worth looking into

mantua

You wouldn't think about doing the DIY AI course?? think its around €1000 including a few days getting training and your flask for the straws and i think its around €130 to keep the flask maintained every year! a lot of farmers are doing it now to get their calving period tighter every year and get a teaser bull and your flying!! that only suits full time farmers though i suppose because you would want to be looking for heat atleast 3 times a day!!

jeff greene

Bigger number will make catching heats easier, bull to standing heat for 6 days, then inject 2ml of estrumate to those not seen bulling, inject remainder 10 days later. This is the method I use, there are other ways too

alderdeer

hey jeff greene just checked out some other threads on da subject from last year and same advice is coming up, it sounds very interesting what do you inject with on day 1 and da heifers have just been on silage all winter is there anythng id want to be doing over next few weeks with them

jeff greene

alderdeer wrote: »

hey jeff greene just checked out some other threads on da subject from last year and same advice is coming up, it sounds very interesting what do you inject with on day 1 and da heifers have just been on silage all winter is there anythng id want to be doing over next few weeks with them

Depends on their weight and size, if you think their big enough just keep them going and try to keep it consistent, when are you planning to bull them, when are they going out?

Bizzum

alderdeer wrote: »

what do you inject with on day 1

Nothing. The first days of the synchronisation programme are observation, and AI anything thats showing heat.
Try the link below, page 67 if it doesn't go there direct.(I see this link won't bring you to page 67, but click on the catalogue and go there anyway.) There is a table with it all set out.

http://www.progressivegenetics.ie/testsite/beefdata/beeffeature.php

With heifers I'd be starting bulling early to allow them time to go back in calf after their first calf. If it was me I'd be starting now!

vanderbadger

sounds like alot of work calving that many first timers..would you be as well just to get yourself the easiest calving angus bull you could and let him off with them for their first season and maybe get the ai going for season 2

blue5000

+1 on vanderbadgers comment, you would buy a decent angus bull for 1500e, what would it cost to estrumate and ai 40 heifers? You could always sell the bull when you're finished with him.

jeff greene

AI is an investment as the bulls are always better, synchronisation with 2ml of estrumate is about €6, also you can guarantee calving ease and bull fertility, we bought an ‘easy calving' hereford last year to sweep the heifers and he is throwing huge calves, locally lads with AA are getting big calves too. Another advantage is non cycling heifers can be caught earlier and you get very compact calving. Saying that you may need a bull anyway to catch repeats

Bizzum

I'd be a strong advocate of AI, buy in this case with 40 heifers, no doubt there is a lot of work with it here. To much for me anyway.
Estrumate is about €7 a shot. I think 1.5 straws/ heifer is ballpark, employing any of the AI companies, I suppose €35 would be fairly typical for a straw and a half in the cow. It starts to add up. Now I'm well aware of the pros and cons of AI v's bull but if I had this amount of work ahead of me,I'd be thinking of picking up a handy Lim bull, and sell him off when the job is done.
If the heifers were smallish or very muscular maybe a Salers, and you'd have nice coloured calves if nothing else.

alderdeer

the heifers would be mainly lim x and turning 2yr, they wouldnt be in bad condition just like all stock now burnt up from being indoors,
The reason i dont want any calves before next feb is housing, being in stores its all slatted sheds with no creep area and no room to expand sheds. i wouldnt like to be bettin on all januarys being as mild as this one.
As regards using Bull or AI it would be nice to think i might have something worth sellin in the autumn next yr,

stanflt

i use coils and estrumate on all the heifers. last year we split the heifers into lots of 20. works really well. 17 of the first batch milking away or sold. milking can be a bitch the first week with so many calving and the heifers reluctant to go into the parlour. AI all the way here- hols bulls only im afraid.

Bizzum

alderdeer wrote: »

As regards using Bull or AI it would be nice to think i might have something worth sellin in the autumn next yr,

I take it then that AA, HER or SAL don't float your boat! I don't use them either.
From heifers we have got some lovely stock off Lim, BA, even BB and tried a Part for the first time last year.
Plenty of choice out there for you. Ultimately it depends on what you want to produce yourself.