All AI on Dairy Herd??

Farfield

How many dairy farms out there would work with only Ai and have no bull on the farm?
At the minute i am "bull less" and in all year round milk. Using a lot of ai successfully along with the wee scratch cards to catch heats. Thinking seriously about no bull at all - would this be common?

stanflt

Farfield wrote: »

How many dairy farms out there would work with only Ai and have no bull on the farm?
At the minute i am "bull less" and in all year round milk. Using a lot of ai successfully along with the wee scratch cards to catch heats. Thinking seriously about no bull at all - would this be common?

whats your calving interval

bogman_bass

When we were milking (split calving) we were 100% a.i.

Still have no bull with the sucklers which are more difficult than dairy cows to breed

Mulumpy

All AI here too. Don't like the dangers and hassle of a bull plus have such a great choice with AI. Use tail paint for detection. Only hassle is separating heifers and reduced activity near the end of breeding season.

Timmaay

We were 100% AI for several yrs, that worked grand for my dad who was happy enough to operate an all year around calving season, we've had a bull last few years and he has been very handy for mopping up late in the season. I'm trying to tighten things up more here, I don't fancy being stuck calving all year around, and with heat detection, unless you have a very compact calving season, and decent fertility with the cows (ie they don't repeat the whole time!), heat detection does become a big chore! I put alot of effort into heat detection back in april/may, and got most the cows back in calf then which was fine, but over the last few months I've had alot repeating, cows that have gone say 6 or 9wks,which is annoying. I don't know if they were bulling before, and weak heats or what. I really should have left the bull in much sooner to the cows, but he was lame, and we have alot of small heifers who he would have flattened! So anyways, I'd say a bull is very very useful for late in the season, plenty of good young bulls, likes of an AA/HE/LM are perfect for dairy cows, and really will make life easier at the back end of the breeding season.

Farfield

Calving basically from October to end April here. Like to have at least 5 months in the summer where there are virtually no calvings.

Pacoa

100% AI here and have been for 40+ years. I've never purchased a bovine in me life.

mahoney_j

All ai for me too,I do run 2 teaser bulls though and theses are very good at picking up heats from mid breeding season on.calving interval of 370 days