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Scanning and fertility.

  • 22-06-2019 12:42PM
    #1
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,598 ✭✭✭


    Scanned a bundle of cows and 2yo heifers the other day. They are with the bull since the 12th of April and are in great form. The strongest 4 out of the 8 heifers aren't showing up in calf yet. All are cycling, no cysts or anything else out of the ordinary and maybe have been bulled over the last few weeks and it's too soon to pick up yet but I'm a bit disappointed all the same. They are 550-600kg at the moment. Had a few dry cows after last year that shouldn't have been dry aswell and I'm starting to wonder if there's some other underlying issue causing it. Going to scan them again in a month and get a blood test done if any show up empty. Anyone else had similar problems? Have 17 in that bundle and 12 scanned in calf so not a bull problem either.


Comments

  • #2
    Mooooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,609 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Did you fertility test the bulls? Are you vaccinating for lepto?


  • #3
    Welding Rod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 244 ✭✭Welding Rod


    Limestone Cowboy wrote: »
    Scanned a bundle of cows and 2yo heifers the other day. They are with the bull since the 12th of April and are in great form. The strongest 4 out of the 8 heifers aren't showing up in calf yet. All are cycling, no cysts or anything else out of the ordinary and maybe have been bulled over the last few weeks and it's too soon to pick up yet but I'm a bit disappointed all the same. They are 550-600kg at the moment. Had a few dry cows after last year that shouldn't have been dry aswell and I'm starting to wonder if there's some other underlying issue causing it. Going to scan them again in a month and get a blood test done if any show up empty. Anyone else had similar problems? Have 17 in that bundle and 12 scanned in calf so not a bull problem either.

    Using AI here. Haven’t scanned yet, but had more than usual number of repeats so far on 10 autumn calved cows and a few heifers.
    Had two more this week, showing standing heat on 14 / 15 days post serve.??? Decided not to serve and wait to see on 20-21 days. Showing no sign though!! I’m hoping they were just showing false heat ????? Have to watch carefully next cycle.


  • #4
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,598 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Did you fertility test the bulls? Are you vaccinating for lepto?

    No not vaccinating for lepto as of yet anyway but I know of a few lads that had to start doing it. Would that be the big cause of fertility problems when all else appears to be ok? There's 12 out of the 17 in calf so hardly a bull problem.


  • #5
    Mooooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,609 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Limestone Cowboy wrote: »
    No not vaccinating for lepto as of yet anyway but I know of a few lads that had to start doing it. Would that be the big cause of fertility problems when all else appears to be ok? There's 12 out of the 17 in calf so hardly a bull problem.

    Lepto would effect general health, fertility milk yield etc as well so may be no harm to blood for it anyway. Bull should be fine but I've had ones firing 50/50 before which was annoying as he had some in calf and others not, so test them every year . If you can look thru the heifers dams records may help also, could just be genetics if dams had poor fertility also
    They may be incalf yet if bull is still with them as you say, the fact grass growth came in a spurt as well could mean grass had higher nitrogen which can cause embryo losses, altho some disagree with that, so they may have held, lost it and come back in again. Have you a chinball on the bull, can help monitor activity. Can be a lot of factors but you are prob on right track with the bloods and see what may be there that way anyway


  • #6
    valtra2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 759 ✭✭✭valtra2


    Scanned here last week. 37 scanned 1 cow empty and two hefiers empty 1 hefier was in the middle of losing embryo and the other came bulling the third time after ai so I did not serve her. Two cows scanned that have not been shown heats and all ok so were injected and came bulling 3 days later. Bull out next Sat and scan the rest after 35 days. Anything that was under 35 days served at the first scan was not scanned. Bull was in on 23 March. Ai started same day.


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  • #7
    grassroot1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭grassroot1


    Limestone Cowboy wrote: »
    No not vaccinating for lepto as of yet anyway but I know of a few lads that had to start doing it. Would that be the big cause of fertility problems when all else appears to be ok? There's 12 out of the 17 in calf so hardly a bull problem.

    The bull is the first place I would check. Heifers of that weight and cycling should all be incalf in 2 cycles if the bull is working OK. An infertile bull is one thing a sub fertile bull is worse. Sudden infertility may not be long term but ruins compact calving.
    Used a young bull a few years ago (as a loaner) and was impressed with his stock so bought him. Two rounds here and cows were still repeating started using BB AI to try and shorten the calving season but had a number of charolais turn up at calving. Concluded he was sub fertile worst of all problems


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