Cows 365 Blog : heat detection

suckler cows on concrete slabs not detected in heat.

cows365 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:10:00 GMT

Visited a herd of suckler cows, where they were housed on concrete slabs, and to a straw bedding facilities for the suck calves. The client informed me he could not detect heats. Scanning revealed that 3 of the 34 cows presented were on heat today. Over 90% of the cows were fit and cycling normally. Confinement on concrete slabs with the addition of a suckling effect makes visual heat detection impossible. Cow comfort was the simple answer to this man's problems. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.ie

Scanning cows for an Autumn & Spring calving programme.

cows365 — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:41:00 GMT

Morning rise and time first call this morning was down to Dungarvan,County Waterford, to scan a herd of Holstein dairy cows where the Winter breeding programme had been completed and they were about to start their Spring breeding programme. There were 35% of the cows eligible for breeding in the Winter breeding programme that failed to establish pregnancy after a 10 week breeding period. These cows are now going to be recycled into the Spring breeding programme and synchronised for breeding to reduce the calving to pregnancy interval. The cows from the Spring calving section were pre-scanned and bred naturally over the next three weeks. Those cows not detected in heat will be scanned in four weeks time. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com

The accuracy of the MooMonitor in heat detection

cows365 — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:01:00 GMT

Visited Dairymaster in County Kerry to see heat detection in cows using MooMonitor®. I travelled from County Limerick down to meet staff at Dairymaster to discuss research work conducted by ourselves for Dairymaster. Experimental work revealed that the heat detection rate using the MooMonitor®in terms of positive heats detected was in excess of 85%. This was uniquely validated by ourselves - Dr.Dan Ryan scanning as a tool to identify when cows come into heat based on follicler dynamics and CL development. Having seen the data presented in graphic form revealed how accurate the heat detection system was picking up the cows in heat for the purposes of AI. Dr.Dan Ryan @ www.cows365.com

Pedometers as a heat detection aid for cows

cows365 — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:12:00 GMT

Scanned a dairy herd in County Waterford this evening where pedometers are placed on the cows as aid to heat detection. In my opinion, pedometers are an aid in heat detection and should not be used as the sole method of heat detection in cows. Heats can be missed. Cows can be AI’d incorrectly time-wise. Stockman ship skills slip because farmers will not spend time watching the cows. Dr Dan @ www.cows365.com

Pedometeres used in heat detection

cows365 — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:02:00 GMT

Visited a farm in County Louth where we scanned a herd of cows which had pedometers used as a tool in heat detection. Pedometers, in my opinion work well if heats are evidently shown. They will not pick up on silent heats. On the farm visited today, 20% of the cows presented had heats as determined by ultrasonography which were not picked up the pedometer heat detection system. The major danger with this technology is that the farmer becomes dependant on the machine to detect heats and spends less time watching the cows for visual signs of heat or other signs or other than a standing heat. Dr.Dan Ryan @ www.cows365.com

Big freeze causing havoc with heat detection

cows365 — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:42:00 GMT

On calls today in around Limerick and Clare with Winter milk breeding programmes, pre-breed heat detection showing high percentage of cows with no previous recorded heats having ovulated in the previous week to 10 days. This is associated with poor environmental conditions for the animals to express heat activity and the inability of clients to spend the time with the harsh weather conditions observing the cows in heat. Dr.Dan @ www.cows365.com

Ultrasonography as a tool in diagnosis of pregnancy in the dairy herd

cows365 — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:49:00 GMT

Visited a herd down in County Wexford which has had tremendous problems with heat detection. The client has just installed a heat detection system unvolving the use of ''accelerometers''. In addition he used oestrous synchronisation programmes to group cows as used in America for AI. Total cost of synchronisation programme is working out at 40.00Euro per cow. He claimed that he was able to get 40% pregnancy rate on the basis of the system. However, the cost of the system is at present prohibitive. Ultrasonography revealed that in excess of 20% of the herd was empty after a 16 week breeding period. The animals that were diagnosed not pregnant were not in a fit state to go in calf.

Dr Dan

www.cows365.com

Cows eligible for service not being detected in heat

cows365 — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:26:00 GMT

Visited a herd in County Limerick today of about 250 cows. 25% of cows that were eligible for service were not detected in heat. It was interesting that all cows were anoestrus.Body condition score on the cows was not low- cows would have been fit for breeding on general observation. Locomotion scans were excellent. Body condition score ranged from 1.75 to 2.5 but further questioning of the client showed that the main issue on the farm in recent weeks has seen a significant decrease in butter fat percentages of milk which would concur with aceponemia in the cows and this in turn would have resulted in cows to stop cycling or not to begin cycling post calving. All of the cows presented on this farm were greater 50 days calved.

Dr Dan

www.cows365.com

heat detection using Kamar v's heat seaker device in dairy cows and heifers

cows365 — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:29:00 GMT

A major issue with reproductive management programmes at this time of year is detection of heats among cows & heifers for AI where the number of animals available for heat detection has reduced after the first and second service periods. I have looked at both the use of Kemar (registered) v's heat seeker device (registered) . They are both devices which are put on the rear of the animal facing the animal's head. Client's experience that have used them is that they prefer the heat seeker device as the device is larger and stays in place and releases dye over a larger surface area making the signs of heat more evident. Kamar (registered) are approximately 50% of the cost of the heat seeker device.

www.cows365.com

Impact of suckling affect on reproductive performance

cows365 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:56:00 GMT

Visited a herd in County Kerry today. Pedigree Limousin cows with single suckling animals combined indoors. Calving in September and October, had a major issue with heat detection and on advice, separated the cows from the calves on a once a day basis for feeding. Dramatically, improved heat detection & pregnancy rate to first service was 72%.