AI calving dates [variation]

We just calved the last of our AI sired calves tonight about 2AM.We bred 17 cows after giving one shot of estrumate on heat detection and settled 13 all to Lautner bulls mostly Monopoly or Heat Wave sons.By the calender the due date was March 10th.The first was born Feb28th and last March 20th .All delivered live calves with only one needing assistance[the last one].birth weights were all around 90#s and none over 110#.We then turned a clone out and they are about to start .These were all at least 2nd calf cows and are moderate in frame but weigh over 1200#easy.We have AId since 1970 and have seen about every thing possible [worst being a PHA monster]every different position but this year except for the weather has started good.Hope calving goes well for everyone.

We A.I'd for the first time this year and the first cow is due Friday. Thus far we had 1 set of twins (1 week early) and 1 calf (6 days early). It seems as I walk though the cows I can pick a few that are definately bred (swollen/puffy hind end, bigger/more full udder, etc.) Any experience in noticing when these signs of calving start showing up? The cow that is due Friday is SLIGHTLY swollen in the hind end, but not bagged up whatsoever...is it safe to assume she didn't settle A.I.? I know time will tell, but curiosity is killing me!

Sometimes it can be a little tricky to tell...they don't ALL go by the book. Usually, they start to bag up before there's much swelling behind. If she's two days from her due date, she likely didn't stick. But then again, that's not a guarantee! She could go ten days over, and occasionally we have one that just doesn't bag up a lot until the last minute. They aren't normally the same ones that go over by many days, but there's no absolute.

I would just check them all twice a day, morning & night, and pay attention to changes. When one starts changing faster, she's probably getting close. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones that look like "any minute now" for a week or two!

Good luck...I'm glad to say we're done until September! Last cow calved yesterday...found the twin bouncing around in the field this morning! Didn't even see him yesterday! Lol

Studies show there is a easy two week window on each side and I have seen this play out in real life time and time again.  Studies also show outliers being almost 4 weeks on each side, I have seen just a handful of those.

cowpoke said:

We just calved the last of our AI sired calves tonight about 2AM.We bred 17 cows after giving one shot of estrumate on heat detection and settled 13 all to Lautner bulls mostly Monopoly or Heat Wave sons.By the calender the due date was March 10th.The first was born Feb28th and last March 20th .All delivered live calves with only one needing assistance[the last one].birth weights were all around 90#s and none over 110#.We then turned a clone out and they are about to start .These were all at least 2nd calf cows and are moderate in frame but weigh over 1200#easy.We have AId since 1970 and have seen about every thing possible [worst being a PHA monster]every different position but this year except for the weather has started good.Hope calving goes well for everyone.

Click to expand...

We want to do some AI this year sounds like you had good results what do you mean about giving a shot of estrumate  on heat detection? You give the shot then heat detect and AI when they
come into heat?

Estrumate and Lutalyse are two different trade names for similar products that basically do the same thing. Prostaglandin shots are used to bring cows into heat  or to help synchronize heats for a group of females. It helps to group cattle together or to get cattle to cycle sooner than to wait on natural heats. It doesn't affect conception rates either way. 

Our vet last year wanted us to give a shot of fertygle (Sp?) when we ai to help with the release of the egg. We never did it but it would be interesting to know if it helps and how much?

Sounds like the same thing as Cystorelin. It causes her to ovulate which especially helps if you happen to be breeding a little early. If you're breeding on time or late, obviously she should be ovulating on her own, and you wouldn't necessarily need that. It's kind of a shot of insurance to make sure ovulation takes place before it's too late based on when the semen is deposited.

Now that you say that I think it is in the same family of meds as cystorelin.

I have two cows that are AI. One is due to SAV Peacemaker (Angus) on March 30th. The other one is due April 5th to Walks Alone. Never had the one that's due to WA preg checked...but she bellied down some and is very "big" from behind. I haven't seen her in heat since the end of June so I'm really hoping she stuck.

I should have written we gave the cows a shot of estrumate and then heat detected and bred like normal.Standing before noon bred later that evening.Standing at night breed next day.I have AId several cows and were one of the first to use Lutalyze[spelling/]when it first became available.Usually no matter how we do it 65% seems to be what we settle and due to time restaints we only AI once and turn out a good bull.People that consistantly raise good cattle earn every cent premium they get because if it was easy there would be more famous people.

Ain't that the truth!...

I think we do fairly well most years with AI and we also typically breed one time & turn out with the best bull we can afford for clean up. Those calves are sometimes better than some of the AI calves, so it works. We use Lutalyse and occasionally a few CIDRs, the goal being to get everything settled as soon as possible & keep the calving season tight. Cows that calve late generally get turned straight out--no AI--no matter who she is...and they usually make up the lost time the next year doing that. They'll cycle faster running with a bull than they will standing around in a dry lot waiting to get AI'ed.

We got 9 out of 11 AI'ed last May with only 1 or 2 repeats.  The 2 that didn't settle, one was cycling in Sept. so we turned the bull back with her, and the other is due April 1 to the bull.  We AI for a friend that has 8 cows and as far as we know only got 2 AI.  But it's hard to figure out when they were in when soneone else is heat detecting and not totally sure what they are looking for.  Makes our average look bad but you have to know your cows and what to look for when heat detecting.