AI problems

We AI'd six former show heifers last June and early July and only two took but were bred with our herd bull.  We thought we caught them all in good heat but we did not syncronize.  What could be the problem?  Any thougts or suggestions would be great.  We are attempting to AI more this year and would like a better success rate.

mainecattlemother said:

We AI'd six former show heifers last June and early July and only two took but were bred with our herd bull.  We thought we caught them all in good heat but we did not syncronize.  What could be the problem?  Any thougts or suggestions would be great.  We are attempting to AI more this year and would like a better success rate.

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AIing off natural heats should be better than off of synchronized heats. There are too many variables to venture a educated guess as to why your conception rate wasn't better, but remember one more would put you @ 50%. Most PPL would plan on a 70% conception rate off of natural heats. My two best guesses would be breeding too early after standing heat  or poor quality of semen. Those are again just two guesses and maybe something else completely. Hope you have better luck this year. Coming 2nd calvers are tougher than virgin heifers IMHO.

Statistically speaking, if you had a 70% chance of getting each heifer bred you'd still have 2 or fewer stick to AI about 7% of the time on 6 head.

I am confused by your post.  Did you get two heifers bred AI and the other four got bred to the bull or did only two out of the six get bred period and they were both bred to the bull?

Two calves were bred AI and the others were bred by herd bull.