Pregnancy rates?

I was wondering this morning as I was out cking cows, how much did the heat/drought effect preg. rates in Texas & other affected areas last season? Curious as to what to expect in some areas next spring.

Our top, most fertile cow, a 5 year old that has had 5 calves, came back into heat this morning  :'(  She always sticks by her second AI, and the only breeding age bull we have is her son from last year. We are real bummed, she calved April 1st, two weeks late, a Fat Butt heifer calf, which set her up late for cycling. That is the latest she has ever calved, and her last few heats were when it was 100 plus here. We have two others that are 21 days this weekend, same story (I hope they stick but doubt it). They have all been AI'd at least 3 times now. They are daughters of the cow mentioned above, so the bull is a maternal brother to them. So, really can not cover them with the bull. We have a Oct 3/4 blood that is real nice, but I do not think he is quiet old enough to get the job done. And, it is still hot!
We are quiet bummed over here...

Summer heat is only one of the several reasons we calve our spring calvers early. I start AIing around March 20 so we can start calving January 1st. I wish I could have every female in that herd bred up in 30 days, but I can't say that happens most years. I do have one small group...9 out of 11 safe to the AI date...other two bred on the first heat after that, so not many of em, but they'll be tight together next spring.

If they get later than March 1 they don't get ai'ed & if they can't gain some time the next year, we have a hard time keeping em around. I understand wanting everything to be AI bred & it's hard to justify keeping a bull around all year if you have a small herd, but I think you kinda need a bull you can turn out if you're in the cattle business.

Looking at our own herd, I would say alot of cows are either going to be open or bred late.  The past 20 some days has been a little cooler here and it seems like the bulls have been busy (which I don't like this late).  Usually we would pull bulls on 1rst of Sept. 
But what are the options?
Leave the bulls in a little longer and have later breds?
Pull the bulls and have opens that would most likely have been bred if the temps wouldn't have been so hot.  If this is done should these be sold or moved to fall breeding (which is in a few months)?  Cows are in good shape just evidently did not breed because of the heat.  June 1rst thru mid August there just wasn't that many normal day and night time temps.
So I think we will leave a bull out another couple weeks and preg check early to see what is what.  It just seems like alot of cows have been cycling lately? I don't mind getting rid of some cows but there looks to be more than usual.  I have mixed feelings about what will ultimately be the best approach.

I've been hearing May was a good breeding month but after that not so good? 

Lean Beef:  we used to calve in Jan and Feb. (I didn't really like the weather) although they were usually bred.

6 out of the first 11 (4 heifers and 2 cows ) went to market saturday... open

Good, sound breeding cattle should calve once every 11-12 months. AI once then go to the bull to keep your cows on track. Buy a high quality sound bull for clean up. Not all cattle can be AI'd. And, of course AI success goes down in the high temperatures and heat stress like when the cows core temp goes above 102-104 degrees. Good luck.

sent SOME IN THE other day and early bred cows were excellent ,put some embryo's in for middle march and it was very hot when put in, look's like that wasn't to good expect those bred in June and
July to have problems ....

Freddy said:

sent SOME IN THE other day and early bred cows were excellent ,put some embryo's in for middle march and it was very hot when put in, look's like that wasn't to good expect those bred in June and
July to have problems ....

Click to expand...

I agree!  We have only ultrasound pregged our heifers and they were decent. 52 head of black heifers started ai breeding May 12 and pulled the bull June 6th, 79% ai, 15% bull bred, 6% open. 25 head of red heifers, started breeding ai May 12, pulled the bull July 15, 72% ai, 8% bull bred, 20% open. Basically, anything that wasnt bred by the 1st of June was open, its understandable, thats when it turned hot, rain quit and grass burned up- they didnt have a chance in hell of breeding. 

All my cow are at the ET vet and the results have been dismal.  My no miss legend cow and a Holstein receip heifer took first time. They are on the third heat for a couple and I am waiting preg checks.  Dang heat!!!!!!  June, July , and August were always almost near 100.  I have saved two cows back for fall calving.  My experience in NE Iowa this year was  similar to the southern folks experience last year. Maybe I should switch to white cows.

I only have about a dozen cows. Small herd, but they all are individuals. No bull ever on the place for over 20 years.

This year, amazingly, every single cow settled to her first service, mostly from May breedings. The bad news is this -- my two oldest cows -- now 13 and 16 and both imortal almost -- Foreplay's -- both lost thier pregnancies in the last 2 weeks. The temps were starting to go down a little, but the 90 days of hell they endured before that put them over the top for stress I am sure. One was 75 days, the other was 81 days. Obviously aborted -- string and all.

Now, the hard decision -- they are both OLD cows, although darn good ones. Both had full sib Mono's this spring and are the best two calves we have. Can I afford to run them both open, at this age -- at today's feed costs. No -- so off they go soon. I may wait a bit and flush them both just for the hell of it -- at least I'd have some eggs to use next year on my favorite two cows. Compasion sucks some times doesn't it???

Terry

Cowboy:  I understand it is easy to get attached to a few of your girls that have been around for a long time-- I will have that scenario in a couple years too--
We are checking on Sept. 14 for pregs-- I am of the mind right now- that even if they check to be set to have May or June calves-- I am going to go ahead and let them calve.  I know that throws my spring way out of whack- but right now for my operation a late calf is better than no calf at all.  Sometimes those Jr. calves will catch up fast in the fall and by the time Nov./Dec. comes around you can't tell the difference.

Opens will be another story-- they most likely will have to go to town. 
EF