Flushing a heifer (If you could answer the other 2 Please)

[CJC]

1st :  At what age can you flush a heifer?

2nd : What is working on JPJ daughters? I'm thinking DMCC Bodybuilder or Jacee Ramblin Fever

3rd : What is working on Sunseeker daughters? I'm thinking Jacee Ramblin Fever

 

[jackpotcattle]

You can flush a heifer when she is mature enough. We have only ever flushed two virgin heifers and saw them both come in heat naturally then had our techhnician palpate them befoe we went ahead and flushed them. i know a couple people who would recommend just single egg flushing virgin heifers.

 

[CJC]

You can flush a heifer when she is mature enough. We have only ever flushed two virgin heifers and saw them both come in heat naturally then had our techhnician palpate them befoe we went ahead and flushed them. i know a couple people who would recommend just single egg flushing virgin heifers.

So your saying that when they start cycling; then their mature enough to flush?               

 

[simtal]

never flush a heifer, many will same say the same

 

[jbw]

I have a freind that flushed two hfrs.  They never bred natural. Whats a year or two to wait?

 

[DTW]

Most embyo people will tell you not to flush a virgin heifer.  Like jbw said some have never bred back and i know from personal experience a few years ago that only got one to two eggs out of virgin heifers.
I will not flush anything till she has had her second calf that way i also know how she is going to pass on her phenotypic characteristics.
Personally to many are getting flushed that have not produced anything yet.

 

[WFCC]

just a little information about flushing a virgin heifer.  we bought a heifer and couldnt get her to come into heat. she finally had her first heat and was too late to breed so we decided to flush her.  on her second natural heat of her life she produced 23 number one embryos.  so it does work! and we got her bredback first time to calve next fall!  didnt miss a beat.

 

[OH Breeder]

Guess if I am going to take the time and spend the money I am going to flush something I know works. How do you know a heifer works? How do you know what kind of mother she will be or what kind of females she will make? What if she never milks and can't raise a calf then how valuable are those eggs for heifers? What is waiting til they calve naturally and then flushing them following the first calf after you have an idea of what kind of mother they are going to be. I have also seen some show heifers who were phenomenal and never produced a calf worth selling. Seems like a high investment for risky return.

 

[WFCC]

i am not big on flushing heifers but in our situation we were going to have to carry her over to the fall and we thought we might as well flush her in case something happened to her. I totally agree with ur reasonings im just saying flushing a heifer can produce.

 

[Jill]

It actually should be the most productive time in their lives, however the risk to the reproductive future of the heifer isn't worth it for most people.

 

[TMJ Show Cattle]

Very legit questions and good answers. Personally I would not flush a heifer,just my opinion. In fact as one post stated,there are way too many heifers and cows being flushed that probably shouldn't be. Some people think and see only possible dollar signs in their decision to flush a female. Personally I have NEVER flushed a female befor her 3rd calf. She must produce really good calves out of at least 3 different bulls, of different types through AI or one natural service.Just because a female may have a great pedigree,or just because her mother or sisters have been sucessful doesn't mean squat. Challenge her to produce before you force her to produce. ..JMO.

 

[WFCC]

this is good conversation. but is all i have to say is that if a guy can sell a flush or embryos from a heifer based on pedigree then that is smart. obviously if its money that you cant turn down. 

 

[kanshow]

We flushed one.  She was a fall heifer and we were holding her over til spring.    The ET group told us they'd like to have her be at least a year old and have been cycling normally on a regular basis.    We got 16 number ones.  I can't remember the exact protocol following the flush but we followed what they said but she bred right back and she had a really nice heifer calf from that breeding.   

 

[braunvieh]

I think generally it is a risky business flushing a heifer. We had flushed a heifer once and had success. However, this heifer was almost 2 years old and the flush was an insurance policy of sorts. We went off natural heat and used a real low dose of shots on her and still got 18 embryos. The heifer is fine now and doing well but we probably will not do that again except for a special, special individual that for some reason could not wait to be flushed after raising at least a calf or two.

 

[FutureBreeder2013]

1st :  At what age can you flush a heifer?

2nd : What is working on JPJ daughters?

3rd : What is working on Sunseeker daughters?

Why do you need to flush a heifer?

Isnt flushing to get more calves from a cow you know produces the good ones?

 

[farmboy]

1st :  At what age can you flush a heifer?

2nd : What is working on JPJ daughters?

3rd : What is working on Sunseeker daughters?

Why do you need to flush a heifer?

Isnt flushing to get more calves from a cow you know produces the good ones?

Its an insurance type thing. Your heifer might be the best thing in the world. What happens when you walk out the barn and she's laying there dead? I'd want a few eggs in the tank.

 

[kanshow]

the flush was an insurance policy of sorts.

I think this is a key statement.  I'm not advocating flushing heifers, but do a little math..    If you flush a heifer with some success and get 10+ embryos from her, and if 75% of them stick & become a calf in a recip cow, that's 6 or 7 calves.  That translates into almost a lifetime of natural calves.  So if you flush her and she dies tomorrow.. look at what you have.    If you flush her and she never breeds back, you still have the opportunity to have at least something from her. 

 

[FutureBreeder2013]

Thanks guys that makes perfect sence now.

 

[WFCC]

to answer ur 3rd question, dr. who works well on the sun seekers!

 

[Titangurl]

We flushed a virgin heifer to get a immediate return on her because we had spent a bunch of money on her.  We were successful got 10 embryos put 5 in got one heifer and one bull to stick sold everything and got a return.  She is now 4 and has not had a calf!  Every vet tells us they don't know why's she's not breeding, spent a load in different bulls putting eggs in her and AI her with semen and still no natural calf.  But she is always super hot when she cycles on the money.  So no I don't recommend it at all!!