Synchronize Estrus for AIing

[uluru]

This is the uninitiated talking now.

I have not used AI in my breeding program before and this year it is my intent to AI all of my cows - about 25 - no virgin heifers

I understand from my quick research there are three products available for synchronization

Prostaglandins
    Lutalyse
    Estrumate
    IN-SYNCH
Progestins
    CIDR
    MGA
Gonadotropins (GnRH)
    Cystaorelin
    Factrel
    Fertagyl


I am the first to admit I know nothing about any of these products that I searched from the internet and I am seeking info on what is best/easiest and what gives the best success rates.
I will have an experienced professional do the AIing and will also seek his advice.
You feedback will be appreciated.

Bob

 

[OH Breeder]

Attached are the protocols I use. I follow the time breeding with a shot of GNRH then Lutalyse then GNRH again when we AI. So far we have had pretty good success with our cows. I have found that waiting longer towards the 72 hour window post pulling CIDR my conception rate seem to be better. I also watched for signs of AI. As far as the drugs, I ahve found they are all pretty consistent and haven't made a significant difference by manufacture.

 

[CAB]

Attached are the protocols I use. I follow the time breeding with a shot of GNRH then Lutalyse then GNRH again when we AI. So far we have had pretty good success with our cows. I have found that waiting longer towards the 72 hour window post pulling CIDR my conception rate seem to be better. I also watched for signs of AI. As far as the drugs, I ahve found they are all pretty consistent and haven't made a significant difference by manufacture.

Shawn you should add the 5 day co-synch protocol to this and move it to the hall of fame for further reference. good info for PPL IMO.

 

[cdncowboy]

  I've never used anything but the CIDR's with a timed AI, for me its the easiest and cheapest.  You have to have a certain willingness to live with lower conceptions, I've been as low as 55% as high as 80% with an average over 8 years of 69%.  Might just be coincidence but the one year I went the cheaper route and used Lute rather than Estrumate was also the  year of the 55% conception, went back the following year to Estrumate conceptions were up again.  I also hire an AI tech, so having him here once to AI is simpler for both of us and cheaper for me. 
 

 

[CAB]

I also have stronger and more heat using Estrumate over Lute. It may cost 50 cents more, but I think well worth it.

 

[uluru]

Thanks OHBreeder for the protocols.
A big help
Other comments also appreciated.

 

[sue]

Bob
I would talk to Aaron at A&T- he will breed 1000's of head this spring.  Cindy Cagwin is another good source, she is breeding several 100 head.
Good luck.

 

[CAB]

My son & I are going to put cidrs in 93 heifers this afternoon and will pull them the 20th of April, shot of estrumate on the 6th of May, heat detect and breed through the am of the 9th and TAI anything that hasn't shown any signs of heat 4pm-6pm on the 9th. Heifers are a spec. project for a young man. I've never used a 14 day protocol B4. Does anyone have any experience using this program?

 

[Bawndoh]

No doubt about it, go with Estrumate, and CIDR's forsure.  I believe I have heard that cystorelin is the better GNRH as well.  If you can, I would probably rather go with a two shot Estrumate program and breed off
heats instead.  It is always more gratifying to be breeding a cow that you know was actually in heat.

 

[hamburgman]

Why you doing a 14 day protocol? There is a chance that some of the heifers will cycle early because 14 days is the limit on the amount of progesterone in those CIDRS

 

[CAB]

Why you doing a 14 day protocol? There is a chance that some of the heifers will cycle early because 14 days is the limit on the amount of progesterone in those CIDRS

Custom application I guess and the boss is always right until something doesn't work quite the way it was suppose to, then we all know who's fault it is!!

 

[LN]

I'm doing some AI work for a neighbor with your same circumstances.

I'm going to use the 5-day Co-synch CIDR Time AI protocol for his cows. I've been e-mailing back and forth with a USDA researcher who compares success rates of synch protocols and he said bottomline if it were his cows, he would use the 5-day program. The negative of the protocol is another trip through the chute and another shot of prostaglandin, however, success rates are higher than the 7-day co-synch CIDR and my thoughts are the extra shots of prostaglandin will be made up for by 1-3 more AI sired calves. I'll be using the 5-day protocol on my cows next year.

The products I have used are lutalyse and cystorelin and happy with both.

 

[hamburgman]

can you show me the 5 day co-synch protocol please?  I talked to a professor about it and he said that originally it was a 5 day protocol but because the big dairies do a herd health every tuesday it was switched to a 7 day protocol.

 

[Mueller Show Cattle]

Here is a link to the 5 day synch AI and the others also that Purdue University did research on and the 5 day was the highest preg rate of the timed cidr. Basically same as seven day but pull the cidr two days earlier and you give 2 injections of PGF at 12 hours apart and AI 72 hours after removal of cidr and 1st injection of PGF. This link explains it all and has good information on the different AI synch programs.

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS_575_W.pdf

 

[hamburgman]

Wonder why they are going with 2 shots of PGF2alpha, I bet a guy could not do that first one, and just give a shot at 12 hrs post cidr pull.  What does everyone else think?

 

[LN]

From what I understand it is to make sure the cow's system is rid of progestin from the CIDR.

 

[CAB]

Here is a link to the 5 day synch AI and the others also that Purdue University did research on and the 5 day was the highest preg rate of the timed cidr. Basically same as seven day but pull the cidr two days earlier and you give 2 injections of PGF at 12 hours apart and AI 72 hours after removal of cidr and 1st injection of PGF. This link explains it all and has good information on the different AI synch programs.

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS_575_W.pdf

Great info in the link to Purdue's research. Thought it was an interesting point that using the 5 day co-synch cidr program without the 2nd shot of PG @ 12 hours after the first shot of PG, that there was no advantage over the 7 day co-synch/cidr program, but the 5 day co-synch/cidr program when implemented fully boasted nearly 20% increase in AI preg. rates using TAI on some real #s of cows which is what I had been told to be the expected increased preg. rates.

 

[HAB]

We have had good luck with the 7 day CIDR program.  It has really worked well on later calving cows, to get them bumped back up.

 

[Mueller Show Cattle]

I think the 70% success rate on the 5 day over the 55% over the 7 day would be a no brainer, at least to me. I have used the 7 day cidr synch the past couple of years and at best had a 60% success rate, I'm gonna give the 5 day cidr synch a shot. If you would be doing a 100 head, on average it shows you would would have 15 more calfs from the first AI, that would well pay for the extra shot of PGF and saving another 15 straws of semen. PGF is way cheaper than the semen cost, makes sense to me.  Plus you almost save 2 days time between the 5 day and 2 day. I will also definitely AI 72 hours after pulling cidr compared to 60 hours, 70 % compared to 57%, well worth waiting that extra 12 hours to AI. It's hard to deny these results, like I said I am going to give the 5 day program a shot on my heard in a couple of months.

 

[LN]

I think the 70% success rate on the 5 day over the 55% over the 7 day would be a no brainer, at least to me. I have used the 7 day cidr synch the past couple of years and at best had a 60% success rate, I'm gonna give the 5 day cidr synch a shot. If you would be doing a 100 head, on average it shows you would would have 15 more calfs from the first AI, that would well pay for the extra shot of PGF and saving another 15 straws of semen. PGF is way cheaper than the semen cost, makes sense to me.  Plus you almost save 2 days time between the 5 day and 2 day. I will also definitely AI 72 hours after pulling cidr compared to 60 hours, 70 % compared to 57%, well worth waiting that extra 12 hours to AI. It's hard to deny these results, like I said I am going to give the 5 day program a shot on my heard in a couple of months.

The researcher from USDA told me to not use this protocol expecting 70% conception, but it does give better results than the 7-day. He compiled data collected from many trials using the 5 day and with over 2000 cows synched this way there was a 68.2% conception rate. The individual trial results ranged from 59.4% to 80%.