Mini Jersey breeding after calf

[Chirpy]

Hi all! I haven't been on here in ages due to a very busy life but I'm now new to cattle and have some learning to do!
My mini jersey had a heifer calf in June this year. I am wanting to rebreed but she's nursing the calf and the bull is 1 1/2 hours away. The only sign that my cow has come back into heat was when I caught her mounting our steer out in the pasture. So, I'm not positive if she's cycling again for sure which means she will need to spend extra time at the breeders to make sure we catch her and get her bred due to the distance. I cannot take the calf with her to be bred and the calf is only 3 1/2 months old... how do I get her rebred (I don't want to do AI unless there is no other option) when the calf has to stay here?

 

[jhm47]

You could always synchronize her and then you'd have an idea of when she's in heat. What's wrong with AI? You should be able to AI her to a top quality bull for less than hauling her 1.5 hours to a bull, and then turning around and hauling her back. Also, the trip will stress her and likely lower her ability to breed.

 

[greybeard]

Any chance you could bring the bull to her?
I do understand, that AI techs are more available in some places than others, and costs vary from dirt cheap to pretty expensive, but for just one or 2 females, AI is the way to go.

 

[farmerjan]

Is there a specific reason that you don't want to AI her? If you are milking her then she is accustomed to being in a stanchion, head chute or some kind of restraint, correct? That is all that you basically need to get her AI'ed unless there is no one close by that can do her. And yes you can get semen that will hopefully give you a genetically better calf than she is. If there is no technician, anyone that does AI could come and breed her for you. Several of the dairyman in this area will go breed a neighbors "family cow" for them. If that is the case, get the semen to keep in their tank.
All that aside, did you record her "maybe" heat date on your calendar so you will know when to start watching her again? Figure anytime after 18 days she can come back in heat. They are "supposed" to be 21 day cycles but very few are exact. 18 to 24 is the "normal range". So establish a pattern for her, if she comes back in heat in 19 or 20 days mark it down, and then take her to the bull a day before she is due again. Also, the calf should be eating more grain and hay in another couple of weeks and it won't kill her to be without momma. She will holler but she will survive. Do you give it any bottles? If so, then just save enough milk and bottle feed it for a couple of feedings.
If you time it then she should hopefully only be gone a max of 24 hours to be with the bull.

 

[Chirpy]

Thank you so much for your answers. I have been told that using AI has a far less percentage of actually getting her pregnant than having her with the bull? Can anyone address that?
I did record her 'maybe' date and will be watching when the days come around again. Around here it's all meat cattle so ranchers don't AI - they just run bulls with their cows for a few months.
The calf wasn't bottle fed and we have quit milking momma due to medical issues (mine - not hers).

 

[farmerjan]

Yes, AI has a lesser percentage of her getting pregnant.. that said it is alot in the catching her in heat and doing the inseminating at the right time. So many times it is the person watching them that doesn't catch them in the right time. I have done AI and jmh47 is an AI tech. Sure there are cows that are hard to settle, but if you KNOW when she is coming in then it is alot more successful. Bulls will breed them multiple times during the heat cycle when they are standing, and put alot more in there so the chances are definitely better. Still, there is alot of successful AI work done. A good technician should be able to settle more than 50% on the first breeding and if the timing is good then a much higher percentage.

The beef farmers around there may be running bulls with their cows, but if any of them are into purebreds or registered animals, there is a very good chance that they may be doing a fair amount of AI and then putting the cows out with the bulls as a "clean up" to make sure any that didn't settle to the AI will catch on the next heat. If you know any of them, ask if they do AI.

I have bred 8 of mine AI, only seen one come back in heat and rebred her AI, now they will go with the bull for cleanup along with 2 that I have not seen in heat. We are now dealing with a spring going dry and I have to haul water so don't have the time to keep dealing with the AI.
If you are pretty sure of the heat date, and she shows the same behavior when she is due again, then I would either make arrangements to take her then or watch her and take her a day before she is due on the next one, leave her 2 days, then bring her home. The calf will survive.