HEIFER A'I'

1
CHAPTER 15

• HEIFER A.I.

2
Benefits of Dairy Heifer A.I.

• Genetic Improvement of Herd
• Replacement Heifers Have Known Genetics
• Easier First Calving
• Better Breeding Records
• Disease Transfer Avoided
• No Hidden Expenses
• More Control of Young Stock Program
• Added Safety

3
Genetic Improvement of Herd

• Heifer A.I. is the Biggest Shortcut to Improving
  a Herds Production and Longevity
• Genetically Superior Females Can be Moved Into
  the Milking Lineup at 23-24 Months of Age
• Sires Account for Largest Share of Herds Genetic
  Improvements.
• After 3 Generations of Daughters, 7/8ths of a
  Herds Genetic Makeup Comes From the Sires.

4
Genetic Improvement of Herd
5
Genetic Improvement of Herd
6
Replacement Heifers

• 1/4 to 1/3 of Calves Born Are From First Calf
  Heifers
• Same Number of Replacement Heifers Will be the
  First Calf From Their Dams
• Average or Above Culling Rate Means 1/4 to 1/3
  Cows Will Leave the Herd During Same Time
• Purchasing Replacements is an Added Expense
• Risk of Introducing Disease Into the Herd.

EXAMPLE 60-cow herd potentially requires 20
replacement heifers/year. Of these, 7 will be
the 1st calf from their dams and will be
genetically inferior if they are sired by an
unproven bull.
7
Easier First Calvings

• Primary Factors Affecting Calving Ease
• Size of the Dam
• Make Sure Heifers are in Good Condition and Large
  Enough at Breeding
• Size of the Calf Being Carried
• Sires Play an Important Role in Determining Calf
  Size
• Difficult to Predict Size With Natural Service
  and Unproven Bulls

8
NAAB Calving Ease Information

• NAAB published data lists 3 items/bull
• Number of observations
• of Calvings Included in Each Bulls Evaluation
• Estimated Percent Reliability
• Degree of Confidence in the Expected Difficult
  First Births Prediction
• Expected Percent Difficult First Births
• of a Bulls Calves That Would Arrive With
  Extreme Difficulty or Require Considerable Force
  to be Born

9
Better Breeding Records

• A.I. Allows More Accurate Prediction of Calving
  Dates.
• A Written Record Exists
• Easier to Plan for Calving
• Breeding records Can Provide Positive Sire
  Identification
• Helps Determine the Value of the Expected Calf
  and Springing Heifer.

10
Disease Transfer Avoided

• Sires From Established A.I. Studs Are Free From
  Infections Diseases
• Housed Under Conditions That Protect Them From
  Disease.
• Reputable Studs Adhere to Standards in
• Collecting
• Examining
• Processing Semen.
• Heifers Should be the Cleanest Animals on a Farm
• Purchasing Bulls or Heifers Could Introduce
  Diseases
• Vibriosis Trichomoniasis
• Leptospirosis Brucellosis

11
No Hidden Expense

• Many of the Costs Involved in Keeping a Bull on
  the Farm are Hidden
• Feed
• Special Handling
• Separate Housing and Facilities.
• A.I. Has No Hidden Cost
• Typically 8 and Up
• Depends on the Sire Chosen.

12
More Control

• You Decide When Heifers are the Right Size and
  Age to Breed.
• You Know Which Animals are Bred and Which are
  Open.
• Sires Selected to Meet Individual Heifer
  Requirements
• Use the Breed Associations Linear Data Ratings
• Sires Can be Chosen for Type and Production
  Characteristics
• Will Combine With the Heifers Genetics to
  Produce Outstanding Offspring.

13
Added Safety

• Bulls Can be Dangerous and Unpredictable
• Have the Potential to Kill or Maim
• Each Year There Are Recorded Cases of This Threat
  
• Through the Use of A.I. This Danger Can be
  Eliminated!

14
Benefits of Beef Heifer A.I.

• Genetic Improvement of Herd
• Progeny Tested Bulls
• Easier Calvings
• Earlier Breeding Season
• Better Breeding Records and Identification
• Disease Transfer and Defects Controlled
• No Hidden Costs
• More Uniform Calf Crop
• Crossbreeding Easier

15
Genetic Improvement of Herd

• Heifer A.I.
• Fastest Way to Improving a Beef Herd Genetically
• Jump Generations by Mating Heifers with Superior
  Sires
• Take Advantage of Bulls that Rapidly Improve
  Economically Important Traits
• I.E. Calving Ease, Growth Rate, Carcass Quality
  and Mothering Ability
• After Mating 3 Generations of Daughters to
  Superior A.I. Sires, 7/8 of a Herds Genetics
  Comes From the Sires

16
Progeny Tested Bulls

• Bulls Proven Their Ability Through Progeny
  Testing
• A.I. Bulls May be Bred to 100,000 Cows or More
• Allows for More Critical Selection

17
Easier Calvings

• Two Primary Factors Affect Calving Ease
• Size of the Dam
• Size of the Calf Being Carried
• Make Sure Heifers are in Good Condition and Well
  Grown at Breeding
• Ratings are Based on Information From Breed
  Associations and ABS Progeny Tests
• Combine Calving Ease Scores for
• Heifers
• Second Calf and Older Cows
• Birth Weights

18
Easier Calvings

• Advantages
• Reduced Labor at Calving
• Fewer Calf Losses
• Heifers That Can be Bred Back Sooner
• ABS System Bulls With 3 Stars Indicate a
  Performance Above Contemporary Average.

19
Earlier Breeding Season

• With Good Nutrition Heifers Should be Cycling
  Regularly
• Heifers Should Cycle Earlier Than Cows
• Breed Heifers Earlier
• Gives Them a Longer Rest Period Before Rebreeding
• The Chart on the Next Slide Shows How the Percent
  Cycling Heifers Increases as They Approach a
  Proper Breeding Weight

20
(No Transcript)
21
Better Breeding Records Identification

• Identification and Good Records Provide an
  Individual History on Each Heifer
• Allow for Better Herd Management
• Better Calving Dates Can be Predicted
• Breeding Records Help Assign a Value for the
  Expected calf

22
Disease Transfer and Defects Controlled

• Reputable A.I. Studs Provide Semen Free from
  Infectious Diseases
• Heifers Should be the Cleanest Animals on Your
  Ranch
• Purchasing a Bull Could Introduce Reproductive
  Disease
• Purchasing Herd Replacements can also Introduce
  Reproductive Disease
• Natural Sires May Have a Recessive Gene
• Could Affect the Whole Herd
• Semen Quality is Known With A.I. Bulls

23
No Hidden Costs

• Direct Expenses of Natural Service Sire Include
• Purchasing or Raising a Natural Service Sire
• Cost of Maintaining Sire For 10 unused months
• Threat of Injury
• Health Care
• Feed
• Housing
• Handling
• Testing

24
More Uniform Calf Crop

• Heifer A.I. Can Help Shorten Calving Season
• Allows for Better Use of Labor at Calving
• Increases the Uniformity of the Calf Crop
• Breed All Heifers to a Single Sire or Several
  Related Sires

25
Crossbreeding Easier

• Heifer Productivity Depends On
• Maternal Ability
• Calves Inherited Growing Ability
• Crossbreeding Combines Desirable Characteristics
  of 2 or More Breeds
• Provides Benefits of Hybrid Vigor
• Improved Performance of Crossbred Animals Over
  Their Parents.
• Improved fertility
• Heavier calves at weaning
• Improved maternal ability in replacement heifers

26
Crossbreeding Easier

• A.I. Eliminates Problems Associated With
  Crossbreeding
• Need for Separate Breeding Pastures
• Need to Sort Cows by Breed
• Time Spent Looking to Buy Bulls of Different
  Breeds
• For more on crossbreeding see chapter 12

27
Heat Detection Aids

• Observe Heifers at Times When Inclined to Show
  Heat
• Ensuring There is Little Interference With Heat
  Expression
• Establish a Regular Daily Routine for Heat
  Checking
• Spend at Least 30 Minutes Observing Cattle for
  Heat
• Early Morning and Late Evening is Best
• Observe Cattle in an Open Area
• Observe When Cattle are not Eating
• Keep the Heifers Together in a Convenient
  Location for Observation

28
Heat Detection

• Cow Comes Into Heat Every 21 Days
• Stays in Heat Approximately 18 Hours
• Variations Run From 8-30 Hours
• For Highest Conception Rates
• Breed Heifers During Latter 2/3rds of Standing
  Heat
• This is Roughly 24 Hours After You First Noticed
  Standing Heat
• Heat Detection Aids May be Useful in Addition to
  Visual Detection
• See chapter 3 for more on Heat Detection

29
Facilities

• Successful Heat Synchronization Programs Depend
  on
• Good Management Conditions
• Animals That are Reproductively Normal and
  Cycling Regularly
• Well Designed and Constructed Facilities
• Minimize Stress for Animal and Worker
• For More Information Refer to
• Chapter 3 - Heat Detection and Synchronization
• Chapter 17 - Facilities Equipment

30
The Economics of Heifer A.I.

• Heifer A.I. is an Investment in a Herds Future
• Increases Dairy Production and Improves Type
• Daughters of A.I. Bred Heifers Have About 1,000
  Pounds More Milk Per Lactation
• Grade A Milk Price of 13.50 CWT 135 Per
  Lactation
• Produces Faster Gaining Beef Calves and Improved
  Mothering Ability
• Heifer A.I. Costs Compete Favorably With Natural
  Breeding Costs
• Beef Heifer A.I. Increases Profits Through
  Fast-Growing, High Quality Calves, and
  Replacement Heifers With Improved Maternal Ability

31
Economics of Beef Heifer A.I.
32
Summary

• Dairy Heifer A.I.
• Biggest Shortcut for Genetically Improving a Herd
• Heifers Can be Moved Into Herd at 23 to 24 Months
  
• Better Records Equal
• More Accurate Calving Dates
• Easier to Determine Value of Calves and Heifers
• Sires Selected to Meet Each Heifer Requirements
• Allows for Easier First Calvings
• Disease Transfer is Limited
• Danger of Bull is Eliminated

33
Summary

• Beef Heifer A.I.
• Jump Generations With Progeny Tested Sires
• Calving Ease Bulls Can be Selected
• Cross Breeding Programs are Easier to Establish
• Heifers Can be Bred Earlier in the Season
• Provides a More Uniform Calf Crop and Earlier
  Calvings
• Reduces Disease Transfer
• Controls Recessive Genes
• No Hidden Expenses in Maintaining Bull
• Provides Better Records for Management Decisions

34
Summary

• Make Heat Detection Part of Daily Routine
• Observe for Heat at Least 30 Minutes Twice Daily
• Early Morning and Late Evening are Best
• Keep Heifers in Convenient Location for Heat
  Detection
• Use a Synchronization Program if Heat Detection
  is Not Possible

35
Question 1

• For a dairy operation, what are the major
  benefits that can be expected from a heifer A.I.
  program?
• For a beef operation?

Less calving difficulty, increased production and
conformation, better records, faster genetic
progress for the herd, reduced risk of disease,
no hidden bull expense
Faster improvement of calving ease, growth rate,
carcass, and mothering ability, reduced risk of
disease, no hidden bull expense
36
Question 2

• With dairy heifer A.I., animals that are
  genetically superior to the present cows in a
  herd can be moved into the milking lineup at only
  23 to 24 months of age.
• Explain why this is possible.

Properly grown heifers can be bred at 15 months
to a progeny tested calving ease bull allowing
them to calve at 23-24 months.
37
Question 3

• What are two factors that affect calving ease?

Size of the heifer and the size of the calf
carried.
38
Question 4

• If you were a Guernsey breeder, what is the
  minimum weight your heifers should be before
  theyre breed?

675 pounds
39
Question 5

• Youre thinking about using a bull that has high
  production and scores very well in the type
  traits youre interested in. The calving ease
  guide shows that there is a 72 reliability that
  calvings will be easier than average, and that
  14 difficult births can be expected. There were
  128 observations in the bulls evaluation.
• Explain why you would or would not use this bull
  on some of your dairy heifers.

I would not use the bull because he is 5 above
the average of 9 for calving ease and he only has
128 calvings reported meaning his CE could change.
40
Question 6

• Seventy percent of Angus heifers will be cycling
  when they weight 600 pounds.
• What percentage of Charolais crossbreds will be
  cycling at the same weight?
• Why is there such a big difference?

10
Because Charolais is a much larger animal