Range and Livestock Research Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
Home
CurrentNutrientContent
Range Comparison Pictures
Animal
Range
Publications
Weed Calculator
 

Title: HEAT DETECTION SYSTEMS AND ESTRUS MANAGEMENT

Author

Submitted to: Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 1999
Publication Date: June 30, 1999
Citation: GEARY, T.W. HEAT DETECTION SYSTEMS AND ESTRUS MANAGEMENT. BEEF IMPROVEMENT FEDERATION PROCEEDINGS. 1999. p. 24-31.

Interpretive Summary: This paper is aimed at identifying and emphasizing the critical factors that contribute to a successful AI breeding season. Accurate and efficient heat detection is the first step toward achieving AI pregnancies. Electronic estrous detection is not necessary if producers will spend more time observing females for estrous behavior. Estrous synchronization improves our ability to detect cows and heifers in heat because it concentrates and increases the intensity and duration of their estrous behavior. Various heat detection aids can be helpful in improving our heat detection efficiency, but they need to be used in conjunction with visual observation of cows. Sorting cows into a separate pen that are identified as being in estrus as soon as they are identified allows other cows to express estrous behavior and increase the amount of attention producers can focus on the these new cows. New recommendations for AI include that cows be inseminated 8 to 12 hours after their initial observation of estrus. Any travel that is necessary for cows or heifers that are artificially inseminated should occur within the first 4 days following AI to prevent embryonic mortality. In conclusion, greater efficiency and accuracy in heat detection can increase conception and pregnancy rates to AI.

Technical Abstract: This paper is aimed at identifying and emphasizing the critical factors that contribute to a successful AI breeding season. Accurate and efficient heat detection is the first step toward achieving AI pregnancies. Electronic estrous detection is not necessary if producers will spend more time observing females for estrous behavior. Estrous synchronization improves our ability to detect cows and heifers in heat because it concentrates and increases the intensity and duration of their estrous behavior. Various heat detection aids can be helpful in improving our heat detection efficiency, but they need to be used in conjunction with visual observation of cows. Sorting cows into a separate pen that are identified as being in estrus as soon as they are identified allows other cows to express estrous behavior and increase the amount of attention producers can focus on the these new cows. New recommendations for AI include that cows be inseminated 8 to 12 hours after their initial observation of estrus. Any travel that is necessary for cows or heifers that are artificially inseminated should occur within the first 4 days following AI to prevent embryonic mortality. In conclusion, greater efficiency and accuracy in heat detection can increase conception and pregnancy rates to AI.

   
 
 
Last Modified: 05/22/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House