Fixed time AI Calculator 2015 AI program
It’s been another busy week at Te Mania Angus, with our 2015 Artificial Insemination (AI) programme drawing to a close.
In all, 1,011 cows and 450 heifers have been AI’d to individually selected sires from across the globe. We use a programme called Total Genetic Resource Management (TGRM), plus good old fashioned breeding know how, to select each bull for every female. This allows us to create a joining that will produce the most profitable progeny for our clients.
Using the Fixed Time AI programme, we split the cow mobs into six groups of females: two groups of heifers and four groups of cows.
Each group is then split again, giving us a total of 12 groups. It sounds complicated, but we don’t need to draft the calves and split the groups physically until the bulls go out at the end, because we use paint to identify each group within a group, this makes it all much smoother and more peaceful for the calves.
It’s all about the schedule with a Fixed Time AI programme. See the calculator attached above.
We do two rounds of AI then a natural mating with our sires.
To start with, each group has a CIDR implanted with a CIDROL injection, then seven days later the CIDR’s are removed with a dose of PG. The heifer’s are AI’d 53 hours later and the cows are AI’d after 63 hours.
14 days later CIDR’s go in again and are removed seven days later and a KMAR is applied for heat detection, with another AI for any cows on heat two days later.
All the groups are then split with their calves and a bull goes out with around 120 females, he only needs to serve about 15 – 20 in the mob. The bull stays out for four weeks to ensure a tight joining period and improved fertility pattern. We foetal age at preg. test and then sell all the late ones. It makes for a very busy calving period next year!
A massive thank you to the crew from Southern Cross Genetics who put in so much hard work again this year.
