Artificial insemination (AI) and heat detection

The Reproductive Status of Your Dairy Herd Guide D-302

(Dairy Vietnam) John F. Smith, Extension Dairy Specialist
Dim A. Becker, Extension 4-H Agent
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University

Estrus Detection In Cattle

Estrus in cattle is commonly referred to as heat. It occurs every 18 to 24 days in sexually mature, open (nonpregnant) female cattle when they are receptive to mounting activity by bulls or other cows or heifers, according to Dr. Jane A. Parish, Associate Extension/ Research Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences; Dr. Jamie E. Larson, Assistant Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences; and Dr. Rhonda C. Vann, Associate Research Professor, Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station.

Sexed Semen in Irish Dairy Herds

IRELAND - Teagasc researchers have been investigating if there is a role for using sexed semen to expand the Irish dairy herd. In the dairy industry, female offspring are more desirable than male offspring, particularly with the impending removal of the milk quota regime.

Know Optimal Insemination - Anytime, Anywhere

NETHERLANDS - Nedap Agri is launching a new heat detection system in the Lactivator product line - the Lactivator RealTime. What is special about this system is that it delivers up-to-date information on a cow’s optimal insemination time at any time and anywhere.

Reproductive Examination

The normal reproductive tract of the cow consists of the vulva, vestibule, vagina, cervix, uterine body, uterine horns, uterine tubes, infundibula and ovaries, as well as the broad ligament which suspends these structures within the pelvic and abdominal cavities (3,4,5,8). In the heifer (a female bovid up to the birth of her first calf), the overall size of the reproductive tract may be small enough such that all internal structures are located within the pelvic cavity. However, in the normal multiparous cow, much of the reproductive tract cranial to the cervix (and possibly including part of the cervix) lies beyond ones reach, cranial and ventral to the pelvic brim within the abdominal cavity (5,10). In these animals, the key to reliable examination of the reproductive tract by rectal palpation is successful retraction of the entire uterus into the pelvic cavity (10). The following illustrations are intended to provide the novice with a step-by-step description of this procedure, as well as guidance in the basic examination and evaluation of specific structures.

Natural Service Vs. Timed AI

Recently, a field study conducted by Fabio Lima, Carlos Risco, Albert De Vries, Jose Santos, and William Thatcher, from the University of Florida, compared reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows in a commercial dairy farm with cows bred by natural service (NS) or timed artificial insemination (TAI). A second study using the data from this field trial was performed to compare the cost of these two breeding programmes.

Artificial insemination in dairy cattle