Now that the majority of the autumn calving cows have now calved down, it is time to ensure that they are cycling ahead of the breeding season.
Cows that are identified before calving to not be cycling, may have some underlying issues and may be suffering with endometritis.
Endometritis affects a cow’s reproductive performance, as it is an infection of the uterus that persists beyond the third week after calving.
Pre-breeding checks should be carried out before the breeding season starts, and these cows have to be identified first to save time and money.
Cows cycling
On-farm records from the calving season will help farmers identify what cows need to be checked by the vet prior to calving, especially if they had a difficult calving or suffered with some metabolic issues.
The cows that are not cycling in the herd could have picked up an infection or a cyst during or after calving, and may need some treatment to recover fully.
Pre-breeding heat detection should take place on the farm at least three weeks prior to the mating start date, as some cows will calve down perfectly and still fail to cycle.
The cows should be tail painted a certain colour now, and once they have shown signs of cycling and their tail paint has been rubbed, they should be tail painted a different colour to notify that she is cycling.
Identifying these non-cycling cows now will give the farmer time to get them back cycling before breeding.
A vet will carry out a metric check, which is an examination of vaginal discharge to see if the cow has endometritis.
Early identification means the cow can be treated with metricure or whatever treatment the vet recommends.
Failing to have cows cycling before breeding season begins means that you will be at least three weeks in before you can identify them as ‘not cycling’.
If there are a number of cows that have not come into heat during the breeding season, some sort of synchronisation programme may be discussed with your vet to ensure the cow’s get the best possible chance of going back in calf.
