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AdvertisementThe whole idea is to get better
"Our tools to control the estrus cycle have never been as great as they are today," David Patterson, University of Missouri beef reproduction specialist, said at a recent field day. "However, looking at the adoption rate of many of these technologies, specific to beef reproduction, it is somewhat disappointing," Patterson said. A survey by the National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS), revealed that only 18 percent of beef producers are pregnancy checking their herd, 2 percent are using ultra sound, 8 percent are using artificial insemination (AI), and only 20 percent are using semen evaluation. "We have to prove that these are applicable and doable before producers are likely to use these and other technologies," Patterson said. Technology Mike Kasten, beef producer from Millersville, Mo., knows these technologies are doable because he has been using many of them for over 30 years. Kasten has been keeping performance records for 35 years, collecting carcass data since 1988, using AI for 35 years, and for several years has been using various forms of timed and fixed time AI. Kasten said AI gives a producer access to the best bulls in the world for minimal cost. When Kasten finds a bull that fits his criteria for an AI sire he will use it on as many of his cows as possible. This way Kasten can deliver a uniform set of calves to the feedlot and then have a set of uniform daughters for replacements. Kasten selects AI sires based on function carcass quality and high accuracy EPDs. "The whole idea is to get better," Kasten said. This fall, Kasten will AI 220 of his own cows, 150 cows from his alliance, and 130 heifers. All of these will be bred using a fixed-time AI protocol. The alliance started out with producers he had sold females to in the past. There are five producers in the alliance program and Kasten supplies the bulls, bred heifers, and performance records on their cattle. The calves are then contracted back to Kasten. AI protocols Kasten has been doing field trials with David Patterson at the University of Missouri since he began developing fixed-time AI protocols. Kasten has been doing some form of synchronization for the last 30 years, starting with synchromate B, MGA, even limited suckling. The fixed-time AI protocol that Kasten will use this fall begins on day one with CIDR (intravaginal progesterone insert) insertion, the CIDR is pulled on day 7 and the cows are given a prostaglandin shot and bred in 66 hours with a Gnrh shot. The protocol for heifers begins with CIDR insertion on day one; on day 14 they pull the CIDR and give a GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) shot; they give a prostaglandin shot on day 30, then breed in 72 hours with a GnRH shot. There is a six-hour window to breed; so, advance planning and scheduling is important. Kasten feeds cubes to the cows and heifers in the catch pen for a few days prior to breeding. Kasten said they very seldom feed their cattle except during the breeding season just to help gather the cattle. Kasten uses a three-man crew: one man to gather the cattle, one to thaw the semen, and he does all of the breeding. Using the three-man crew, Kasten said it takes 12 minutes per cow or heifer for the total protocol, which is four trips through the chute for heifers and three trips through the chute for cows. On average they can breed 33 heifers an hour or 35 to 40 cows per hour. "The most we have ever bred in one day is 180 cows," Kasten said. "The slowest part is putting the CIDR in. Pulling it takes very little time at all." Once the CIDR is pulled the clock starts ticking. If possible Kasten will pull the CIDR at 4 p.m. in the afternoon then 66 hours later at 10 a.m. they should be ready to start breeding cows. "I tell my alliance producers that if a tornado comes through we might stop until it goes over but we need to breed those cows," Kasten said. "At 10 a.m. we breed cows even if it raining, snowing, or blowing." Although some producers might disagree, Kasten said the more you work cattle, the easier they work. Kasten said his cows know when they come into the catch pen they will be exiting through the chute. The cows are well dilated and they breed easy. "Anything that has been a major problem has eliminated itself over the years," Kasten said. Kasten said one of the things that producers should not do with fixed time AI breeding is even bother to look at the cows. Just breed them, you have already gone through all the work and expense. Kasten does not check for heat. When it is time to breed them he gathers and breeds them. "You will be surprised how many cows you won't see in heat that are in heat," Kasten said. Using this protocol Kasten has recorded 60 to 70 percent pregnancy rate with the cows. There are some cows that don't respond to fixed time AI and Kasten culls these from the herd. Kasten has found that cows that do respond to this type of management will have daughters that respond to fixed time AI. AI sires "This whole thing is bull and semen dependent," Kasten said. There are some AI sires that work well in this system and some that don't. Kasten said be sure to ask your salesman which bulls work best with timed AI. Obviously the more fertile bulls are better but Kasten said he thinks it has something to do with livability of the semen in the cow. Use unproven bulls on a very limited basis. "If you are going to all of the trouble to do fixed time AI you need to use a highly proven bull," Kasten said. "This is not the place to experiment." David Patterson is taking fixed time AI to the next level at the Thompson Farm Research Center. The next level is a new program, called Tier Two breeding, which works on developing premium markets for the steer siblings of the improved heifers. Tier Two will combine beef reproduction protocols with research from geneticists and economics. Kasten is already making this move with his herd. He used high accuracy AI sires on 28 two-year old first time heifers out of cows who were bred in a timed AI system. Twenty-five of these heifers were bred to the same bull. The last two pens of cattle Kasten sent to the feed yard graded 100 percent choice with 29 percent prime. "We would be disappointed if we ever got below 90 to 95 percent choice," Kasten said. In the NAHMS survey the reasons that producers gave for not adopting new beef reproduction technologies were time, labor, and complexity. Mike Kasten has found that these challenges can be met and the payoff is a uniform set of calves that receive a quality premium at the feedlot. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. Advertisement
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