Heat detection articles

Plan ahead for fertility
It’s worth a quick review - year-round calving
It pays to be prepared - seasonal/split calving
People pivotal in heat detection
Cutting out the guess work
Colour your world - year-round calving

Plan ahead for fertility

Forward planning is essential when it comes to getting cows in calf and maintaining a well managed calving pattern.

Dairy Australia’s InCalf project leader, Dr Barry Zimmermann, has some tips to help dairy farmers get organised for joining.

“Preparation in the lead up to calving and joining has a major impact on herd fertility,” Dr Zimmermann said.

Herd fertility centres on having a short interval between calving and joining. A well-managed nutrition program is central to achieving this, to ensure the cows are in good condition in the lead up to, and after, calving.

The first step is to review body condition and adjust herd nutrition if needed.

“You’ll need to develop a feed budget and a transition feeding program in the lead up to calving.”

As well as nutrition, planning should involve preparing for heat detection and artificial insemination (AI).

“Think about the tasks involved, who will be responsible for them and the timing. And don’t forget to give everyone a brush up on signs of heat and AI practices,” said Dr Zimmermann.

For more information, refer to the following InCalf resources:

Or contact InCalf email: enquiries@incalf.com.au or ph (03) 9620-7283.

It’s worth a quick review

Year round version

Dairy farmers are being urged to take a few quiet moments from their busy schedules to review their joining practices.

Dr Barry Zimmermann, who manages Dairy Australia’s InCalf program says recommended practices sometimes slip out of the routine unnoticed.

“A quick review of farm practices for heat detection and AI can result in cows getting in calf sooner,” said Dr Zimmermann.

Your review should involve looking closely at how activities are run on the farm, not just the actual techniques used but also how the tasks fit into the daily routine.

“Heat detection and AI involve a significant work load, so it will make a big difference if you’ve thought though the logistics of what’s involved,” he said.

And that will enable you to have the right people doing the right jobs at the right time. And that’s the difference between the job running smoothly or turning into a nightmare.

Reviewing heat detection:

what heat detection aids are used and the system for identifying the heat status of cows;
who is responsible for heat detection; and does their roster and work load give them enough time to able to do it properly? and
a quick refresher on the signs of heat for anyone involved in heat detection.

Reviewing AI

Refer to InCalf’s Handling Semen Straws poster to:

review practices for using the semen tank and
review practices for thawing straws.

For more information refer to the InCalf resources AI Do it right and Cows in Colour, or email: enquiries@incalf.com.au or phone (03) 9620-7283.

It pays to be prepared

Seasonal/split version

Dairy farmers are being urged to take a few quiet moments from their busy schedules to plan for the coming joining period.

Dr Barry Zimmermann, who manages Dairy Australia’s InCalf program says a little preparation can save a lot of time and stress in the coming months.

“Think ahead about heat detection and AI. Decide exactly how you are going to run each of these activities,” said Dr Zimmermann.

“Heat detection and AI involve a significant extra work load, so it will make a big difference if you’ve thought though the logistics of what’s involved,” he said.

Good preparation will enable you to have the right people doing the right jobs at the right time. And that’s the difference between the job running smoothly or turning into a nightmare.

Preparing for heat detection

decide what heat detection aids you will use and place the order;
work out who will be responsible for heat detection;
review their roster and work load so they will be able to do it properly; and
encourage them to do a quick refresher on the signs of heat.

Preparing for AI

Refer to InCalf’s Handling Semen Straws poster to:

review practices for using the semen tank and
review practices for thawing straws.

For more information refer to the InCalf resources Cows in Colour and AI: Do it right! or email: enquiries@incalf.com.au or phone (03) 9620 7283.

People pivotal in heat detection

People can make or break a breeding program depending on their heat detection skills.

Finding a cow on heat is worth $200 a year to a dairy business, mainly through more calves to artificial insemination (AI). So it is important that staff responsible for heat detection know what to look for and how to record information.

InCalf Project Leader Dr Barry Zimmermann urged herd managers to allocate the job of heat detection to experienced staff and provide training where necessary.

“Staff need enough time allocated in their daily roster to carry out heat detection properly. InCalf recommends heat detection and AI for at least two cycles - six to eight weeks. This can be a bit of a challenge at a busy time of the year,” said Dr Zimmermann.

The roster should allow time for paddock checks twice a day of at least 30 minutes each.

“The best time to carry out the job is two hours after milking when the cows have eaten and are relaxed, or in the cooler parts of the day during hot weather.

“Using heat detection aids help identify cows which have been mounted and can help inexperienced staff. If you are tight for labour then some herd improvement companies will apply heat detectors to the herd.

Information on staff training and rosters can be found on Dairy Australia's The People in Dairy website.

For further information visit InCalf's Cows in Colour section.

Cutting out the guess work

Using heat detection aids in dairy herds can take the guess work out of identifying which cows are ready for artificial insemination (AI).

InCalf’s Dr Barry Zimmermann said the key to getting more calves from AI is to stay focussed on heat detection for at least two cycles, which can be a bit of a challenge at an already busy time of the year.

Heat detection aids such as heat mount detectors or tail paint remove the guess work saving time and stress. And they’ll pay for themselves through more calves bred through AI.

“Best results are achieved by using heat detection aids, combined with paddock checks,” Dr Zimmermann said.

“Some cows only come on heat for a few hours – which makes heat detection difficult if you are relying just on what you see in the paddock.”

“Tail paint is economical but needs to be reapplied at least weekly while heat mount detectors give better results with inexperienced staff or when farmers are handling large numbers of cows.”

Increasing numbers of herd improvement centres are now offering a service where their staff will apply heat mount detectors to the herd when the cows come in for milking.

Heat detection aids should be removed when the cow is inseminated with a fresh application just before the cow is due to return for a second cycle; about 18 days after the cow’s last joining date.

“Following cows for at least two cycles also identifies which cows aren’t cycling and gives you the chance to call the vet and get the issue addressed and still have time to get the cow in calf for next season,” said Dr Zimmermann.

For more heat detection tips refer to InCalf’s Cows in Colour section.

Colour your world

InCalf is encouraging dairy farmers with year-round calving herds to ‘colour their world’; well their cows actually.

Project Leader Dr Barry Zimmermann said that colour is a key to achieving a successful heat detection system.

“Achieving accurate heat detection in year round calving dairy herds takes some organisation, but a good routine can make it a relatively simple job. And the end result is more AI calves,” he said.

InCalf has made the process a little easier with the launch this month of Cows in Colour, a brochure with tips to make heat detection easier and more effective.

“To achieve a good routine you’ll need herd records and a system for identifying cows at different stages of the heat cycle. And colour is the key to making it happen on the ground.

“Use your herd records to generate a list of cows that need to be watched for signs of heat each week. To make it easier to see those cows within the herd, some dairy farmers use a system where coloured tail tape is applied to cows that should be watched this week,” Dr Zimmermann said.

Different coloured tape is used on different groups such as cows that have reached their voluntary waiting period, those due to cycle this week and those previously inseminated.

Heat mount detectors or tail paint can help identify which cows in the current joining group have been mounted and are ready for mating. A splash of colour on the cows back will alert you to the cows to check.

“A longer term option is to move to batch mating which helps with focusing on heat detection by dividing cows into more manageable groups.

Cows in Colour also includes some simple targets to help you know if you are on track.

Aim to have three out of four cows inseminated within 80 days after calving to achieve a 13-month calving interval.