Barren Cows and Age

[PeterO]

Hi

Assuming declining ferility with age and given the tendency for commercial herds to cull early - at approx what age do Members tend to routinely cull Dexter cows? Or do you just wait for a couple of failures with a bull?

Peter O'Brien

[Inger]

I'd also like to know how many years I should keep a cow who hasn't yet produced a calf. She was very skinny when we got her, but has filled out nicely now. She's over three years of age. Should I give up and cull her, or try another year? She spent 2 months with the bull.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

In a large commercial herd you can't let them run too long before they are unecomonic and have to go. With smaller Dexter herds many owners are probably content to let a cow run empty for a year and hope they get them in calf the next. Bear in mind that the fatter they get the less likely they are to conceive, and the more likely they are to have problems calving. If you are dealing with each cow as an individual it would be best to get your vet to examine her and see if there is any obvious reason for infertility - things like adhesions after bad calvings etc. Or persistent metritis etc. Many Dexter cows will produce calves well ino their teenage years.

With a heifer which has never conceived like the one Inger talks about I am much less generous with time and if they have not conceived by 3years I would cull. But 2 months with a bull only allows for a couple of oestrus cycles - why has she only been with a bull for 2 months if she is 3 years old?
I would expect a Dexter to be about to produce its second calf at 3 year old. Have you seen her in season? Could she be a twin to a bull?

[Inger]

Duncan, what I meant was that she had two months with the bull this season, (the same period as the rest of the herd) but she actually spent about four months with the bull the first year we had her. Unfortunately, that was the year that she was underweight, so I don't think she cycled. This year she cycled twice and was served twice. She was not a twin. We have her younger brother (a steer) and he is of the same slight build, but he is finally filling out his frame now and should be ready for the freezer soon. I was wondering if they are just slow developers and needed extra time to mature. The cow is a grade 2 and perhaps has more Jersey in her than Dexter. I have a feeling that the previous owner may have used hormones to get the mother and his two other cows to all cycle at the same time as he was using A.I and didn't want to have to get the technician out for three different inseminations. Could the use of hormones on the mother affect the offspring's fertility?

[Marg Rawlings]

Hi Inger

I had am animal who we were unable to get to conceive, she cycled regularly and we saw her served, so wondered what the problem might be. After three years of drought and our animals being in lighter condition than normal, I did some research. After reading Healthy Cattle Naturally by Pat Coleby, her advice was a vitamin A & D deficiency. It was simply remedied by adding 10 ml of Cod Liver Oil to her feed twice a day for about 30 days. Bingo next cycle after she was served she conceived. The result was a heifer calf, and she has sinced conceived and produced a heifer as her second calf this year also without us having to suplement her feed prior to mating.

I passed on this advice to two other people who were having the same problem and both animals conceived and went on to calve without incident. It was a cheap and easy remedy which worked for us.

If that is not successful, then I would certainly get her checked by a Vet, she may have some abnormality internally which would prevent conception. After that I am afraid the big cull is the next option.

Good luck

Marg Rawlings

[Inger]

Many thanks Marg, it gives me some hope.