Cow not in calf - Need advice

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:00 pm

I have an 8 year old cow (Daphne) that I bought in calf in 2002. She has been AI'd annually every year since then and never missed a calving. All very nice calves and great mother. This year I am cutting down the numbers so have found a buyer for her and her daughter who is 6. The two were due to leave for their new home December 1 but I had to get the AI'd first. Well, Daphne has been AI'd twice now and no joy. She comes into heat regularly and I am beside myself with disappointment. I haven't told the new owner yet and I was wondering if any of you had any advise on how to proceed. If the vet comes to look at her, what is he looking for? This cow is in good helath and not fat. She is nursing a 6 month calf which is due to be weaned next week. What would you say to the new owner?

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:42 pm

Let's suppose your AI conception rate to first service is 66% (which would be pretty good, mine is a lot less) then for every 100 services 34 are going to repeat. They too will have 66% conception, so 21 or so will still not be in calf, not because there is necessarily anything wrong, just by chance. So with small herds sometimes it is easy to think something is wrong because we concentrate so much on the individual, when in fact all is OK, just disappointing. Of course there could be something wrong, and the vet would examine cervix, uterus and ovaries manually and possibly with ultrasound, which would pick up metritis, adhesions from difficult calving, cystic ovaries, etc.. I would advise having her checked, but of course remember to be pleased rather than feeling it has been a waste of time if no explanation is found.

Duncan

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:49 pm

I totally agree with Duncan but i would add if all else fails then you could try running her with a bull, as a calf from an ordinary bull is better than nothing IMHO.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:52 pm

Good grief, I am agreeing with a welshman!!!!!!! Yes by all means use a bull if one is available and you are in a hurry to get her in calf. In fact it might even justify using a non Dexter bull to do that, if you do not have a Dexter bull available. Certainly worth doing to avoid a cow having a long holiday, never does them any good.

Duncan

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:10 am

Well there we are then there is hope for world peace yet then!!!! and a cohesive Dexter Council:)

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:59 am

Thank you so much for your encouraging replies! I have been so lucky with 100% conception for the last 3 years with 2 - 3 cows. Now reality is catching up. I will speak with the new owner and offer to have the vet check her over if she wants (she may not insist as she is an experienced cow owner). I have also been meaning to make friends with the owner of the only nonrelated bull in town (dun and polled - not bad but must see him!). In the next couple of years, a lovely German couple are moving here (they have purchased my dun heifer who IS in calf) and I am hoping they will share a bull.

Hmm, the humble Dexter as a bringer of world peace

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:48 am

It's seems like a nice date for peace.

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:19 pm

Yes very poignant Wagra you in Australia (i think) and Kathy in Canada and myself in West Wales. You both will have had armistice day and we have just been through it now. Discussing world peace and barren cows might be the way forward-- see the Celts are always at the cutting edge. :D

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:19 am

Wish I had access to that polled, Dun bull Kathy. It would be handy for a heifer I've got that carries Dun. She'll be ready for a bull next Christmas and I haven't a clue where to find a suitable match as yet. :D

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:32 am

What are you saying Inger you don't have round bales and now you admit to not having Dun Bulls? Perhaps you could put it on her Christmas list. :D

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:53 pm

And it's shame no one seems to want to collect semen anymore here in Canada.

marion · Post by **marion** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:26 pm

Hi Kathy, Anyone wanting to collect semen in Canada would have to be doing it for altruistic reasons. A ballpark figure for collecting a bull would be around $3000. In last years' herd book, I think it was 14 calves resulting from A.I. ..marion

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:04 pm

Well, that must make Carol Davidson very altruistic as she is the only Canadian in recent history that I know of who collected from her bulls. She really did a lot for the breed but too bad all that semen is now in other private hands. She had really lovely animals.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:02 am

Kathy,
$3000 Canadian is only the price of a good bull in Australia. Emphasis on the GOOD. Syndication would easily make it pay, so long as it was a good bull, and so long as anyone else was interested.
20 of our 25 calves for '07 are AI. 3 of the 11 AI bulls I used are straws we got directly from Carol years ago, & a couple of others she may have organised. Only 1 is a Hiyu bull.
Margaret.

Liz D · Post by **Liz D** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:01 pm

Unfortunately Margaret, that is not the case in Canada. As Marion said, only 14 calves in the herdbook from last year were from AI bulls of the 268 that were registered. Carol di do a lot for Dexters in Canada, Australia and the United States. She promoted both her Hiyu bulls and others that she thought would help the breed and much of it was done at her own expense. The seeming lack of interest in Canada, makes it very costly to take semen and then store it for years on end when live bulls are fairly cheap, good or not.