Heat Detection Devices for Beef Cattle
Figure ii. Swollen vulva.
Figure 3. Clear vaginal fungus.
Figure 4. A comparison of (a) smooth hair on a tailhead and (b) hair on a tailhead that has been roughed upwardly, an indication that she has been mounted.
Figure vii. Timeline of expression of secondary signs of estrus.
Heat detection aids
For many producers, performing heat detection more than than twice daily is not feasible. There are several oestrus detection aids on the market that tin can be used in conjunction with visual observations to increment the number of females detected in rut. These aids create (or remove) a mark on an animal just when a standing mount has been performed. This mark tin be visualized at the subsequent estrus check and identifies animals that exhibited standing estrus between observation periods. These oestrus detection aids vary in their method of application, method and ease of detection, and cost.
Marker animals
Marking animals, also called teaser or gomer bulls, are animals that accept undergone an alteration to prevent pregnancy (Figure nine). These animals are extremely effective at detecting continuing estrus and can exist especially useful equally they are more adept at detecting females that exhibit short or weakened heats or when very few females are in estrus concurrently, compared to other heat detection aids. Bulls selected to be contradistinct should have a mild temperament, be of moderate adult size and possess a strong libido. Additionally, the option of a virgin bull decreases the gamble of crabs disease transmission. Alteration should be performed several months prior to the start of breeding flavour to permit for an adequate recovery period. Marking animals are unremarkably equipped with a chin-ball marking, which leaves marks on the back and rump of mounted females (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Teaser bull marking a female with a chinball marking (epitome used with permission from Teaserbull Company: teaserbulls.co.nz).
Mounting-activeness detectors
Mounting-activeness detectors are applied to the female person's rump and undergo a visual change when mounting occurs. At that place are several commercially available aids that differ in application, change upon activation, cost and accuracy of detection (Effigy 10). Most of these devices require minimal time to apply, and, with the exception of the chinball marker, do not require a marker fauna. Information technology is worth mentioning that a few of these aids require more skill in interpretation than others. The electronic monitoring systems are the only system that can entirely replace visual observations.
Management considerations
In lodge to maximize detection, cows must exist hands identified and visualized. Animal identification (ear tag or brand) should be legible, and observers should be able to get close enough to accurately interpret the visual assistance or have binoculars. There should be adequate space to allow for cow-cow interaction. Crowded areas cause a reduction in estrus behaviors, so checking for oestrus in confined spaces, such as a holding pen, is non recommended. Presence of feed tin also minimize the expression of estrus behaviors, and then it is not recommended to perform estrus detection at feed bunks.
A large group of females should be housed together (not crowded) for maximal estrus detection. Mounting activity increases when multiple females are in rut simultaneously, which increases the accuracy of rut detection. Additionally, it is of import that your females are structurally sound. Lame animals will not mountain or stand to exist mounted due to the discomfort.
Observers should be trained and not pressed for time. Animal identification, all behaviors witnessed, and fourth dimension of observation should be recorded. These records can exist used to predict hereafter heats. This prediction allows observers to know when to begin paying closer attention to females nigh their next estrus catamenia. Females that do not enter back into rut are proficient candidates for pregnancy tests.
Labor toward estrus detection tin besides be reduced with the implementation of a synchronization protocol. Synchronization protocols can either concentrate rut detection into a flow of five to seven days or remove the need for estrus detection entirely.
Summary
Authentic detection of heat is disquisitional to a successful breeding flavour. Visual observation of estrus behavior is the nearly constructive method of oestrus detection, and the more frequent the observations the better. However, information technology is often non viable to observe the herd more than than twice daily and, in those instances, there are a variety of commercially available estrus detection aids that tin be used to identify animals that stood to be mounted in between visual observations.
References
Diskin G. Yard. and J. Yard. Sreenan. 2000. Expression and detection of rut in cattle. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 40:481 – 491.
Foote, R. H. 1975. Estrus detection and heat detection aids. J. Dairy Sci. 58(2):248-256.
Hall, J. G., C. Branton, and Due east. J. Stone. 1959. Estrus, estrous cycles, ovulation time, time of service, and fertility of dairy cattle in Louisiana. J. Dairy Sci. 42:1086-1094.
Hurnik, J. F., G. J. King, and H. A. Robertson. 1975. Estrous and related behaviour in postpartum Holstein cows. Appl. Anim. Ethol. 2:55-68.
Morgan, G. L. and 50. J. Dawson. 2008. Development of teaser bulls under field conditions. Vet. Clin. Food Anim. 24:443-453.
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