We use a highly sophisticated system of boards and barrels and make the vet walk the plank. This was actually Dr. Mike's idea a couple of years ago. Before we checked them from inside the rail, guiding one cow in at a time. The plank is much faster!
If you didn't know how a veterinarian checks a cow...you do now. Most of the time they can tell how far along she is by feeling the size of a particular artery inside her. If she is not that far along, they can also use their ultrasound. They see the ultrasound picture on those glasses Nick is wearing on his head. It's pretty interesting!
We keep record of how far along each cow is in the "blue notebook". Here, the blue notebook is equivalent to Dairy Comp 305.
All of our breeding records are right here on this one sheet of notebook paper. We record each cow's name under the correct column, which range from 4 months to 7 months. We also have an "open" column. This drives some producers nuts. They think we ought to use the latest software program, and know exactly which day each cow is due. Being a mother 5 times over, I have never given birth on my exact due date....cows don't either. All we care to know is that the majority of the cows will calve in April and May, with some stragglers in June. If you flip this page over and view it like a bar graph, you'll see that we will have some late March calves, a whole bunch in April and May, and about 15 or so in June. Perfect! We don't even care which cows calve when, just as long as the majority calve in the "window". We also take note of when we put the bulls in (June 30th 2014) and when we took them out (September 28th 2014). We don't need a software program or a breeding wheel with stickers to know when the cows were exposed to the bull and when they are going to calve. Either they get bred-or they don't.
6 did not! That is a great number. We are quite pleased with this year's results. Bessie, the cow we've been babysitting for Mom and Dad, also did not get bred. I told Mom I would ship her for them (put her on their account at the stockyard) so Dad would not be tempted to give her another chance.....
I also took some other notes. We had a whole bunch of cows that need ear tags replaced, and I kept track of how many cows the kids have milking. This does not include bred heifers.
Kid #1: 5
Kid #2: 5
Kid #3: 2
Kid #4: 1
All of their cows were bred this year! They are excited and hoping for heifer calves.
That's great that you had so many take! :) Like the plank system too. Good idea!
ReplyDeleteWe're pretty sure its not OSHA approved....but the vets like it so much better. They're nice and close to the heater, too!
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