When can you breed a replacement heifer?

Asked by: Jason Chaitanya

Whether you are raising or buying replacement heifers, the goal is to start breeding heifers near 12 – 14 months of age. By this time, heifers should have reached or be close to reaching puberty. Heifers must be pubertal in order to become bred.

How long after a cow gives birth can she breed again?

It takes at least 30 days after calving for a cow’s reproductive tract to return to normal. Therefore, some cows can be bred starting 45-60 days after calving. Your veterinarian should palpate the reproductive tract of each cow as soon after 30 days after calving as possible to make sure the cow is ready to breed.

How soon can a heifer come in heat?

Depending on the breed of the heifer, most heifers will start to show the first signs of heat when they are between 9 and 22 months of age. The rate of sexual maturity or puberty is determinate of genes and breeding.

Can a 6 month old heifer get pregnant?

It is the mature rumen that allows the cow to eat grass. An immature rumen cannot properly digest grass. After weaning we recommend that you separate the bull calves from the heifers; she can become pregnant after 5-6 months of age.

How soon do cows come in heat after calving?

High milk-producing breeds and strains of cattle take longer to start cycling again after calving than lower milk producers. Mature cows usually take about 60 days to come on heat again after calving; young cows may take 90 days or more.

How do you bring a heifer into heat?

If the heifer is between days 5 to 16 of her cycle, she should come into heat 36 to 72 hours after injection of the drug. The producer generally picks a day, (for example, Monday morning). Heifers are injected with prostaglandin according to the label. Any heifer observed in heat during the week is inseminated.

What weight should a heifer be to breed?

about 780 pounds

According to the American Angus Association, the average mature cow weight is 1,200 pounds. Heifers from 1,200-pound mothers will need to weigh about 780 pounds by the start of the first breeding season. If the mature size of the herd is 1,100 pounds, then the heifers can be about 715 pounds when breeding begins.

Can you leave a bull with cows year round?

The good news is: It is possible to leave bulls with the cows year-round and still maintain a calving season of three months or less.

How many times a year can you breed a cow?

A cow can return to estrous within a few weeks after calving and can breed to become pregnant again quickly. Theoretically, a cow could give birth more than once during a year if she rebreeds quickly. Good management practices when raising cattle recommend waiting to rebreed cattle until their calves are older.

What is silent heat in cows?

What is a Silent Heat? A suboestrus or silent heat in cattle, is defined as the lack of behavioural oestrus symptoms, although the genital organs undergo normal cyclical changes. The incidence of silent heat varies from 10% to 40% between different herds.

How many times will a bull breed a cow in heat?

One rule of thumb is that a bull can service about as many cows as his age in months. Therefore, a 15-month-old bull should be able to service approximately 15 cows in a typical 60-day breeding season.

How many years should you keep a bull?

A generally accepted guideline is to purchase/use only yearling bulls that have a minimum 32-cm scrotal circumference. Bulls can remain in service until they are 10 or 12 years of age. However, this is not the norm and usually remain in the herd for 4 to 5 years.

Will a bull mount a pregnant cow?

True oestrus begins when the female assumes the mating stance so that the male may mount and copulate. It does not normally occur during pregnancy in farm animals, although it is known to occur sporadically in cattle.