Estrous Synchronization

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- We've been using estrous synchronization here at the university herds as long as I've been here and I'm sure longer than that.

Really what we're trying to do is to have all the cattle cycle in a very close window so that we have the ability to artificially inseminate those cows or heifers.

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- I'm Nathan Briggs.

I am with Penn State Extension.

I am a Beef Extension Educator based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

And part of my role is helping producers figure out a program on getting their cattle bred and bred efficiently.

I like to encourage the use of artificial insemination as well as estrous synchronization.

- My name's Wendall Landis.

I'm the Manager here at the Penn State Beef and Sheep Center.

One of the benefits of estrous synchronization is time management.

Everything you're trying to do is focusing your time and efforts to be able to do everything really well for that short window and then move on to the next thing that you need to work on in the farm if you're doing other things besides just beef cattle.

- As a Penn State extension educator, I am always willing to come at out and help you figure out what protocol works best for you.

If you have a lower conception rate, maybe we can try to strategize what the next steps are to improve that conception rate.

No two producers and farms are exactly identical.

The estrous synchronization programs and genetic selection for artificial insemination are going to essentially differ from producer to producer based on what your goals are and what you would like to improve in your herd.

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- One of the challenges in most synchronization programs, you're going to need to work them through some kind of a shoots system.

Some of the other challenges is just whether you have enough labor.

So there's a couple challenges, most revolves around facilities, expense, and labor.

- In addition to being able to have all those cows calving at the same time, another benefit is being able to sell those calves in a tighter group.

And the tighter that group can be, the better that feedlot is able to target feed those animals.

And if they're able to target feed those animals, they can improve some of their efficiencies.

So that can occur through estrous synchronization and artificial insemination.

- If you are a small producer, you may not have enough cattle to justify buying a herbal, pencil that all out.

It's gonna be more economical and cost effective to utilize an estrous synchronization program and artificially inseminate your few head.

If you're large scale, I think it's very valuable to synchronize those again so we can focus our energies on getting the cows bred in a short window.

Management is easier at calving, it's easier at weaning.

And so I think for a lot of reasons, it has a lot of value for both big and small producers.

- The protocol that we're evaluating is a seven day co synch plus cidr estrous synchronization protocol.

So with that protocol, you need to be able to think about 10 days in advance of when you want to actually be breeding.

Cows don't always respond to the estrous synchronization protocol.

So if the animal is in a point of their cycle where they're not going to respond to the hormones that are used for setting up the synchronization or part of that protocol, the animal will continue through their cycle as they normally would potentially not get bred.

- Another benefit from estrous synchronization would be the ability to use high end genetics from bulls that you may otherwise not be able to afford through AI.

And so that gives you the ability to use genetics from all over the world, but specifically using genetics from high end bulls that can help advance your herd and give you more the type of cattle you'd like to have whether it's for replacements, herd bulls, or feedlot cattle.

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