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Benefits Of Artificial Inseminating A Cow

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Artificial insemination is a method of reproduction that allows beef producers to use bulls that have superior genetics at an affordable price. Many producers of purebred and commercial beef cattle profitably use artificial insemination in their cow herds and utilize artificial insemination to control traits such as calving ease, milk production, and feed efficiency. Take my family for example; every year we sync our show heifers’ estrus cycles together and artificially inseminate them. Artificial insemination allows us to pick sound, purebred bulls with low birth weights, something that is ideal for our show heifers. A successful artificial insemination program requires attention to detail, and timing is crucial. Both a sound health …show more content…

A CIDR is a T-shaped device with flexible wings that move to form a rod to insert into the vagina, and a tail is attached to make removal as easy as possible. The CIDR 's nylon spine is covered with a progesterone embedded silicone skin. The CIDR is inserted for seven days, which causes the female’s blood progesterone levels to rise rapidly, with maximum concentrations reached within an hour of insertion. Progesterone levels are maintained at a constant level during the following week. When the CIDR is removed, progesterone concentrations rapidly decrease. Caution should be taken when handling CIDRs; always wear gloves to prevent exposure to progesterone and the introduction of contaminants into the vaginas of other cows. The CIDR 's greatest advantage is to facilitate fixed-time artificial insemination, where no estrus detection is necessary. The protocol is simple, but there are some differences in timing for mature cows and young heifers. For all females, the CIDR is inserted and a GnRH vaccine, such as Cystorelin or Factrel, is injected at the same time. Seven days later, the CIDR is removed and the cow receives a prostaglandin F2 injection, such as Lutalyse. In mature cows, artificial insemination should occur sixty to sixty six hours after CIDR removal, and a second GnRH injection should be

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