When to breed heifer?

myheaven · #1 05/05/13, 10:50 PM

Please forgive me as I have a dilemma. My heifer is going to be 1 on July 2. She has been cycling heavy for 3 months very easy to tell when she cycles. We are going to move. Where we are going to move, they do not ai with dairy breeds. I need to talk with the vet out there. See if the vet will ai and get jersey semin for me. She will not be a year before we leave. Here's the thing I may need to be slapped for. She is a great size and a little fat. So she is on a diet. I'm considering breeding her before we leave to a low birth weight jersey via ai.
I need the voices of reason to talk to me. What would you do?

willow_girl · #2 05/06/13, 06:29 AM

I don't understand the "they do not AI with dairy breeds" part.

If there are people in the vicinity who can do AI, it should be no big deal to get dairy (vs. beef) bull semen!

myheaven · #3 05/06/13, 06:35 AM

The ai techs I have been in contact in ai angus, Hereford, and a few other. You woul think it would be no big deal. They make it seem to be. With only one person with one heifer wanting bred they don't want to waste tank space

ramiller5675 · #4 05/06/13, 06:45 AM

If she is going to be 12 months old in July, don't you have awhile before you need to start trying to get her bred? Maybe that's why the AI techs you talk to are dragging their feet about AIing her.

sammyd · #5 05/06/13, 06:59 AM

she should be bred by 14 or 15 months.
Find a different tech. Contact or check on line with some of the bigger AI firms and see if you can get some phone numbers.

myheaven · #6 05/06/13, 07:18 AM

I think I will contact the semin companies. Sounds like a better route. When I talked with the techs I didn't tell age. Wen we get settled at our new place she will be 14-15 months. It will take me a few months to get everything settled down. We will leave when she is 355 days old. If we went solely on condition she would just almost be ready. She is large and in great condition. Well slightly fat. According to my vet. My vet will be here tomorrow. I'll see if she can give me an idea.

myheaven · #7 05/10/13, 11:26 PM

Ok, word from the vet. My heifer is huge. She asked if I was sure she was only 11 months. Yup I'm sure. If we had a big barn and to be 100% she wouldn't be in the weather at birthing breed her. But she would deliver in February and that's not a good time. So I'm going to wait. We will see what time brings me.
Her back hip is almost 4 foot tall. She's bigger around then a 55 gallon drum.