FIXED time artificial insemination has the potential to massively increase the productivity of Australia’s commercial cattle herd.
Speaking on day one of Beef 2018, Dr Liz Pryor and Dr Lucas Cutaia from Boehringer Ingelheim said both Argentina and Brazil had embraced fixed time AI resulting in earlier, heavier and more consistent calves.
More than three million females in both Argentina and Brazil are joined in a fixed time AI program.
Typically the calves are more than 26kg heavier at weaning.
“A part of the gain is in the better genetics that are used, but the calves also weigh up to 10kg more just because they are born earlier in the season,” Dr Cutaia said.
“The tighter calving period also means the cows have longer to recover in preparation for the next pregnancy.”
Boehringer Ingelheim manufactures a range of cattle fertility products including Selenta, a progesterone device used to synchronise the ovulation cycle of a herd.
Typically, a fixed time AI program results in up to 50 per cent of females becoming pregnant on insemination.
There is also a second spike in pregnancies from 19-22 days later because of the sychronisation program is still in play.
The balance of the pregnancies are achieved with bulls in the paddock.
“The cost of the AI program is offset not just in increased productivity but also because less bulls are required,” Dr Cutaia said.
“Bulls are in the paddock from day one of the program because we all know bulls that don’t go to work straight away.
“They’ll fight and they’ll walk the paddock.
“By the time the cows go back to the paddock the bulls have usually settled down and are ready to work.”
Dr Pryor said there had already been an increase in the use of fixed time AI in Australia, driven by improved technologies and handling systems.
“Chopper mustering means producers can consistently get all of the females into the yards,” she said.
“That isn’t always achievable mustering on the ground, particularly in our expansive areas.
“The other factor is that now everyone seems to have very good handling equipment like cattle crushes, which makes AI programs very manageable.
“The potential for fixed time AI in Australia in just enormous.”
However, Dr Pryor said the nutritional preparation of females remained the key to the success of an AI program.
“Access to good minerals and good feed so the females are on a rising plain of nutrition is vital,” Dr Pryor said.
She said an added benefit was that females used in the AI program became much quieter to handle as a result of the yardwork.
