We visited a farmer outside Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, who presented maiden dairy heifers, for pregnancy assessment. Pregnancy rate to first service was close to 90% in a group of 40 heifers. The heifers were fed poor quality baled silage with a DMD of 52 to 59. The heifers were also fed 4k.g of a 21% […]
Read More »Archive for 2012
Scanning cows in the successful breeding herd
Posted on 24 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsVisited a farmer in Co. Limerick who milks 50 cows in the spring months and 100 cows in the autumn months. He buys empty cows from dairy herds in the autumn. We scan the herd at this time of the year to assess reproductive status using U.S.A.R.T. Any cow with a reproductive problem is earmarked […]
Read More »Scanning cows reveals embryo transfer can have extreme variation in pregnancy rate
Posted on 23 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsOn two farm visits in Co. Limerick, I scanned the herds prior to the starting of an embryo transfer program. The herds had previously undergone U.S.A.R.T. prior to the program. In the first farm visited 8 out of 10 cows were confirmed pregnant, while on the second farm 1 out of 7 cows were confirmed […]
Read More »Scanning cows reveals the cause of a shattered hip
Posted on 22 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsScanned a suckler herd outside Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry, where a client wanted pregnancies aged and sexed if possible. The pregnancies ranged in age from 100 to 230 days. He wanted 1 cow which was disabled with a shattered hip scanned for pregnancy status as he did not wish to euthanize the cow if she was […]
Read More »Scanning cows in a lake
Posted on 21 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsOver the years I have been asked to scan cows in many different locations, ranging from the corner of a field, to the kitchen in an old house. In Waterfall, Co. Cork, I called to a farmyard to scan a herd of suckler cows. As I entered the yard all I could see ahead of […]
Read More »Happy Christmas
Posted on 20 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Dr. Dan and all the team at Reprodoc wish a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas to all our customers. Thank you for your business in 2012 and we look forward to working with you in 2013.
Read More »Merry Christmas
Posted on 20 Dec 2012 | 0 Comments
Dr. Dan and all the team would like to wish a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas to all our customers. Thank you for your business during 2012 and we look forward to working with you again in 2013.
Read More »Scanning cows reveals differences in size of pregnancies associated with developmental stages of embryos
Posted on 20 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsOn a farm visit outside Thurles, Co. Tipperary, we scanned recipients carrying Charolais embryos which were supposed to be 37 days pregnant. Pregnancies ranged from 34 to 36 days based on ageing of the size of the embryos. It turns out that the pregnancies associated with the 34 days were due to Morula transfers, while […]
Read More »Milk supplies in Northern Ireland down between 7 & 8% year on year
Posted on 19 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsThere is an impact here of poor quality silage, milk price and the cost of concentrates. Ration is now accounting for 50/60% of the milk price received by the farmer and this is leaving many farmers in a position of a non-profit making exercise.
Read More »Early puberty in speckled park
Posted on 18 Dec 2012 | 0 CommentsOn a farm visit in Co. Cork, where a herd of Speckled Park beef cattle were presented for scanning. This is a composite breed of Angus, Shorthorn, and old English White. The client presented weanling heifers which were born 7 to 8 months ago, as he was afraid that some of them could be bred […]
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