Heat Detection Tips and Common Mistakes
By: Ed Silba, Genex Area Sales Manager
When heat detecting ...
1. Staff in charge of heat detection should have appropriate time to do the job correctly. They cannot be assigned to other duties at the same time.
2. Look for activity in a pen. First, focus on the cows creating the activity to avoid scattering of heat, pre-heat and active cows.
3. Cows should have visible, easy to read identification.
4. Facilities should be heat detection aid friendly; back rubbers sometimes activate heat detection aids placed on the cow's rump as she rubs on them.
The most common heat detection mistakes deal with the reporting of heats. In many instances, heat detection is conducted but not reported in a timely manner or at all. It's also important to report all heat signs, even bloody discharge, and to make certain to correctly identify the animal.
In the southeast, herds that visual heat detect most often use Kamars® or ESTROTECTTM as aids which tend to be more easily seen by staff. However, the constant challenge is that staff tend to take heat detection aids as law rather than a tool to help detect cows in heat, as they were meant.posted April 2010
