A highly skilled inseminator on a ranch with a lot of cows might choose to purchase their own “Ultrasound” equipment, but you have to be prepared to spend around $ 5,000. For the rest of us, hiring a veterinary service to check the herd once or twice a year still pays, IF you decide to send the “open” cows to market, to save the feed $$ they will cost to carry to next season.
The cheapest alternatives today may include the Enlabs “P Test” which is a strip that will test for hormones in the urine stream. They will give some indication nearly as early after breeding as ultrasound, but are most accurate around 60 days post breeding— and when you are checking spring bred cows in the fall, this covers a majority of the cows.
Breeding cows to get pregnant more easily, is a good long term strategy. How much money is an “open” cow making you? (She is costing you feed instead.) How much do you currently spend to achieve optimal pregnancy percentages? Genetic selection for cow fertility is maybe even more important to cow-calf profitability than chasing the premium price “performance” sires that do not enhance fertility genetics in your future cow herd.
Irregardless, whether seeking show type “clubby” sires, or performance type purebred sires, or maternal traits sires, our selection of breeds and variety of breeder sources works in your favor.
Mich Livestock Service, Inc ***
“For the best in bulls” as well
as “Higher energy forages”
ph (989) 834- 2661
email: greg@michiganlivestock.com
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