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"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

~Hebrews 12: 1-2

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Breeding Season Begins!

Yesterday marked the beginning of our breeding season!  We put 150 kamars on the cows on Saturday and Sunday.  Now to watch and wait.  We try to let the cows come into heat naturally without the extra shots of Lutalyse, but if they take too long and we don't see any signs of cycling out of them, we will give them a two shots 10 days apart to hopefully trigger their system so that they will come into heat.

I will AI the cows for the first 4.5 weeks and then we will put the bulls in with them for clean up.  I have many jobs, and the bulls only have one, and they are pretty good at that job, and when we are trying to stay seasonal, putting the bulls in part way through the breeding season allows a break for me, but I still have the first 4.5 weeks to hopefully get some genetic improvement with the cows.  So far we have five cows bred and 165 or so to go in the next 4.5 weeks.  Not all of the cows will be past their voluntary waiting period (allotted time after calving until we breed them) before we put the bulls in with them.

Tomorrow we will take the bulls down to put them in with the heifers!  We don't AI the heifers, mostly because we don't have a good and easy way to catch them, but also because we have a lot to do and there are many things that I enjoy doing a much more than breeding heifers.

Well, it is 7:30 here, and I need to go out and watch the cows for heats, like I will every night for the next two months.

Blessings to you all.

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