Pasteurization is a personal choice! This history behind is interesting. Seems like the movement now is for smaller homestead dairies, selling to local folks. Give a listen, she gives many perspectives!
Pasteurization …The History Behind it. Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Knowing the value of your milk, can help you value the products you make from your milk. Here is one person’s breakdown.
There is a wide range of raw milk dairy prices across the board, but how do you know your prices make sense based off a gallon of milk?
Here is a simple breakdown on price setting costs!
Starting point:
Milk value $15/gallon = $7.50/half gallon = $3.75/quart = ~$0.94/cup.
This is your base price to compare against, you can enter any value and adjust accordingly.
Pricing based on your $15/gal milk:
• Butter: $20–$25/lb
• Buttermilk: $5–$6/qt
• Cream: $12–$15/pint
• Yogurt: $5–$6/qt
• Fresh Cheese: $15–$20/lb
• Aged Cheese: $50–$80/lb
As always, know your state regulations for dairy.
Know your farmer.
Shop local.
Barter when you can!
Need Help Pricing Your Dairy Products? By Sunstone Orchard & Rabbitry. Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Dexters are well known as Irish Dexters even if many other points about them are debated. The above bull though registered with the Dexter Cattle Society is an Irish Dexter with a “fine type and constitution” as the article states. I checked, he certainly was owned and breed by Mr. W. Lindsay Everard of Ratcliffe. This article holds true to the fact that Dexters are known to be of a small type of cattle. That very small cattle were known to roam Ireland before “Mr. Dexter” was ever penned in History. In Kerry there was known to be some of the smallest type of cattle one can imagine, long before Dexters were ever established or organized into a true breed. So small of an animal that it is mentioned in this paragraph, but yet still producing 2 gallons of milk a day is a marvel indeed. The brown article was written on 14 Nov 1929, it’s from the Western Daily Press Bristol. The picture was taken from a later newspaper published in 1930. Though the Dexter was well known to produce ample milk and was “closely allied to the Kerry breed and very similar to it in general appearance.” The differences being that “Dexters are “more stoutly built and rounder in their contours”.
The Dexter has a “stronger head than the Kerry, but very clear cut, shorter below the eyes and broader at the muzzle”. The description of her horns are as follows ” Her horns are thicker and usually after rising upwards bend backwards towards the points”. It is interesting to note that she is even fleshier than the Kerry but was thought to look a better milker than the Kerry. Short cows with large udders seem to showcase the udder in a much more extreme way than a longer legged cow though the udder could be of the same size. The article really goes on to highlight the excellent milking attributes of a Dexter to great lengths. A point worth mentioning is that “there is hardly a prettier sight than a herd of Dexters grazing in a park”. I personally can’t help but look out at my hills and know this rings true to me today, just as much as it must have to the writer of this article in the past! Dexters truly are practical and beautiful when bred for all these amazing Historical traits!
Breeders have long been concerned with breeding to “type” and a few points to mention in this last photo that align with the Standard Description of a Dexter is the color being “Whole black or whole red”. The “Head short and broad” with “great width between the eyes”, and “tapering gracefully twords the muzzle. Dexters definetley impress with their specific beautiful traits and charming ways which took hold of many a wealthy land owner who could aford to buy any exotic cattle they chose. In conclusion Dexters and their “pretty little calves are very fascinating”! They are Irish and Proud of it and those of us who breed them, have been taken by their Irish Charms.
Dexters ARE Irish and Proud of It Read More »
Historical
Dexters have long been hailed as hardy and thrifty even adaptable to locations from Africa to snow laden areas. This article I am sharing was written by R. Tait Robertson; he was a famous and most influential Dexter breeder for his day. He was not just any armature Dexter owner, since he was a foundational breeder of Dexter cattle and a generational farmer. He explained that” I have on my farm over 100 of them (Dexters) lying out at present, and they will continue so all winter, getting nothing beyond what they can pick up and a small portion of hay night and morning”. What this means is that Original Dexters could get by on just a little, but of course they could thrive on even more. It was often said that when the Dexters of Ireland went to the manor lands of England they grew greater in size due to the surplus. Dexters can do well on just forage and hay alone with no grain needed. They can excel on the best rations and produce even more, but if times get tough, they can more than get by.
Mr. Roberston was a very influential breeder, breeding in Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland. His family later had Church Farm in Babraham, Cambridge. His Dexters were esteemed as quality and were very sought after by the English who wished to keep them. He is the son of James Robertson. They were not just multigenerational farmers but multi-generational Dexter farmers who helped shape Dexters in their early years by breeding and selection. Dexters as we know them then owed a great degree of tribute to this influential family. Mr. R. Tait Robertson was also a judge for Kerry and Dexter cattle. He judged them by the merit that this article speaks to. Someone may say that Dexters are a beef breed that can milk, but Mr. R Tait Robertson said they have “equal merit” to Kerry cattle. They were not transformed in England to a milking breed but rather selected and bred by breeders like the Robertsons for great dual-purpose traits and were heavy in exceptional dairy traits. When R. Tait Robertson speaks to their equal merit remember that he was a judge for both Kerry and Dexter cattle and those judges gave prizes and entered both Kerry and Dexter cattle into the foundation herd books for the Royal Dublin Society. Dexters are not, nor have they ever been a beef breed that can be milked, but rather a dual-purpose breed with equal merit in milking traits to an ancient breed of dairy cattle (Kerry cattle) that can excel at grass-based feeding.
Mr. R. Tait Robertson was the owner and or collector of the cattle in the La Mancha Herd. He or his family may not have bred them all but rather selected some as foundational cattle for the Dexter breed. You will often see La Mancha Dexters registered to him, his father or Robertsons and sons. His Dexters traveled to many countries and those Dexters that could be found “Lying out all winter long, getting nothing more than what they can pick up and a small portion of hay Night and Morning” run in the veins of our Dexters today. This article I shared was written on 16 December 1899 and La Mancha Love Lost was born in 1897. She was qualified by inspection most likely by Mr. R. Tait Robertson and would have spent time in his field while this article was written. It’s nice to think of such a beautiful cow lying out in your pasture all winter long, getting nothing more than what she can pick up and a small portion of hay night and morning then still looking so beautiful! That’s the kind of Dexter I want.
Dexters have long been promoted the same way time and time again, “Docile and Hardy little cattle, dubbed the smallholder’s cow because of their ability to exist on about half the acreage of other cattle.” This is the niche market of a Dexter. They are well suited to beginners because they can endure a bit of accidental neglect from new owners and be a great fit for people who have small acreage. Today when large acreage is becoming increasingly expensive in many areas, but people are feeling a strong draw to get back to the country, the small acreage Dexter cow is the most perfect sell point. This is a Hallmark of the breed and one that should be promoted.
Dexter cattle are also a good fit for people who need a smaller amount of both meat and milk, but yet they are still “renowned for the quality and quantity of their milk, second only in butterfat content to the famous jersey, and for small lean beef joints of excellent flavor”. There are other breeds than Jersey that outperform Dexters in cream content but usually they are not breeds that produce a good quantity of milk. The Highland for instance produces about 10% butterfat, but for its larger size produces quite a bit less by volume for its size. This is why the Dexter is an all-around great little cow.
The current average amount of people in a US family today is 3.15, so in a small 3-person household butchering a Dexter steer goes a very long way. As Dexter beef producers we will have a much easier time selling whole or halves to people. This avoids having to get a USDA certified meat facility which in some areas could save you more money on butchering costs. Many people are more accustomed to the idea of buying meat in a smaller quantity when they need or want it. With smaller sides you can market to people to be able to only fill a portion of their chest freezer and have space left over for other things. If you have a larger family that enjoys eating lots of beef and drinking more milk, no problem, enjoy the benefit of growing out a larger herd with more Dexters!
This article was written 09 July 1992, and you will see the addition of dun is mentioned to the original color of black and red. Dun was added to the allowable Dexter colors and today many people never knew that black and red are the only 2 original colors.
Written By Danielle of Bryn Mawr
The Dexter: The SmallHolder’s Cow Read More »
Historical
This is an interesting article on how people are returning to the old ways and using more and more of their processed beef. Healthier alternatives are growing in your pastures!
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/cowmaxxing-wellness-cow-tallow/683826
How much of your Dexter do you use? Read More »
Beef
Juliette is a regular contributor to the Irish Dexter Cattlemen and has a FB page that she manages to help all cattle owners.
https://www.facebook.com/juliette.albrecht.2025?
BLV….Bovine Leukosis Virus…an opinion from an experienced, large dairy cattle breeder. Read More »
Herd Health
There was a Raw Milk Summit in Bon Aqua, TN. Several guest speakers included politicians, local producers and Dr. Ken Berry. This video is of the organizer Dawn Gorham of The Gorham Homestead.
She has an interesting story and message for people who are trying to sell their milk thru herd shares in Tennessee. You will need to check your State Laws, but has some great advice for everyone.
Raw Milk Summit in Tennessee Read More »
Milking & Dairy
I believe that you should learn to hand milk your Dexters and other dairy animals. For me the journey was to master hand milking. I moved on to a machine after I was milking several Nubians and Dexters. My body was telling me I needed help.
I have never regretted this, as you have to strip out after the machine and I am prepared for days with no power.
Here is a podcaster from the Family Milk Cow and her perspective.
Man vs Machine When Milking a Cow Read More »
Milking & Dairy
By Eliena Bodtke, Stay’N Put Farm
Since many of us are homesteaders or practice some kind of preserving, I thought I would take a moment to discuss an alternative to canning, pressure canning and dehydrating.
Are you scratching your head, thinking where is she going with this?
Consider freeze drying. While the initial cost seems daunting, it really is an excellent way to preserve your Dexter milk, yogurts, cheeses, colostrum and beef for 25 YEARS! Think about when you’re over loaded with one veggie or another during gardening season. The veggies, herbs or eggs when they are abundant, can be frozen and put into the freeze dryer anytime. We still can and pressure can, but this gives us a whole new option.
We purchased a medium Harvest Right about a year and half ago and have been amazed at all the things we can preserve….it is less time consuming and in our opinion, and better quality product in many cases.
Canning of dairy is frowned upon by the USDA and in some cases consider unsafe, although people do it. Freeze drying on the other hand, processes the dairy at lower temperatures and therefore does not pasteurize it…so if raw is your goal, it is good alternative. If you pasteurize, you still follow the same method. We pour a quart of milk on each tray and let the machine do its thing. We have done it both with cream in and cream out…the choice is yours. We find it needs to be blended when reconstituted, or another favorite is dry in our coffee, just like coffee creamer!
If you’re into selling, freeze dried milk and other products can be a good source income. Take a look at the price of powdered milk in the store! It is not uncommon to see freeze dried milk for $30-40 a gallon. Let’s clarify this. One gallon of freezer dried milk reconstituted into one gallon of drinkable milk…almost quadruples in price.
And don’t forget your Dexter beef! Consider this scenario….you have some cuts left from your last processing and you would really like to eat it before you get into the next one. Well, freeze dry it and then you have preserved it for 25 years. It makes great gifts, as it is so light to ship.
How do you use this freeze dried beef? We like to pour some of our Dexter bone broth over it. Let it sit in refrigerator over night and then use it in the next day or so. The beef will only absorb as much broth as it can. It doesn’t get mushy, which can happen with veggies. Cook with it like you usually do.
Hope this article helps you on your farm, ranch or homestead. I just love this technology and thought I would share.
Preserving Irish Dexter Dairy and Beef Read More »
Beef Milking & Dairy
Make sure you’re collecting it!
Submitted by Katie Sears
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/27/health/colostrum-supplements-pros-cons-wellness/index.html
Liquid Gold Trend! Read More »
Milking & Dairy
How much dairy should we put in to a Dual purpose Dexter cow. If you were to consult the English herd books they would say 40 percent for the “Bag” with the remaining percents being 15 for the “Head and neck”, 25 for the “Body, top line, under-line, ribs, setting of the tail, shortness of the leg, ect.”, 10 for “Quality and Touch” and 10 for “Colour”. So 40 points goes to the quality of the udder while 25 points gets divided up between the “Body, top line, under-line, ribs, setting of the tail, shortness of the leg, ect.”. It seems to me that in Dexters the focus today tends to fall primarily on mostly two aspects alone: shortness of leg and body type with general conformation coming in at the end. Even with 3 aspects it only accounts for 25 points for a Dexter. So there is a hyper focus on 25 % of a Dexter while the 40 percent in often neglected. The length of a cow’s leg and it’s depth are not the only traits that define a Dexter. Of course, we can’t forget the other traits that almost no one talks about, the “Head and neck”. You don’t get much meat off a head but it adds a distinct breed defining trait to a cattle type to set them apart.
It’s interesting to note that Kerry cattle that became a distinct dairy breed separated from the dual-purpose Dexter also list 40 points for the udder. The only difference is that more details are mentioned about the bag, “Udder, size, situation of teats, milk veins and escutcheon”.
Now before major concern sets in, consider that this point system is based on an ideal cow. There will always be cows in a breed that are not ideal, but the goal is to breed for the ideal cow. If you look at the 3 pictures of Kerry cattle, I will share you will see that Walton Bashful is listed as ideal and her udder is the best of the three cows shown. I’d say if an udder is ideal enough for a Kerry it can likewise be good enough for a Dexter that uses the same 40 percent system. Of course, there is no problem with having an even better udder than this cow does! The next Kerry is Valencia Eileen III. You will immediately see that she could improve on her forward attachment, but she was a Kerry all the same. The final cow is Ard Caeina Una. You will see she has some attachment issues, and you will tell that her udder is hanging lower by her hocks. The placement of her teats are too close and awkward but they were still put to use, as you will see by reading her milk record. Her yield 14,562 lbs with her butterfat at 4.33 percent. Still a valuable Kerry cow. With Dexters we need to seek generational improvement in dairy traits as Dexter’s udder points are just important as Kerry cattle, but we also need to remember that improvement is generational and culling cows with good production and butterfat won’t instantly fix a problem. It could lead us to a breed full of cows with very tight nonproductive udders just because new people think a tight looking udder is an aesthetically pleasing udder.
The Dual Purpose Dexter And The Kerry History Read More »
Historical
This the name used to describe chèvre cultured cow milk. Traditionally made chèvre is done with goat milk, but the process can be made with cow and sheep milk also. When made with sheep milk it is called brebis. We have experienced all three and love each of them. Give it a try and see what you think.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BOVRE? Read More »
Milking & Dairy
Grocery stores are a great way to put your business into overdrive, giving customers new options in ever-fashionable packaging. Whether you are looking to sell at local convenience stores or big-box wholesale grocers, it presents the perfect opportunity for your product.
Interested in learning more about how to get your product into grocery stores? In this ultimate guide, Mako PKG takes you through the whole process from start to finish.
How to Get Your Product Into Grocery Stores Read More »
Selling
Dexters may only rank 5 in this dual-purpose breed list, but when you consider their size, they come out as number one for the small farm. Practical and versatile in being great for beef and milk. Often times people consider Dexters mini cattle, but the whole breed is naturally small with some individuals being extra small. It is interesting to note that Dexters make the list even though they are small in size and no one can discredit them for their diminutive size as though they are nothing more than a toy breed as they hold their own with the big boys.
Click the link below to read the article
Dexters are a TOP-RANKING DUAL-PURPOSE BREED Read More »
Beef
Not everyone is comfortable with consuming raw milk. No need to buy an expensive pasteurizer if you have an instant pot in your kitchen. This article covers a few ways of doing pasteurization in your home. It can be done even if you don’t have the yogurt button, but it definitely makes it easier if yours does.
DID YOU KNOW AN INSTANT POT CAN PASTEURIZE YOUR RAW MILK? Read More »
Milking & Dairy
For the first time milker or the heifer that is getting milked for the first time, there are some important things to remember for success. The article below goes over some of the basics.
We have, thankfully, only had a few that were very stubborn. We found that putting the calf in front of the cow, so she can see it helps…but when nothing works…we have reverted to letting the calf nurse one side for a short time. I do say short time, as they can drain their moms with amazing speeds.
I have included photos of our calf let down gate to give you some ideas that have worked for us. You can see the calf thru the little gate on the first photo. On the second photo you see the pulley. When we need to use this system…which we thankfully have only had to a few times, we tie a rope the the gate, un hook the bungee, feed the rope thru the pulley and the whole gate goes up and down so we can quickly drop it once mom starts to let down.
MILK LET DOWN – HINTS AND TRICKS Read More »
Milking & Dairy
A sales pitch can make or break a deal, which is why yours must be as effective as possible.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to craft irresistible sales pitches that leave jaws dropping, wallets opening, and deals sealed with a smile 🙂
The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Effective Sales Pitch Read More »
Selling
Too bad the photo of the top pick wasn’t used! Milk, meat and oxen….none of the other breeds listed are known for all three!
Look at what breed was the top one for cattle on a homestead! Read More »
Homesteading
In Germany, a new wave of farm-to-table convenience is flowing through vending machines — quite literally. Across rural towns and even urban neighborhoods, you’ll find self-serve milk vending machines that dispense fresh, unprocessed milk straight from local farms. Open 24/7, these machines let customers refill their own bottles with creamy, cold milk at any time of day, reducing packaging waste and shortening the distance between farm and consumer.
Typically placed at the edge of dairy farms, village centers, or community markets, these vending machines are restocked daily with milk collected directly from the cows. Customers simply insert a coin or swipe a card, place their bottle under the nozzle, and watch as fresh milk fills it up — often still warm from the morning’s milking, or chilled for instant use.
Many stations also provide reusable glass bottles for purchase, encouraging zero-waste habits. Some even display details about the farm, the cows’ diet, and the time of last milking — giving full transparency in a world often disconnected from food sources.
These milk stations are more than just a novelty — they’re a return to tradition with a modern twist. By cutting out the middlemen and minimizing processing, Germany’s milk vending machines support small farmers, reduce emissions, and give people access to wholesome, local dairy with the push of a button.
Credit: Organic living
Milk dispensers in Germany…interesting …wonder what breeds of cattle are behind this. Read More »
Milking & Dairy
” The disease can be treated with antibiotics and supportive measures. The mastitis can be prevented by taking adequate measures like maintaining udder hygiene, sanitation of the cow barn, clean food and water supplement, and maintaining a milking schedule.”
If you are looking for a more holistic approach, there is another article in the Gazette about homeopathy and mastitis.
Mastitis …while not common in Dexters an ounce of prevention can go a long way. Read More »
Milking & Dairy
This was fabulous…while I made it with goats milk…I could have made it with Dexter milk, but I had it already made from goat.
Don’t skip the rinsing or it will be too salty
Sure to impress you with chips, pita, sourdough bread…….
I use a version of the recipe below to make feta as well….bon appetite!
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/1273-whipped-feta-dip
Feta dip from cows milk feta…easy and quick! Read More »
Homesteading
A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE:
A customer asked me how much it would cost for a gallon of raw milk .
I gave them a price of $15/gallon.
The customer responded: That’s seems really high.
I asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this?
The customer answered: $4 maximum
I responded: Ok, then I invite you to do it yourself.
The customer answered: I don’t know how to.
I responded: Alright, then how about for $4/gallon, I’ll teach you how to. So besides saving you $11, you’ll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.
The customer answered: Sounds good! Let’s do it!
I responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some things. You will need a cow (≈$3000), 45# of dry matter quality feed A DAY, feeders, waterers, an area to let her be a cow, a shelter, a clean area to milk, a milking machine or supplies to hand milk into, preferably electricity for this indoor area and heated water, countless gallons of water, fencing to contain this cow, etc.
Not to mention, there is a very real possibility that your single cow gets sick and doesn’t produce, a bull or someone to AI her because no pregnancy, no milk. Injury, illness, and unexpected weather conditions are always present. Now, you are back to square 1 if she doesn’t breed, dries up, get sick, or dies.
The customer answered: But I don’t have any of those things and I can’t justify buying all of these for a gallon of milk.
I responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $11/gallon, I can rent my supplies, building, and supply hay/grain/minerals/pasture to you.
The customer answered: Okay. That’s fair.
I responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.
The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I’m only available on the weekends.
I responded: If you want to learn from me then you will need to work when I work. We milk everyday, 2x day, so you will need to be here at least 2 hours every morning and every night year round.
The customer answered: That means I’m going to have to sacrifice a lot of my time!
I responded: That’s true. Remember, when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.
The customer answered: What do you mean by that?
I responded: Milking a cow doesnt just take a couple hours morning and night. It takes time to muck out her area, town trips to pick up cleaning supplies/teat dip, trucking for hay. It takes time to bottle the milk cleanly, it takes jars, it takes more cleaning of equipment and facility, it takes wear and tear on your milking equipment and feeding equipment. And thats all on top of your other chores/responsibilities.
So we will see you Monday morning, 6 am.
The customer answered: At 6am?!! My work day doesn’t usually start until 8am!
I responded: A cow thrives on a set schedule, milking 2x day should be as close to 12 hours apart as can be, so if you want to start later, that’s ok. But you will need to come back in the evening after your full day of work and milk again at that time, so if you want to start at 8 am, you will milk again at 8 pm. After clean up and bottling milk… you can head home around 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday included. Blizzards or 100 F. No days off here.
The customer answered: You know, I’m realizing that a lot more goes in to quality food than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $15/gallon is very reasonable. I would like you to milk and have it ready for me to just pick up..
CONCLUSION:
When you pay for a job, especially a custom job, (whether it’s a physical project or digital project or GROWING AND RAISING FOOD) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for:
✔️ Knowledge
✔️ Experience
✔️ Custom Skills
✔️ Tools
✔️ Time to plan
✔️ Time to prepare
✔️ Professionalism
✔️ Work Ethic
✔️ Excellence
✔️ Discipline
✔️ Commitment
✔️ Integrity
✔️ Taxes
✔️ Licenses
✔️ Sacrifices
✔️ Liabilities
✔️ Insurance
If you desire fresh, healthy, locally grown food, please don’t disrespect a farmer by trying to get them to lower their prices.
If their proposal exceeds your budget, there’s nothing wrong with going elsewhere.
Just remember.. you get what you pay for.
👉🏼 FARMERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.
👉🏼 CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.
Sharing this to support all my friends, family and clients who are Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Tradesman.
-Unknown and edited
Perceived value ….true for dexter milk, beef and breeding stock Read More »
Selling
Innovations in Yogurt Production Podcast Read More »
Podcasts
REPRODUCTION AND AI
For those interested in learning more about the bovine reproductive cycle and how we manipulate it, here is a basic summary.
Bovine Estrous Cycle Physiology
The bovine estrous cycle typically consists of 21 days, plus or minus a few days in each direction. Estrus is the period where the cow is receptive to the male or in a standing heat (not to be confused with estrous). Estrus (or heat) typically lasts around 20 hours. Signs of estrus include vocalizing, standing to be mounted, clear discharge from the vulva, increased activity, etc. During the period of estrus, progesterone is low and estrogen is high. Luteinizing hormone (LH for short) also increases during estrus and is the hormone that initiates ovulation. Ovulation is the release of an ovum or egg from the ovary. Ovulation actually occurs 10-15 hours after the end of estrus, in a period called metestrus. Metestrus lasts 3 to 5 days. During this period, an early corpus luteum (CL) is also forming. So where did this CL come from? It came from ovulation! When the ovary releases an egg, the left over structure on the ovary becomes the CL. During metestrus, you may notice a slightly bloody discharge from her vulva. Progesterone is still low during this period but it is starting to rise. The growing CL is actually what is producing the progesterone, and as it grows in size and maturity will be able to produce more progesterone.
As the CL continues to mature, we enter the phase of diestrus. At this point progesterone is high and this period lasts about 12 days.
Next up is proestrus. At this point in the cycle, the CL is regressing and progesterone is decreasing. Estrogen and LH do not like progesterone. They cannot increase until progesterone is low which is why they are increasing at this point as the CL is regressing. Estrogen and LH are increasing and getting the egg on the ovary ready to be released. Then the cycle starts all over again with estrus!
So basically, during heat LH initiates the egg to be released and the leftovers become a structure called a CL that produces progesterone. That CL will grow and produce more progesterone but will eventually fade away. This allows estrogen and LH to increase again and produce another egg.
In order to maintain a pregnancy, there must be a functioning CL. The high progesterone from the CL is what keeps the fetus from being aborted for the first few weeks.
Disclaimer: This is a very basic summary on the estrous cycle. There are other things going on (follicular waves, etc.) but in an effort to simplify things this includes only the major details.
Medications used to change the estrous cycle
Using medications to change the estrous cycle is super common. It can be used for synchronizing a herd to breed them at the same time, using a timed AI approach, or implanting embryos.
Lutalyse or PG: This medication lyses or destroys a CL. Because it gets rid of a CL, it also causes progesterone to decrease.
CIDR: This is an intravaginal device with slowly releasing progesterone. This will increase progesterone in the blood and stop LH and estrogen from increasing.
GnRH also known as Fertagyl or Factrel: This causes an LH surge and thus ovulation.
You’ll hear a lot that lutalyse will bring a cow into heat. While this can be true, it depends on where she’s at in the cycle. If it’s during diestrus where she has a mature CL, great! The CL will lyse, estrogen and LH will rise and then ovulation. If she is in metestrus or proestrus, lutalyse will do nothing for a young maturing or a regressing CL and she will not go back into heat any faster.
There’s many different AI protocols and what works best for you will depend on your cow, labor intensity desire, and cost.
Let’s start with AI on a natural heat. There’s a common AM PM rule when it comes to inseminating cattle. The rule basically states that when a cow comes into heat she should be AI’d 12 hours later. So she is in standing heat in morning, then AI in the evening and vice versa. If we think back to the estrous cycle, this makes sense. Estrus lasts about 20 hours and ovulation occurs 10-15 hours after the end of estrus. Cows typically come into standing heat around the middle of estrus. Let’s say hour 10. So then I would AI at hour 22. The cow should ovulate between hours 30 and 35. You don’t want to AI at the time of ovulation because the sperm have to go through a process before they can fertilize an egg. That process takes several hours. Early AI tends to lead to higher quality embryos but less of them for this reason. Whereas later AI can lead to higher chances of embryos but not great quality so lesser chance of an actual pregnancy. How long sperm last depends on the bull, extender used, and sexed vs conventional. Conventional should last about 24 hours. (Although I’ve played around with semen before and have had it last about 3 days in the fridge.) Sexed will last a little less than that so sometimes people with sexed semen will wait more like 16 hours vs 12 to account for that.
For timed AI…
Double ovsynch can be very useful for high producing first lactation dairy cows. It has about a 10% higher conception rate compared to regular ovsynch. That 10% difference is a little bit less as the cow gets older. The difference of double ovsynch from regular ovsynch is that you are presynchronizing the cow prior to AI to make sure she is at the ideal part of her cycle. For older cows, there’s also some evidence that 2 lutalyse injections 24 hours apart increases conception rates. The 2 injections basically make sure the CL is completely regressed. However, cons to the double ovsynch over regular is that it takes twice as long, more labor, and more drugs are used therefore increasing cost.
Ovsynch does not work as well in heifers. For heifers, I’m partial to 5 day CIDR. I included charts for double ovsynch, regular ovsynch, and 5 day CIDR.
For the girls that have a history of being more difficult to breed, I’ll always give a GNRH injection at time of breeding and AI again 12 hours later. I’ll also check the sperm. Just recently got a batch of brand new straws that only had 10% progressive motility.
I know that was a bunch of information to throw at everyone, so if you have any questions feel free to ask
or check out this site, which was used to write this article https://extension.psu.edu/timed-ai-protocols-double-ovsynch
A milk journey from Sweet Briar Farm Submitted by Janelle Soja
https://discover.texasrealfood.com/dexter-cattle/preparing-your-dexter-cow-for-milking
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Milking & Dairy
