A. Heat

· Heat Is A Period Of Acceptance For Mating (Sexual Receptivity) That Normally Occurs In Nonpregnant, Pubescent Heifers And Non-Pregnant Cows.

· This Period Of Receptivity May Last From 6 To 30 Hours And Occurs Every 21 Days On An Average But May Vary Between 18 To 24 Days.

· To Maximize Productive Life Of A Cow, It Must Be Bred Within 60- 90 Days After Calving. This Will Enable Her To Produce A New Calf Every Year Or So.

· Longer Calving Intervals Have Detrimental Effects On Lifetime Milk Production.

· Heat Detection Is Therefore A Critical Component Of Good Reproductive Management On The Farm.

· Recording The Dates Of Cows In Heat And Dates Of Services Is Necessary To Predict Future Heat Or Calving Dates And To Manage The Cows Accordingly.

Signs Of Heat

· Repeated Bellowing.

· Lifting Of Tail And Stretching Of Back.

· Swollen Vulvar Lips And Redness Of Vaginal Passage Due To Congestion.

· Thick, Sticky And Transparent Vaginal Discharge.

· Frequent Urination (Micturition).

· Reduced Feed Intake And Decreased Milk Yield.

· Restlessness, Smells Other Animals And Mounts On Them.

· After 10-12 Hours In Heat, The Animal Allows A Bull Or A Cow To Mount On Her. This Is The Right Time For Carrying Out Ai.

Proper Time Of Insemination

· Insemination (Either Natural Service Or By Artificial Insemination (Ai) Should Be Given Ideally After 10-12 Hours, Or Maximum Of 18 Hours Of First Sign Of Heat, That Is, If Heat Is Seen In The Evening, Inseminate In The Following Morning. If Heat Persists In The Following Morning, Another Ai May Be Required On The Same Evening.

· If The Animal Does Not Become Pregnant, She Will Come Into Heat After 18-21 Days.

· After 21 Days Of Insemination The Animal Should Be Observed For Symptoms Of Heat, Especially During Early Morning And Late Evening Hours.

· Special Care Should Be Taken In Case Of Buffaloes, As Symptoms Of Heat Are Not Very Prominent.

B. Advantages Of Artificial Insemination (Ai)

· When Cow/Buffalo Is In Heat, It Is Not Necessary To Search For A Bull. A Trained Inseminator Can Inseminate The Animal In Time With Quality Semen.

· Thousands Of Females Can Be Inseminated Using The Semen Of A Single Bull, Only A Few Best Bulls Are Needed To Cover A Large Female Population.

· Rapid Improvement Of The Progeny Is Possible (See Chapter On Progeny Testing).

· Transmission Of Infectious Genital Diseases Can Be Avoided.

· During Insemination, We Could Detect Reproductive Disease, If Any.

· It Is A Cost Effective Technology.

· Frozen Semen From A High Pedigree Bull Can Be Used Even After Its Death.

· Ai Can Be Done At The Farmer’s Doorstep Avoiding The Need To Make The Animal Walk Long Distances For Getting It Inseminated.

Post Ai Monitoring

· 21 Days After Ai, The Animal Should Be Observed For Symptoms Of Heat.

· 90 Days After Ai, The Animal Should Be Examined For Pregnancy.

· If The Animal Does Not Conceive Even After Three Inseminations, Consult The Veterinary Doctor. (Refer Chapter On Infertility)

C. Drying-Off An Anima

· The Dry Period Is The Most Important Phase Of A Dairy Cow’s Lactation Cycle. For Optimal Animal Health And Best Performance In The Next Lactation, Lactating Animals Should Have An Opportunity To Rest And Regenerate Mammary Tissue Between Lactations. During This Phase, The Cow And Her Udder Prepares For The Next Lactation; Hence Any Abnormalities During The Dry Period Will Have A Negative Effect On The Cow’s Health And Milk Production After Calving.

· Due To The Amount Of Milk They Produce, The Drying-Off Process Is Often More Complicated For Dairy Animals. Preparation For Dry Off Should Begin At Least Two Weeks Prior To The Dry-Off Date With A Significant Change In The Animal’s Diet. Reducing The Energy Content Of The Diet And Feeding Primarily A High-Fiber Diet Will Reduce The Nutrients Available For The Animal To Make Milk; This Is Often All That Is Needed To Reduce Milk Production To A Level That Makes Dry Off Safe And Simple

Length Of Dry Period

Animals Should Be Dry For Around 60 Days. If Animals Have Prolonged Dry Periods, They Run The Risk Of Becoming Obese, Experiencing Obesity-Related Diseases And Having Difficulty In Calving

D. Normal Calving & Dystocia

· Calving Usually Takes Place Normally Without Help.

· A Sticky Vaginal Discharge Is Usually Seen A Day Before Calving.

· In Older Cows The Calf Is Usually Delivered 30-50 Minutes After The Water Bag Bursts, But May Extend Up To 2 Hours.

· In Heifers Calving May Take Up To 4 Hours After The Water Bag Bursts.

· If Calving Does Not Occur Within The Prescribed Time After The Water Bag Bursts, It Is Known As Dystocia.

· If The Head And Two Front Legs Appear After The Water Bag Breaks, There Is No Need To Call A Vet And Calving Usually Occurs Normally.

· A Gentle Traction Of The Calf In A Downward Arc By Holding The Front Legs May Be Done In The Above Situation.

· Never Attempt To Pull The Calf In Any Other Position Other Than The One In Which Both Front Legs And Head Are Visible (Not Even If One Front Leg And Head Is Visible).

· In Case An Abnormal Presentation Is Seen Or Nothing Appears After The Water Bag Bursts, Call A Veterinarian Immediately.

· Delay In Attending Will Further Complicate The Situation.

Post Calving Monitoring

· Under Normal Circumstances, An Animal Should Come Into Heat Within 45 Days Of Delivery.

· It Is Recommended To Breed The Animal In The Subsequent Oestrus After The First Heat Or Within 60-90 Days.

· If The Animal Does Not Come Into Heat Within A Period Of 60 Days Post Calving, Consult A Veterinarian.

E. Infertility

· Infertility Is A Temporary Disturbance In Reproductive Function Wherein The Animal Cannot Become Pregnant. Normally An Animal With A Healthy Reproductive Function Should Calve Every 12-14 Months.

· Infertility Causes Economic Losses To The Farmers Due To Delay In Maturity, Calving And Milk Production. The Farmer Also Incurs Losses By Maintaining An Unproductive Animal.

· Infertility May Be Due To Various Reasons Like: (I) Diseases Of Genital Organs (Ii) Infectious Diseases (Iii) Physiological Causes Like Absence Of Heat, Repeat Breeding, Silent Heat, Cystic Ovary (Iv) Anatomical Causes (V) Faulty Ai Technique.

Management Of Infertility

· Inseminate At Appropriate Time Of The Heat. (See Chapter On Heat Detection)

· Repeat Ai May Be Required In Cases Of Prolonged Heat For Conception To Occur.

· Close Observation Is Required To Detect Silent Heat, Especially In Buffaloes.

· Provide Proper Nutrition Right From Birth Of The Animal.

· Provide Adequate Quantities Of Mineral Mixture.

· Reduce Heat Stress On The Animal By Providing Clean Drinking Water At All Times And Adequate Shade Or Cooling Systems.

· Ascertain Whether The Personnel Providing Ai Services Is Adequately Qualified.

· Consult A Veterinarian If A Regularly Cycling Animal Has Not Conceived Even After 3 Inseminations To Identify The Problem. Repeated Inseminations May Cause Permanent Damage To The Reproductive Organs.

· Animals With Anatomical Conditions May Not Conceive.

· Infection/Diseases Of Reproductive Tract Also May Lead To Infertility. Consult A Veterinarian For Proper Advice And Treatment.

Factors Responsible For Conception During A Normal Heat Cycle

· Only Timely Heat Detection Is In The Hands Of The Farmer.

· Proper Handling Of Semen, Proper Time Of Insemination, Proper Ai Technique And Site Of Deposition Of Semen Are In The Hands Of Trained Personnel (Vets Or Ai Technicians).

· It Is Therefore Very Important To Ensure That Ai Is Being Done Only By Trained Personnel To Avoid Complications Or Problems Later On.

· A Healthy Cross Bred Heifer Should Come Into Heat By 18 Months Or Earlier.

· Buffaloes And Local Breeds May Take More Time To Mature ( Around 24 Months).

F. A Brief On Progeny Testing (Pt)

Pt Is A Scientific Technique Used To Improve The Milk Production Of Any Particular Breed Through Selective Breeding.

Step 1: Best Yielding Cows (Elite Cows) In Identified Areas For The Breed Are Identified And Inseminated With Semen From The Best Bulls Available.

Step 2: Male Calves Born To The Elite Cows Are Purchased From The Farmer After Testing The Dam And Calf For Certain Diseases With Negative Results.

Step 3: The Selected Male Calves Then Undergo A Series Of Rigorous Tests At Various Stages (Pre-Quarantine, Quarantine & Rearing Stations) Before Moving To The Semen Stations. Selected Male Calves Should Test Negative For All The Tests Done At All Stages.

Step 4: The Semen From These Selected Bulls (Test Bulls) Are Then Used On A Larger Population Of Cows Of The Same Breed In The Pt Area.

Step 5: The Milk Yield Of The Daughters Born To Test Bulls Are Recorded. A Minimum Complete First Lactation Records Of 100 Daughters Are Required Per Test Bull.

Step 6: Based On Daughters’ Performance, “Breeding Value” Of Each Of The Test Bulls Are Estimated. The Top 10% Of Daughters Are Also Selected Based On Lactation Records.

Step 7: The Top 10% Of Daughters (Based On Lactation Records) And The Top 10% Of Bulls Selected (Based On Breeding Value) Are Used To Produce The Next Generation Of Young Bulls. Each Cycle Takes 6-7 Years To Complete. It Is Always Ensured That There Is No Inbreeding In The Process.

G. A Brief On Pedigree Selection (Ps)

In Pedigree Selection, Bulls Are Evaluated Solely On The Basis Of Their Parents’ Performance. This Process Is Followed When A Large Number Of Animals Of A Breed Are Available In The Native Tract But There Is No Infrastructure To Provide Ai.

Step 1: Identification Of Villages Having Best Animals Of The Selected Indigenous Breed In Its Native Tract.

Step 2: Artificial Insemination (Ai) Network Is Started In The Area. Extension Activities Like Farmer Education, Fertility Camps And Calf Rallies Are Carried Out In Villages With Emphasis On Promoting Ai.

Step 3: Selected Cows Or Buffaloes Of The Indigenous Breed Are Milk Recorded And Elite Animals With The High Yield Are Identified.

Step 4: The Elite Animals Having Very Good Breed Characteristics Are Inseminated With Semen Of Best Bulls For That Breed Available In The Countr

Step 5: Male Calves Born To The Elite Cows Are Purchased From The Farmer After Testing The Dam And Calf For Certain Diseases With Negative Results.

Step 6: The Selected Male Calves Then Undergo A Series Of Rigorous Tests At Various Stages (Prequarantine, Quarantine & Rearing Stations) Before Moving To The Semen Stations. Selected Male Calves Should Test Negative For All The Tests Done At All Stages.

Step 7: Semen From These Bulls Are Then Used On A Larger Population Of The Same Breed For Faster Genetic Improvement