Smart farms

: 07 April 2016; Hits: 9119

Keenly observe heat signs for successful cow fertilisation

Increased attention to heat signs is one of the surest ways of increasing chances of successful fertilisation in cattle to avoiding economic losses.

A farmer would incur direct insemination costs for a non-yielding service and have more unproductive days until the next month.

Research reports show that errors in observing the heat patterns in dairy cattle during the oestrous cycle account for more than 30 per cent of failed fertilization processes.

Patrick Nyauma, a veterinarian in Nyamira County says bull or artificial insemination may fail if the signs are not read well because cow can only be on heat within eight to 30 hours.

The officer says sperms can stay in the female reproductive system for as long as 48 hours after insemination, but highest chances of ferilisation are 12 hours after the first heat signs were detected.

“Sperms are able to fertilise an ovum within 18 and 24 hours from the onset of heat. But they have to be in the fallopian tube for at least six hours for capacitating.This, therefore, means that a farmer has to be careful in detecting the climax of fertility,” he said.

A cow will be on heat after 18 to 24 days. It is not hard to tell that a cow needs to b served for it will exhibit unusual behaviour.

The behavous result from increased oestrogen and reduced progesterone hormone levels in the blood.

“A cow on heat will mount on others for three to seven seconds and when, mounted, it stands still. It will also sniff genitalia of others and raise its head while curling lips,” he said.

A farmer would observe mucosal discharge from the vulva, which shows a cow is ready to be served by a bull or artificial insemination.

Whilst in most times the it may smear the thighs and tail, the mucus at times may fail to come out- it remains in the cervix and a palpation examination can confirm the cow is indeed ripe.

The vulva will redden, become less sticky, and warmer and moist. The cow will be restless, bellow a lot and lose appétit to feeding.

It will go back to normal I it is served or until the period lapses naturally.

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: 07 April 2016; Hits: 11520

Hormonal lift and good feed cure cow 'infertility'

Hormonal inducement and proper feeding are key in dealing with false infertility, which causes delayed production cycles in dairy cattle resulting in losses.

Mature heifers and lactating cows may fail to show heat signs, which are important in accurate bull or artificial insemination service, and eventual fertilisation process.

Farmers incur costs in keeping the ‘unproductive’ heifer or low yielding lactating cow, which should ideally be served about 85 days after calving.

Patrick Nyauma, a veterinarian in Kisii, says a productive cow should give a farmer one calf per year and high yields in milk for the agribusiness to make economic sense.

Hormones

He says biological and management practices can reduce the productivity of cattle. Hormones are the basic drivers of the 21-day oestrus cycle, which is the period that a cell develops into an ovum and moves to the fallopian tube for fertilisation.

Many hormones control reproductive cycle in animals, with progesterone and oestrogen being the major players.

An animal expert would inject an oestrogen containing remedy to trigger and raise levels of the hormone in the blood stream for the animal to 'demand service' the veterinarian said.

“Hormonal imbalance has been detected to be one of the causes of reduced desire for service. The body of an animal behaves directly to the various concentrations of hormones in the blood stream. High or low level signal start of the end of a given process. But prolonged show of heat sign should worry anyone who depends on dairy farming,” he said.

Oestrus cycle

Cows are on heat between 18 and 24 days of the oestrus cycle. Oestrogen is high in blood while progesterone is low when a cow is on heat. Lactating cows normally have higher levels of progesterone.

Hormones are chemicals that dictate behavour and response in living things.

Nutritional deficiency can cause dismal secretion of hormones, therefore, the ‘clock’ for various activities will be dormant.Consistent dry feeds also deny animals essential fresh nutrients, aggravating the situation even more, he says.

Synthesis of blood for instance, can be hampered if feeds do not have enough iron. Anaemic animals have reduced chances of being on heat.

Feeding animals well supplies them with the energy required in fertilisation, pregnancy and calving down, Nyauma said.

Treatment

Treatment of uterine and other general infections such as trichominiasis, pyometra and cytic ovarian, would place the animal at a better chance of being on heat for service.

But heifers may be having permanent infertility, and even after practicing some of the above, it will not yield much. They have to be sold to reduce expenses and give more money to reinvest in the farm, Nyauma says.

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: 07 April 2016; Hits: 10187

Mulled mustard seed mutes egg eating problem

Mustard seed concoction is one of the most efficient ways of stopping chickens from eating eggs, a vice that is causing losses to many farmers.

Eggs eating and cannibalism are rampant in nutritionally deficient birds, which are forced to peck on others or on these shelled produce for nourishment.

A farmer can prick a small hole into the egg and remove the yoke and other contents before carefully filling it with the mustard seed smashed content.

The mustard filled egg shells will be placed where the chicken see and peck. Chicken do not like the taste of the smashed seed. They will start avoiding any egg they come across thinking it has the same content.

Other solutions to egg eating include providing enough calcium to the chicken for strong shells to avoid breakages, whose leakage stimulates the habit.

Sufficient proteins and other minerals would also discourage the chicken from the habit.

Building enough nests would discourage laying of the eggs in the open while culling hardened 'culprits' would gradually stop the vice.

Pepper

Regular and timely collection of the eggs would prevent them eggs from being ‘play balls’ for the idle chicken.

At the same time, nests in dark places would keep the eggs away from the rest of the brood.

The University of Florida suggests adding pepper into a creamy liquid in shells and letting the chicken pick. They will not want to pick the hot cream again.

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