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Annual Beltie Magazines
The Belted Galloway Society has produced full-color, 36- to 44-page magazines annually since 2004. An extracts from one of the publications is accessible below. Obtain copies of the most recent printed edition by sending a request with your snail mail address to the Executive Director at Email: executivedirector@beltie.org.
About Artificial Insemination ...
When starting up a herd it's worthwhile to consider purchasing semen as opposed to supporting a bull, especially if the cow herd is small. Economics are only part of the picture. More important is that artificial insemination (AI) permits you to add top quality genetics to your foundation herd. Glance through the semen supplier listings on the following pages--you'll find some extraordinarily fine animals there.
When weighing financial considerations you'll want to factor in cost of the straws, transport of the tank, storage of your semen inventory, veterinary and/or technician fees. With all factors included, average outlay per live birth usually runs in the neighborhood of $300, give or take $50.
How hard is it to perform AI on Belties? It does require some extra effort on your part. You'll want to monitor each cow or heifer carefully to determine her heat cycle, then make arrangements with the technician to inseminate during the 18-hour "window of opportunity" shown in the chart above. If you wish to breed a group of females it may be practical to administer prostaglandin injections to encourage all to cycle at the same time.
Click Chart to Enlarge
To improve your success rate you may wish to inseminate more than once during the standing heat period. Pregnancy may well result from the first insemination, but it's wise to purchase two or three straws for each breeding planned.
Most breeders find that first-calf heifers are easier to settle than older cows. A rule of thumb for first breeding of the heifer is when she has achieved two-thirds of her anticipated mature weight, usually at 18 months or a little more.
What if an AI breeding just doesn't take? Our first impulse may be to blame the semen, but actually it could be because our timing was off, the cow was stressed, the temperature of the straw was too high or low, or any of a dozen other possibilities. We should eliminate all possible detrimental factors and try again. If the cow still doesn't settle we might send one of the straws to a laboratory to be checked for quantity and motility. Ratings of 80% or better are considered excellent, less than 50% are poor.
The rules of the Belted Galloway Society require that we submit a semen certificate when applying to register progeny resulting from AI breedings. The certificate is requested from the supplier at the time the calf is born. Note that some suppliers charge for certificates, others do not. Be sure when purchasing semen that this point is agreed upon.
