By Hilary Parker
Ever wished you could just suggest what human fertility doctors often do to get their patients to relax and conceive? “Here, Bessie, have a glass of wine.”
Well, until they make such a cocktail for cows, Dr. Dan Goehl, DMV, who runs the Canton Veterinary Clinic in Canton, Mo., swears by “breeding boxes” for reducing stress during reproductive-related procedures.
Many of his clients now use these stress-reducing, build-it-yourself breeding boxes (the commercial ones often are referred to as “breeding barns”) in order to give the heifer a sense of calm. If you’ve got money lying around, there are commercial units available, but it’s fairly easy to construct your own without all the bells and whistles, Goehl told Bovine Veterinarian magazine. Simply build a dark, enclosed box that can fit one or two cows and allows them to walk into the box. No head restraint is used; instead, a bar simply drops behind the cow as she faces the closed end of the box, then stands for AI. Once it’s complete, a rope releases the front door and the cow walks out.
“Heifers walk into these amazingly well and tend to stand much better,” Goehl said. “They do not fight the headgate because there is none and they do not go down on their knees.”
Often, the boxes are portable, allowing vets and other AI specialists to use them with multiple clients. And because the semen handling occurs in the shade, it can make for better conception.
Colorado State University uses the IBEX with the I.C.E. (Customizable Extension) to preg check heifers in Yuma, Colorado.
A breeding box and an IBEX portable ultrasound ought to have your herd synched in no time.
