❱❱ BACKGROUND

Fixed time Artificial Insemination (FTAI) is a popular, cost effective and relatively simple reproductive technology ideal for increasing the overall genetic merit of your herd, and importantly adding significantly increased profitability to your beef operation.

FTAI involves synchronising the animals in your herd through the use of exogenous (injection or insertion/implantation of CIDR) hormones to be artificially mated over a controlled timeframe.

Synchronisation allows producers to utilise high indexing bulls from around the world for artificial insemination of their herd, with cows and heifers able to be inseminated on a single day at the same time.

❱❱ BENEFITS OF FTAI

While the use of genetically superior sires will be the predominant factor in increasing the quality of your herd, FTAI importantly allows producers to increase the entire profitability of their system through easier calving, shortened breeding and calving seasons, reduced incidence of post partum anoestrus, improved fertility and a more uniform line of calves.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

• Superior Genetics, Superior Profit

High indexing sires are driving genetic gain for beef producers all around the world, with synchronisation allowing multiple sires to be used to improve a multitude of traits in each new generation. From fertility and structural traits through to carcass merit, high accuracy genomic and proven sires are perfect for increasing your bottom line. Benchmarked herds using FTAI each year are returning $150 per cow more than those not using FTAI. In a 300 cow herd that is $45,000!

Joining daughters of high accuracy sires to another high accuracy sire increases the overall accuracy of EBV’s within the herd. This makes joining decisions more effective as well as improving the ability for clients to accurately select the correct sires for their herds, improving their overall profitability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Increased Pregnancies

Synchronising your herd results in an extra oestrous cycle for your breeding females over a standard 42-44 day breeding season. Effectively you could see 50% of your females conceived on day one of your breeding program!

Figure 1: Oestrous cycles of Non-Synchronised vs. Synchronised beef cattle.

Figure 2: Increase in value of a higher number of pregnancies through synchronisation, based on conservative estimate of $150/calf in a 200 cow breeding program.

   

• Shorten Your Calving Season

The financial benefit of a shorter average calving interval makes a Fixed Time AI program ideal for your herd.

On average, a standard FTAI program will reduce your herd’s calving interval by 9 days, now referred to as “the 9 day effect” for its sustained benefit to your herd.

• Assuming every day equates to 1kg extra live weight

• At weaning time we would expect animals to be averaging an

  extra 9kg live weight

• At $3/kg calves are worth an average of $27 more at weaning

  time, solely due to a condensed calving interval

• Reduce Post Partum Anoestrous

  FTAI increases the average post partum interval (PPI) of your breeding females by getting them in calf earlier in the breeding season, allowing greater time for recovery and a chance to begin cycling before the next breeding period.

  Using exogenous hormones through FTAI will also help animals in post partum anoestrous to begin cycling again, increasing the number of females available to breed on the first day of the breeding season.

  • Improve Response to Synchronisation Over Time

  It is time you took control of your breeding.

  A study headed by Dr Cliff Lamb of the North Florida Research and Education Center, FL, has demonstrated an increase in pregnancy rates among herds (shown in blue) that had been previously exposed to synchronisation for at least 8 years.

Get your calves dropping earlier and boost uniformity – create your own 9 day effect! You will join larger, healthier and more mature heifers. They will get in calf earlier, calve earlier, and be ready to conceive on day 1 of next year’s mating program, increasing your pregnancy rates year after year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

❱❱ SELECTING A FTAI PROGRAM FOR MY HERD

There are many protocols available, and the success of each protocol relies predominantly on the management and fertility of the herd; specifically accuracy of needling time, cow or heifer condition (nothing under 300kg) at the beginning of the breeding season.

The most commonly used protocol for beef Fixed Time AI programs is the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR for both cows and heifers. These are essentially the same protocol, apart from a larger time interval between CIDR removal + PG and insemination of cows (60-66hr) compared to heifers (52-56hr) as show below.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​