Breeding
Spotting heat and timing AI
Catch every heat and serve at the right time. Each missed heat costs about three weeks of milk.
4 min read
Signs of heat
- Standing still when other cows mount her: the surest sign.
- Mounting other cows, restlessness and bellowing.
- Clear, stringy mucus from the vulva, and a swollen, red vulva.
- A drop in milk for a day.
Watch at the right times
Heat can be short and often starts at night. Watch each cow for at least 20 to 30 minutes early in the morning and again in the evening.
The morning–evening rule
- Heat seen in the morning: serve that evening.
- Heat seen in the evening: serve the next morning.
- Call your AI technician early, so they can reach you in time.
After service
- Record the service in Maziwa. It will remind you to watch for heat again in 21 days and to check pregnancy at about 60 days.
- If she shows heat again around day 18 to 24, she is not pregnant. Serve again and tell your technician.
- After calving, most farmers aim to serve again from about 45 to 60 days, for one calf a year.