Select Sires

CIDR® Inserts (Part Two)
Transcript of Select Sires' Reproductive Moment Program
on DairyLine Radio Which Aired Dec. 1, 2005
With Ray Nebel,
Extension Specialist and Professor of Reproductive Management,
Virginia Tech

We continue our discussion on the use of CIDR inserts. Tests have shown, Ray, that these CIDR inserts work well with cystic cows.

In cystic cows it has been shown unequivocally that this is a really good use for the CIDRS. The research was done down at the University of Florida on large, practical, commercial dairy farms, where cows are identified as being cystic upon using rectal manipulation for palpation of the ovaries. If a cystic condition is found, a CIDR was inserted and GNRH was given at time of insertion. Seven days later the CIDR was removed, and prostaglandin was given. And then that cow can be bred off that next heat, which would be in 2 to 3 days. The theory here is that progesterone is needed to reset the hypothalamus, that the cystic cow should be getting high levels of estrogen, and the brain has now been refractory to that compound, and that progesterone from that CIDR kind of resets the brain to cycle back over again.

Would that be the same with problem cows?

Very similar. You are right on, Bill. With the problem cows at third or fourth service, it is very popular out west, in large commercial dairies, to go in and use a CIDR again, because we identified there is a problem being bred. It's very difficult to diagnose what’s the specific problem, why we are not getting a pregnancy. But to use a CIDR in those animals has shown a higher incidence of recovery, or pregnancies, than if we use it on first or second service. Again, probably on first service there’s a 50 or 60 percent of the cows that would be deemed normal-cycling cows. So the CIDR wouldn’t have any effect at all. But by third or fourth service we would have a population of cows that are probably a higher percent of problem cows, and the CIDR seems to be more effective.

Can these cows lose the CIDR inserts? Is it easy to do, or difficult to do?

It's fairly difficult. Research studies and practical use has shown about a two percent loss rate. So in a hundred cows, we would lose two CIDRs. The CIDR has a tail that protrudes out of the Vulva, so you know what cows have a CIDR inserted. Loss can occur primarily in confinement, when the animals get bored and kind of tug on each others CIDR is where we have usually seen it. But if inserted correctly, the device actually opens up, so it's fairly difficult. A cow can’t cause her own removal, but another cow can come over and pull it out with her tongue is usually the way they get it out of there.

What would happen if you didn’t remove that insert on the scheduled day?

If you just missed a day or two that wouldn’t really hurt anything and you could just go on from there. But after nine days, that is too long of a progesterone cover, and we come up with the condition known as persistent follicles. There is enough progesterone in the device to probably go for about 21 days. So after the seven we could probably go eight or nine days. After nine days, if the CIDR is forgotten, we probably need to take it out, give her prostaglandin, and get her to cycle back. And if we want to start it over again, probably in two weeks you can start it over again.

Thanks, Ray. We’ll continue next week with our series on CIDR inserts. That’s Ray Nebel, Reproductive Solutions Specialist™ at Select Sires.

®CIDR is a registered trademark of InterAg, Hamilton, New Zealand.
™Reproductive Solutions Specialist is a trademark of Select Sires Inc.

Select Sires Inc., 11740 U.S. 42 North, Plain City, Ohio 43064 / Phone: (614) 873-4683 Fax: (614) 873-5751