Caring for Your Herd With Expertise and Precision
Searching for a “bovine vet near me?” Green Hills Veterinary Clinic offers comprehensive bovine services customized for the needs of the individual producer and herd, including breeding, artificial insemination, and embryo transfer services.
Our facilities include holding and sorting pens and a hydraulic squeeze chute for processing, as well as standing surgeries. This allows us to process cattle in all weather conditions quickly and safely with less stress for you and your animals.
If you are interested in information about our bovine reproductive services, we are pleased to answer your questions or concerns. Allow us to discuss the benefits of bovine embryo transplant services, or to schedule your breeding soundness exams.
Cow Breeding
Aside from basic herd health care, we offer extensive bovine reproductive services with breeding soundness exams, artificial insemination, embryo transfers, and reproductive ultrasounds.
Breeding Soundness Exam
One of the most valuable and often under utilized services available to producers is the bull breeding soundness exam (BSE). The BSE allows us to assess a bull’s potential breeding fitness. Ideally, this would be performed well in advance of the breeding season.
Areas evaluated include:
- Scrotal size, shape, and consistency
- Sperm motility
- Sperm morphology
- Penis shape and size
- Feet and legs
- Body condition
Bulls make up half of the breeding herd and should be managed as carefully as the cow herd to ensure a brief and productive calving season.
Trichomoniasis Testing
Commonly known at Trich testing, Trich is a reproductive disease in cattle caused by a protozoan parasite that results in early pregnancy loss. It is passed from bull to female during breeding and infected bulls show no symptoms.
Tell-tale signs of trich include: cows that recycle due to early embryonic deaths; a high percentage of open cows or short bred cows; a delayed and strung-out calving season.
Trich is a sexually transmitted disease that shows no outwardly visible signs. The bull is the carrier, especially older bulls, so know where your bull has been. Bulls will show no signs of the disease but can shed the organism indefinitely. To diagnose the disease, a preputial fluid sample is taken from the sheath of the bull’s penis. The preputial sample is sent to a veterinary diagnostic lab where a culture or a PCR test is performed. Once a diagnosis of trichomoniasis is made in a herd, control and prevention of future infections involves culling the infected bulls and retesting any negative bulls until three negative tests are obtained.
Bovine Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination in a bovine herd allows for the genetic improvement of the herd through the use of superior sires. Green Hills Veterinary Clinic provides artificial insemination services for our bovine clients.
Several methods for synchronization are available, and we can set up a synchronization program for your herd.
Bovine Embryo Transfer
While artificial insemination allows for genetic improvement through the use of superior sires, embryo transfer allows for the increased contribution of superior females in your herd. This means a greater number of calves can be generated from valuable females than would be the case if only artificial insemination was used.
Bovine Reproductive Ultrasounds
Pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasound has several advantages including:
- Pregnancy diagnosed as early as 28 days of gestation
- Twins can be more precisely diagnosed
- Detailed information about fetal health and viability
- Fetal sexing between 50-90 days gestation
The technology of reproductive ultrasound is safe and relatively low in cost, making it a necessary tool for the herd manager. Green Hills Veterinary Clinic offers skill and experience in the use of reproductive ultrasound.
