Heat detection plays a crucial part in determining the number of cows submitted, and the number of cows correctly submitted for breeding.
The task of identifying which cows are in heat can be difficult, especially when the average heat only lasts nine hours.
Tail painting is a common sight on most dairy farms throughout the breeding season, especially as it’s one of the cheapest methods of identifying cows in heat, through the use of a thin strip of paint applied to the top of the cow’s tail.
Heat detection
Accurate heat detection is key to achieving your herd targets this breeding season.
Most cows display signs of heat between the hours of 9:00p.m and 7:00a.m, so relying on observation alone to identify cows in heat could easily result in cows being missed.
Using tail paint is an easy and effective aid that can help you to achieve high heat detection/submission rates.
Once a cow in heat has been mounted, the paint will be rubbed off, making her easy to identify.
Applying tail paint
It is important that tail paint is applied correctly to ensure accurate heat detection, so it should be applied in a narrow strip, 1.5-2in wide and approximately 9in in length, along the tail head of the cow.
Remember that it is important to continue topping up paint throughout the breeding season, even on cows that have been bred.
Also, remember not to apply too much paint at once, as it could cause confusion as to whether paint has been rubbed off or not.
Tail paint is also an aid that can help you detect non-cycling cows, as their paint will still remain; this is where using different colours of tail paint is helpful.
Identifying these cows early, means you can then take action and rectify the problem, giving them a chance to go in-calf before the end of the breeding season.
It is also important to keep a record of cows that have been in heat and bred, to help predict scanning and calving dates.