A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 29, 2000
SYNCHRONIZATION COSTS
There are many products on
the market now that can help
synchronize estrus in beef cows.
Purebred cattle breeders have
been using these tools for a
number of years because of the
need to produce calves from AI
sires. However, commercial beef
breeders have in made increas
ing use of these tools for the fol
lowing reasons:
1. The calving period can be
reduced because more cows are
bred in a smaller window of
time. This certainly increases
the probability of better calving
management.
2. Replacement heifers can be
produced from outstanding
.cows using AI sires that are se
lected for maternal traits.
3. There can be greater pro
ductivity of the calf crop be
cause selection of AI sires with
Semen costs
prostaglandin shot
GNRH shot
biccdci/tcchnicum $5 00 P CI cow
handling costs (pei tup thiough chute) $1 00 pci cow
heat check chaige (6 hi/day X $lO 00/hi for 30 cows) $ 20 pei cow pci day
MGA-contaming feed ($ 50/hd/day for 14 days) $7.00 pei cow
Value of additional weight of fccdci calves $.70 pei popnd
System I Single Piostaglandm (PGF)
1 PGF
1 6 chute tups (60% of lieated cows Al’d)
semen cost
10 days heal check
bieeder/technician chaigc
total
bicakcvcn weight incicasc ($l9 10/$ 70 pei
Estimated success ol AI piegnancies
Cost pei cow foi each AI-sircd calf
System 2 . Double Pioslaglandm (PGF)
2 PGF
2 8 chute tups (80% ol healed cows Al’d)
semen cost
10 days heal check
biccdci/tcchmcian chaigc
total
bicakcvcn weight incicasc ($24 80/$ 70 pci
Estimated success ol AI piegnancies
Cost pci cow loi each Al-sned call
System 3 MGA/ Piostaglanclm System
1 PGF
MGA teed
genetic potential for growth will
usually exceed the ability of in
dividually-owned bulls.
4. An effective crossbreeding
system can be maintained by
using bulls of one breed through
AI, and natural matings from a
bull of another breed.
There are, of course, costs as
sociated with synchronization
programs. The following infor
mation will outline some of
those costs for four selected syn
chronization programs. Contact
your county extension agent or
AI representative for the details
of using each of these systems.
Assumed costs: Please recall
these costs will be different for
any given producer. They are in
tended as a guide to use for com
parison. Be sure to determine all
of the actual costs for your pro
gram.
lb.)
lb)
INCREASE MILK PRODUCTION,
LOWER FEED COSTS!
We specialize in crimping com out of a silo, or bunker,
or chopper, or ag bagger, or blower
Made for 5000 Senes John Deere
Propelled Harvesters Auger chute available
r
f jr* v
*' «5»»
Lancaster Silage Crimper
2008 Horseshoe Rd • Lancaster, PA 17601 * 717 299 3721
$l5 00/Miaw
$3.50 ca
$4 40 ea
Dollais pci hcai
3.50
1 60
9 00
2.00
3 00
19 10
27 lbs
30%
38 20
Dollars per head
7 00
2 80
12 00
2 00
4 00
25 80
37 lbs
60%
43 00
Dollais per head
3 50
7 00
Made for 3970 & 3950
John Deere Pull Type Harvesters
1.7 chute trips (70% of Heated cows Al’d)
semen cost
5 days heat check
biccdci/tcchniuan chaigc
total
bieakeven weight mcieasc ($27.20/$ 70 pci lb )
Estimated success of AI pregnancies
Cost per cow for each Al-snedcalf
System 4. Select Sync System
1 PGF
1 GNRH
2 8 chute trips (80% of treated cows Al’d)
semen cost
8 days heat check
biccdci/tcchmcian chaigc
total
■breakeven weight inciease ($28.30/$.70 pei lb.)
Estimated success of AI pregnancies
Cost per cow for each Al-sired call
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Where are the biggest
trees in Pennsylvania?
A championship elm has been
found in a park in Pittsburgh,
and an enormous yellow-poplar,
standing 136 feet tall, was found
in Delaware County, outside of
Philadelphia.
All across Pennsylvania resi
dents are being asked by The
Pennsylvania Forestry Associa
tion (PFA) to help locate the big
gest and best trees in the state.
The search for the best speci
mens of Pennsylvania’s native
trees last took place in 1993, and
since then many of the big trees
have died, lost limbs or been sur
passed by other trees. Now, at
the beginning of a new century,
PFA is reevaluating and compil
ing data on prospective grand
champion trees and asking all
Pennsylvanians to get involved.
Photos and information on each
championship tree will be pub
lished in PFA’s millennium edi
tion of the book,
“Pennsylvania’s Big Trees.”
From Abies (fir) to Ulmus
(elm), nominating information,
instructions, and facts about
past champions can be obtained
by calling (800) 83S-806S. Nomi
nations are sought for each of
the 106 native tree species in
Statewide Search Begins
For Biggest Trees In Pa.
Pennsylvania. The champion
trees are each determined by a
three-measurement point sytem
based on the circumference,
height, and average crown
spread. Every nominated tree
will be evaluated by a profes
sional forester who will deter
mine the amount of points the
tree receives.
Seven years ago, the largest
tree of any species was recorded
in Pennsylvania in Franklin
County. The tree, a huge sy
camore, stood 102 feet tall with
a circumference of 31 feet 1
inch, totaling 506 points. Nine of
the “Big Trees of Pennsylvania”
are national champions as well
as state champions. The tallest
of these, a balsam fir located in
Adams County in 1993, stood
1.70
10.50
1 00
3 50
27 20
39 lbs
50%
54 40
Dollais per head
3 50
4 40
2 80
12.00
1.60
4 00
28 30
40 lbs
60%
47.16
LANCASTER
FARMING
FOR COMPLETE
Again, recall these values will
be different (drugs, labor, and/or
success rates) based on many
factors including such things as
cow condition, heat detection
experience, breeder/technician
expertise, the weather, and other
intangibles. However, it is clear
a synchronization program will
cost about $3O per cow, and the
value of the Al-sired calf must
be about $5O greater to make
these programs pay for them
selves. In many cases this will be
a good investment, particularly
when replacement heifers are
being produced. It’s also clear
that experience, good manage
ment, the availability of quali
fied AI technicians, and good
handling facilities are necessary
for success.
166 feet tall.
“There’s no telling where the
grand champion tree in Pennsyl
vania will be found,” said Scott
Kurtzman, president of PFA.
“Over the years, the ‘Big
Trees of Pennsylvania’ has en
couraged the interest and in
volvement of Pennsylvania
residents from all over the state
to appreciate the historic aes
thetic and preservation value of
the big trees'of Pennsylvania,”
Kurtzman said.
For more information on the
Big Tree Contest and how to
register your big tree, call (800)
835-8065. For more information
about PFA, visit The Pennsylva
nia Forestry Association on the
web at www.paforests.org or call
(800)835-8065.
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