Top five heat detection aids for beef cattle

1. Tail paint

Heat detection devices. Tail paint.

Tail painting is one of the cheapest heat detection methods on the market. Tail painting is widely used among beef and dairy farmers. It is easy to use, but does need to be re-applied every couple of days to get the maximum benefit from it. Costs can vary between different products, but on average a quality bands will cost between €12-€20.

2. Scratch cards/Kamar heatmount detectors

Heat detection devices. Sctatch card.

These two products are valuable aids to assist in identifying cows/heifers in heat. Scratch cards and kamar heatmount dectors both work off the same principle; they are placed on the cows/heifers tail head. When a cow/heifer is in heat the mounting activity from its herd mates will wear off the coating on the scratch card. A similar process for the Kamar heatmount detectors, where active mounting will burst the kamar pack. Scratch cards and Kamar heatmount detectors range between €30 to €40 for packs of 25. Prices and product quantities may vary from this, depending on brands.

3. Vasectomised bull with chin ball harness

A vasectomised bull with a chin ball harness being used to aid heat detection.

A Chin ball harness on a vasectomised bull is another good way to assure that heats are being detected. The chin ball harness is placed around the head of the vasectomised bull, with the ball placed under the chin. When the bull mounts the cow/heifer, he will leave a mark on her back. A chin ball harness costs between €40 and €45.

4. Moocall heat

Moocall Heat collar.

Moocall heat is one of the most advanced methods of heat detection on the market. Moocall heat collars are worn by a vasectomised or teaser bull. An ear tag is placed in the ear of the animal intended for breeding, the collar then uses the bull’s proximity and mounting behaviour to determine when the cow or heifer is in heat. When a heat is detected by the collar, it will send a text notification to the user’s mobile with the tag number of the cow or heifer that is showing heat.

It is a very innovative method of heat detection, however it comes with a price tag of €1,500 to buy. This includes a collar and 50 Moocall heat ear tags; there is also an annual service charge of €285+Vat.

5. Flashmate

FLASHMATE heat detection sensors.

Flashmate is a stick-on sensor that uses weight contact between animals to detect heat. The Flashmate device is placed on the cow's/heifer's back to one side of the tail, when the animal showing heat is mounted by its herd mates on repeated occasions, the sensor will activate and the red light will start flashing. This method costs €98/pack, each pack contains 24 devices.

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