A breeding season is a long string of small dates: CIDRs in and out, shots, AI, return heats, preg checks and finally calving. Miss one and the whole calf crop shifts. This Wagyu breeding season checklist walks through each stage, what to record, and what to watch for, so the season you plan is the season you get.
Your veterinarian should have the final say on protocols, drugs and timing for your herd. What follows is the record-keeping and planning side.
Before the season starts
Most of a good season is decided before the first CIDR goes in.
- Body condition. Score your cows and heifers. Thin females are harder to get bred.
- Herd health. Get pre-breeding vaccinations done on your vet's schedule, and note any withdrawal or booster dates.
- Bulls. Have clean-up bulls checked for breeding soundness.
- Semen. Count your straws by sire and make sure you have enough of the bulls you plan to use. Check your nitrogen.
- Matings. Decide which sire goes on which female, with genetic condition status checked so you do not pair two carriers of the same condition.
- Protocol. Pick a synchronization protocol with your vet and print the day-by-day schedule.
Synchronization and AI
Common protocols include 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR, 5-day CO-Synch + CIDR, Select Synch + CIDR, 7 & 7 Synch, 14-day CIDR-PG and others. Whichever you use, record every step: CIDR in, CIDR out, each injection, and the AI itself.
For heat-detected AI, the familiar AM/PM rule still holds: a cow seen in heat in the morning is bred that evening, and one seen in the evening is bred the next morning. Sexed semen is usually bred later, about 18 to 24 hours after onset of heat.
For each AI, write down the date and time, the female, the sire and straw, the semen type, the technician and how many straws were used. That record drives everything that follows.
Return heats
A cow that did not settle will usually come back into heat about 21 days after breeding. Watch for heats around that date and record what you see: heat signs, detection method and any re-breeding. A cow re-bred on a return heat gets a new due date.
Preg checks
When you preg check, by ultrasound, palpation or blood test, record the result for every female: pregnant, open, recheck, twins or lost. Record fetal age when you have it. That is what lets you work out a due date:
Due date = check date − fetal age + 285 days (a typical Wagyu gestation).
Opens should get a decision soon after the check, whether that is re-breeding, a clean-up bull or culling.
Calving
Expect Wagyu cows to calve from about 10 days before the due date to about a week after. Plan night checks around the cows due soonest. For each calf, record:
- Calving date, dam, sire and calf tag
- Calf sex and birth weight
- Calving ease on the BIF 1 to 5 scale, and calf vigor
- Presentation and calf status
- Twins, udder and teat scores, and notes
Then register the calf while the details are fresh.
The Wagyu breeding season checklist
- Score body condition and finish pre-breeding health work.
- Check bulls, count straws by sire and check nitrogen.
- Plan matings, checking genetic condition status on both sides.
- Choose a synch protocol and set the dates.
- Record each synch step and every AI with sire, technician and straws used.
- Watch for return heats about 21 days after each breeding.
- Preg check, record result and fetal age, and work out due dates.
- Decide what to do with open females.
- Set up calving pasture and night checks around the earliest due dates.
- Record every calving and start each calf's registration.
How CowSync keeps the season on track
In CowSync, the Heat & AI log records heats, synch steps and services. For each record it works out a 21-day return check, and for each breeding a due date based on a 285-day Wagyu gestation. Use Several animals to log a fixed-time AI group in one go.
When you save an AI, a few things happen on their own if the automations are on:
- A return-heat check and a preg check go on your calendar. You choose how many days after.
- One straw of that sire comes out of the semen tank.
- The female moves to Bred on the Breeding season board.
The board builds itself from your heat, AI, preg check and calving records and shows every female in one of five columns: To breed, Bred — waiting, Pregnant, Open after check, and Calved. It also shows your conception rate. Right-click a card to log the next step for that female.
In Preg checks & calving, the due date fills in from fetal age, and a pregnant result can add the due date and a pre-calving reminder to your calendar. Calving records follow the BIF scales, and a new calving can add reminders to register the calf and give first vaccines.
One season at a time
You do not need to change everything at once. Start by recording every AI with the right sire name, and the rest of the season builds from there. The full steps for each screen are in the CowSync Guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Wagyu gestation?
About 285 days is the figure commonly used for Wagyu, and it is what CowSync uses for due dates. Expect calves from roughly 10 days early to a week late.
When should I check for a return heat?
About 21 days after breeding. CowSync works out that date for each AI and can add it to your calendar.
Can I log a whole preg-check day at once?
Yes. Use Several animals when a group has the same result, or in Advanced mode type something like "Mark cows 12, 15 and 22 pregnant from today's preg check" into the AI assistant, check the proposed records and click Apply.