“People sometimes underestimate how important heat detection is for an operation,” says Cecilia Rocha, Ph.D., research assistant professor and state extension specialist at the University of Missouri in the United States. “Missing a heat means losing valuable time and genetics. That’s why reliable detection methods are so critical.”
Depending on your operation’s goals and resources, estrus detection with either breeding indicator patches or activity monitors offers benefits. However, combining the two methods of heat detection may yield the best breeding outcomes.
Pairing breeding indicator patches with activity monitors is something Rocha believes can help producers pinpoint which cattle to breed more precisely.
“The patches can help you to identify what are the true heat events, while the activity monitors can increase your precision to determine when the exact optimal time is for breeding,” says Rocha.
“You’re going to have some fake heats with the accelerometer, more likely when cows are being moved to another pasture or change their pattern of behaviors, they will be indicated as in heat when they are not actually in heat,” adds Rocha. “Using a breeding indicator patch with an activity monitor is going to help discover what was a true heat and what wasn’t.”
How they compare
The paired use of breeding indicator patches and activity monitors has been researched in the past few years, with study results for estrus detection accuracy being similar when comparing them separately.
In a recently published study Rocha was involved with while at the University of Florida, beef cows were fitted with ESTROTECT Breeding Indicator patches and an activity monitor to observe estrus before breeding with embryo transfer.¹ ESTROTECT Breeding Indicator patches had 98% accuracy in detecting estrus compared to 91% accuracy with the activity monitors across the 400 breedings. When tested statistically, this accuracy was similar between both methodologies.
Research from Kansas State University in 2017 paired ESTROTECT Breeding Indicator patches with activity monitor collars to monitor estrus in dairy cows.² The activity monitors found estrus in 73% of the cows, while the ESTROTECT Breeding Indicator patches detected estrus in 76%.
Pair for maximum impact
The tactic of pairing breeding indicator patches with activity monitors is even more valuable for intensive breeding programs using artificial insemination, embryo transfer or in-vitro fertilization.
“For example, if you’re using a re-breeding program after a timed artificial insemination protocol and need to know which cows to re-breed, using both would be the best approach,” says Rocha.
She also noted that having the extra insurance of a breeding indicator patch to help determine estrus with the activity monitor is worth the investment.
“When you consider the lost opportunity cost of a missed cycle or pregnancy, I think breeding indicators and activity monitors are worth the added investment to more accurately detect estrus and get better results from your breeding program,” concluded Rocha.
For more information on determining estrus intensity with breeding indicators, visit ESTROTECT.com.
The ESTROTECT Breeding Indicator is the industry standard for optimizing cattle breeding efficiency and economics. With millions and millions of units sold around the world, ESTROTECT is the only breeding management tool tested in a multitude of university studies by researchers.
