1. Floyd Cattle Company Proposal
Jimmy Harrison
Meredith Pharr
Nathan Glenn
Captain Cody McCabe
2009 Houston Champion Hereford

2. Introduction
Our group has been working with Floyd Cattle Company. Leeann Floyd is our contact in the organization.
We began the report process by making an outline of every group member’s responsibility. Each group member was assigned a specific section of the report.
The report covers the scientific background of artificial insemination and embryo transferring.
Floyd Cattle Company currently outsources these processes. The report covers the benefits of doing these processes in house by building there own facility.
For the report itself, Jimmy was responsible for interaction with Leeann. Meredith, Nathan, and I were responsible for doing outside research to provide an outline of the benefits.
We all combined our work for the actual report, and did group editing.
We decided to format the document as simply as possible. Floyd Cattle Company is a very busy establishment and seem as if they just want the facts with nothing fancy.

3. Current Situation Travel to San Marcos
Limited number of cows to be processed
Little control over the process
Stress on the cows

4. Proposed Course of Action
Facilities
Covered Chute
Small Shed for Lab
Lab Equipment
Large Pens (as stress free as possible)
Personnel
Jared Floyd

6. AI and Beef Cows
Less that 5% of the national beef cow herd is inseminated artificially
Cattle are kept in range environments
Requires extensive labor and management skills to detect estrous
How do we minimize time and labor?...

7. Timed Insemination or “Mass Mating”
Method used in Estrous Synchronization
Eliminates estrus detection from business model
More predictable time of service
Detection does not affect time of service
Cost savings

8. The Estrous Cycle POLYESTROUS--Female Bovine
Experience Estrous cycle throughout the year
Day 0  First Stage “The Estrous Stage”
Peak estrogen levels
Ovulation occurs approximately hours after onset of estrous
Increased activity

9. The Estrous Cycle (cont.)
Day 2-3  Second Stage “Metestrus Stage”
Releases Progesterone - pregnancy maintaining hormone
DAY 6-17  Third Stage “Diestrus Stage”
Longest stage
Results in a fully functional corpus luteum
Day  Last Stage “Proestrus”
Declining progesterone levels
Start to develop high estrogen levels
Initiated the next estrogen cycle.

10. Estrous Synchronization
Manipulation of the Estrous Cycle
Induce estrous in order to bring a group of females into estrus at a predetermined time
Reduces time and labor spent on heat detection
More easily facilitate breeding
Essential to an effective AI program

11. Prostaglandin Prostaglandin naturally occurring hormone
Essential to the normal regulation of the animal’s reproductive cycle
Intramuscular injection
One or Two- Injection system

12. Prostaglandin (cont.) One-Injection System Two-Injection System
Administer injection on day 6 (Diestrus stage)
Days 7-11 heat detection & breeding
Two-Injection System
Separate injections days apart
All cattle are injected during the proestrus stage
Observe over the next five days

13. Prostaglandin Plus May administer in conjunction with other protocols
PROGESTERONE
ESTROGEN

14. Internal Benefits
Produce ten or more calves each year from their best cows, instead of one
Increase sale of quality genetics
Extend productive life of older cows
Option to sell unused embryos
Ability to oversee entire process

15. External Benefits Serve other cattle producers in the area
Newman Show Cattle- Stanton, TX
Chisum Club Calves- Springlake, TX
Day Show Cattle- Meadow, TX
T Knox Herefords- Stanton, TX
*Just a few that currently also outsource their ET and AI to San Marcos.

16. Conclusion
We completed our report well ahead of schedule so we were able to edit very closely.
Everyone in the group was very cooperative and we got most of our assigned tasks done in a timely manner.
The approach we took to writing this report proved to be effective. Everything ran smoothly in our brainstorming, researching, and writing processes.
We wrote our report so that very realistic benefits could result from it. We are very hopeful that this report actually influences Floyd Cattle Company’s decision on building an embryo transfer facility.