Lost CIDR

[ARLambs]

We have a ewe that lost her CIDR and I can't find it.  She was in a 5x15 pen with another ewe, so it is possible that the other ewe pulled it out, but I have checked the pen and can't find it.  Dogs have access to one 5ft side of the pen, so there is a slim chance that a dog got it out of the pen.  I have felt inside the ewe, as much as she will tolerate and don't feel anything.  I have been reading cattle forums about retained CIDRS and now I am concerned that it is in there and I can't find it.  Any suggestions?

[EmsoffLambs]

I somehow missed pulling a CIDR last year. I clipped the strings shorter and it must have gone in deeper or something. She bred anyway, albeit later, and I had no idea it was still in her until about a week before lambing I noticed the string sticking out again. She lambed just fine. I talked to another breeder who said she had had the same thing happen to her too with the same results.

[Bigiron59]

I have had rams pull them out if they have fence line contact.  One was very adept at that.  This year , the teaser ram was the culprit.
He got over it by last breeding  cycle.
 He ran with my non cidred and cidred ewe lambs at same time. He was pulled same day cidrs were. All non cidred ewe lambs breed before the cidred ones came in cyle. That will be a busy 3 days. Historically ,95 percent of  mine breed and stick on that service date.
35 ewe lambs bred in 3 days.
As to retained CIDR. The only one of  mine last year , to not breed was one I forgot to pull CIDR until day 20.
I did a 14 day insertion last year and while worked, 25 percent remarked and lambed on second cycle.
Previous years and this year was 7 day insertion.
They sync better for me on 7 day I section.
 But been really perfect fall here for breeding.
Fall lambers are running with March lambing gruop.
Ram still in that gruop. Last lamb born in that gruop ,about 4 weeks ago. Have observed 80 percent of that lambing gruop,being marked in last week. So will see ,if they stick, while nursing  lambs..:-)

[Don Drewry]

Last year I implanted ewes in early August.  When we sheared the ewes in mid October the shearer pointed out that one still had a CIDR in her (of course in the most courteous manner possible).  She was well marked by the ram.  After 12-14 days there really isn't any hormones left to release.  So, other than the possible mechanical irritation it shouldn't hurt her.  I wouldn't think her cervix would allow the CIDR to go in farther so, it's most likely in the pen somewhere.   I did have one that I really have to stick my fingers in as far as they could go to extract as the tail had gone in.  You could have someone with longer fingers go exploring.

[Honey Tree]

I don't think the design of the cidr would allow it to travel deeper into the ewe.  I could see the tail of the cidr curling and therefore vanishing.  When the hormone runs out and she comes into heat the ram could push it in farther but I don't think it could migrate farther in without some type of assistance. 

I was talking to a person that breeds a lot of high quality club lambs.  The tail of the cidr had disappeared and he thought the ewe had lost it.  When the ewe lambed the lamb kicked it out.

[ARLambs]

Well, it doesn't look the one with the missing CIDR is gonna get bred this cycle, hopefully she will get bred in the next couple weeks. 

[Bigiron59]

Had 2  ewes that could push hers out .
One was a recip ewe that was being set up. And one a donor flushed couple years ago.
They would sit down and put a hind leg up,like a dog going to scratch thier ear. 3 or 4 pushes and out it would pop.
And have gone "fishing" for more than one or 2.
Which is why all CIDR Tails are super glued to skin in that area.  Have lost only one or 2 since doing this.

[Honey Tree]

Bigiron, dumb question perhaps but how do you get them unstuck when it's time to remove them?

[Bigiron59]

Skin cells are shed daily. After 7 days ,they are pretty easy to pull off.  Many are only held down by the ball.  But I used to collect plasma from cows. And used 14 gauge bx 5 inch IV catheter into jugular vein. Those were super glued in as well. They pull right off.

[ARLambs]

16 days after my intended synch date the ewe with the lost cidr has marked.  Do you think she will settle? Is it safe to assume that if that cidr is still in there, the hormones are gone?

[EmsoffLambs]

I'll bet she does settle.

[Bigiron59]

Bet the CIDR is gone as well.
Have never had them work deeper in ewe lambs,but have had the go deeper in matures.
And bet she settles on this cycle.
Also depending on if she was cycling, or had just cycled, cidrs may have little impact on estrus.
Rams all come out tommorow. None ,including rams with ewe lambs, show more than passing interest to any females. Guessing they know its over for the year.

[EmsoffLambs]

I can't say if it is still in her or not. Like I said, I did have a ewe last year that "lost" hers, only to find it sticking out a few weeks before she lambed. I have heard the hormones in the CIDRs are all used up after about two weeks, so if it is in there, it's not doing anything. I wouldn't worry too much either way.

[Bigiron59]

The homones drop to a level that will not hold the ewe from coming into estrus after a week . Which is why they are labled for a  5 day insertion.  This year in ewes that et work was done on, cidrs were inserted back in ewes after breeding and after embryos were implanted. The hormone  will help maintain pregnancy until implantation oçcurs.   I believe et protocols all use 2 cidrs with shorter insertion dates , as himones drop rapidly after 5 days.
Some work has been done with using 2 cidrs inserted at same time. That holds potential, but space limitations on small framed ewes may not allow.
And a large producer here uses 5 day insertion on all of his now. 1000 ewes ,accelerated lambing program. Lambs 5 days a week during lambing events.