MONROVIA, Ind. — From a management standpoint, you might say there are things that make money, things that save money and then, according to some producers, are things that do both because you can’t live without them.

For producer-proponents, one of those tools is an electronic heat detection system. Electronic heat detection is not new, though the leading, and now the only provider, Heat Watch®, is bringing a totally revised version to the table this spring.

In fact, according to one of its early developers, Buzz Yancey, president of the Denver-based Cow Chips, LLC makers of Heat Watch®, said the technology has been available by retail since the mid-1990s.

Increases in the use of artificial insemination (AI) (USDA now estimates that 10 percent of the U.S. beef herd is bred by AI), price, and to a lesser extent availability, of preferred semen, the prevalent use of embryo transfer and commercial females as recipient cows for embryo transfer and even the cost of quality herd bulls have all increased demand in the system.

Steve Yackley, manager of the Express Ranches North Division in Onida, S.D., said he has used the system for more than 12 years with all of his spring and fall calving cows.

“University studies are great, but the data we’ve collected over 24 breeding seasons is worth much more,” he said.

The Yackley’s manage between 500-600 cows a year, and every female gets a heat detection patch.

To use Heat Wat