highvoltagecattleco
Well-known member
This is going to be my first time doing an AI. I want to know kinds of success folks have had. Two straws can get spendy, but so can a open cow.
1 or 2 straws for AI
- Thread starter highvoltagecattleco
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
highvoltagecattleco":8fh9k837 said:
If you geet the semen in the right place and the cow is at the right stage of the cycle and the semen is of good quality, one straw will do it. If any of the things in the first sentence are reversed, 10 straws won;t do the job.
dun
Susie David
Well-known member
It only takes one little swimmer to get the job done.
I would breed (use 1 straw) observe to see if any come back around and breed the ones not caught the 1st time. That way u are not simply wasting money. You may not have the best concerption rates to start with my 1st year i got about 50%, 2nd year got about 60%, 3rd year got about 75% and last year i got 95% on 1 breeding, my best rates ever. It just takes time and practice, to get breeding rates up.
Bez>
Well-known member
Interesting question.
Aaron and I were on the telephone for an hour or so yesterday and this topic came up.
Everyone above is bang on the money - except volume does count.
While I generally only use one straw, I am seriously considering going to two.
Mind you, I do not use those straws costing 50 bucks and up. The most expensive one I own is probably only 17 - 20 bucks.
As for percentage bred on first go - I have heard all sorts of numbers - but what I have discovered is that no matter how good you or the tech are - or how good you or the tech think you are - there will be years when the success rate drops - for whatever reason.
I look forward to more responses here because so far I am not convinced those little straws are always doing the job. The straws of old - in my region used to hold almost double the straws of today.
This volume may also be a serious factor when AI'ing older and larger volume cattle.
Bez>
Aaron and I were on the telephone for an hour or so yesterday and this topic came up.
Everyone above is bang on the money - except volume does count.
While I generally only use one straw, I am seriously considering going to two.
Mind you, I do not use those straws costing 50 bucks and up. The most expensive one I own is probably only 17 - 20 bucks.
As for percentage bred on first go - I have heard all sorts of numbers - but what I have discovered is that no matter how good you or the tech are - or how good you or the tech think you are - there will be years when the success rate drops - for whatever reason.
I look forward to more responses here because so far I am not convinced those little straws are always doing the job. The straws of old - in my region used to hold almost double the straws of today.
This volume may also be a serious factor when AI'ing older and larger volume cattle.
Bez>
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Well as a ne'er do well partime semen purveyor I should heartily endorse the two straw theory but if your using semen-COLLECTED AT A REPUTABLE FACILITY-one is all you need. Some of the crap that's marketed you could dump it in by the pail and not have much luck. The major studs put the semen they market or custom collect through a pretty thorough quality control procedure. By the way BEZ that Hereford bull is one of the highest semen quality bulls that Alta Genetics has ever collected. He hammers out about 800 units of very high quality semen every collection. I think it helps that he went into stud in running shape not pig fat.
George Monk
Well-known member
What about using two straws....one when standing heat is first observed then the second following the 12 hr rule?
I have used two straws on those, I'm not quite sure cases. Once when I suspect they were about 6 hours into standing heat and again 12 hours later. I have only done this when I wasn't sure what I have observed was in fact standing heat. The semen I use is too expensive to make this standard practise.
So far they have all settled, but I have done this only on about 6 heifers and 1 cow. This makes me think there might be something in this, but I am sure it has more to do with semen being there and alive and swimming for a longer period making the timing less critical than with the volume of sperm.
So far they have all settled, but I have done this only on about 6 heifers and 1 cow. This makes me think there might be something in this, but I am sure it has more to do with semen being there and alive and swimming for a longer period making the timing less critical than with the volume of sperm.
AngusLimoX
Well-known member
If your talking volume, there is likely hundreds if not thousands of times more semen in the straw than required. Folks like Jeanne Simme and dun are proof of that.
If your heat detection or technique or placement is lacking, then multiple attempts may help. But I don't like the thought of putting my girls through it several times a season.
Never heard any different on AI course and the folks putting it on sell semen! :lol:
If your heat detection or technique or placement is lacking, then multiple attempts may help. But I don't like the thought of putting my girls through it several times a season.
Never heard any different on AI course and the folks putting it on sell semen! :lol:
cattleluvr18
Well-known member
im getting a few more then i am expecting to use. you can always save them for next year if you want and just incase if one doesnt stick.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
There is a LOT of difference between volume in straws. Recently, I heard one major company now only puts 5-8 Mil/straw. Dependa-Bull puts 30+ mil. Genex tested two straws & they found 42-45 mil in each. Also, some bulls semen lives a LONG time after thaw - this gives you more leeway on your timing.
Most major companies know what they are doing (we hope!) and guarantee the quality of their semen.
I have bred cattle 2 times several different times. Mainly, catch one standing early AM & "looks" like she's been at it for some time - breed her at 6am and she continues standing til after noon - will rebreed her if in last 30 days of breeding.
Or, if I decide I have a problem breeder - we'll hit her two different times. I DO NOT see any real benefit of sticking two straws in at the same time.
Like Dun said - if everything is not right - you can dump your tank in her & she probably won't settle.
Most major companies know what they are doing (we hope!) and guarantee the quality of their semen.
I have bred cattle 2 times several different times. Mainly, catch one standing early AM & "looks" like she's been at it for some time - breed her at 6am and she continues standing til after noon - will rebreed her if in last 30 days of breeding.
Or, if I decide I have a problem breeder - we'll hit her two different times. I DO NOT see any real benefit of sticking two straws in at the same time.
Like Dun said - if everything is not right - you can dump your tank in her & she probably won't settle.
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
As a semen salesman it really wouldn't be ethical to tell anybody to use two straws when one will work just fine.
Simmishowchick
Well-known member
Most of the time if we use two straws it is when the cow has a habit of it taking more than one to breed her or if we have more semen than we are going to need of a certain bull. This year we kinda went old school, back to some older bulls that we collected on and a few angus bulls. The bulls we collected, we have probably 150 more straws on them total than we need so, my dad uses two to three straws every breeding on them to get rid of them faster and make room for the semen we are collecting on our bulls now. My personal opinion. . . If you have enough or have the money to buy another straw, I would use two the first time you AI a cow.
