Exactly. I'm am mostly concerned with the highest pregnancy rate in the AI session regardless of the AI taking or the bull doing it. The bulls we buy are as good or better than most (IMHO...) and have very unique traits we are trying to foster in the retention of our heifers. I'm indifferent as to the AI session impregnating the cow or the bull later that day. We typically run about a 60-74% success rate in our AI program. I'd like to get 80% or better bred up in that 3 day-ish window.
We are AI'ing to bring in other genetics and target specific things we want out of specific cows. That being said, and not to have any ego in this because we screw-up all the time but we go through over 10,000 bulls for sale every year and target very specific bulls to buy. We buy all over the nation and we really like what we buy (or, when we make a mistake, they last one year and they are out of our program).
We have two Journey sons right now that won't make it a second year with us. Good bulls, registered and from a great cow family each...but we bought them young and knew we were taking a chance. We haven't liked the way they have grown out.
Bottom line: we can never "recapture" the 21 days if a cow doesn't get pregnant early in the season. That is at least 40lbs/head we will not sell since we sell all our steers at the same time. An increase in 10% on my conception rate around the AI heat will add over 1000lbs to our sales potentially. It will tighten up our calving window and it will make our calves more uniform if more are born at the same time as the AI.
Who knows...it may not work! We are just experimenting.