A.I. Question

[Horseandcattle]

Can you draw semen off a bull and then turn around and A.I. a cow with the same semen? We raise roping cattle and have great quality bulls for our 86 cows. However we need to keep our calves at a uniform size (weight and horn size) to group for our buyers. We have been just pasture breeding and it works fine. AI looks really nice to us though. Thank you.

 

[Hook]

There's no advantage to doing it that way. The semen only has a short life, so even if you have the cow in one squeeZe ready to Ai, and the bull on another to collect, there's no advantage unless the bull can't get it done for some reason

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Can you draw semen off a bull and then turn around and A.I. a cow with the same semen? We raise roping cattle and have great quality bulls for our 86 cows. However we need to keep our calves at a uniform size (weight and horn size) to group for our buyers. We have been just pasture breeding and it works fine. AI looks really nice to us though. Thank you.

I agree with Hook. Now if you are meaning can you split the ejaculate and AI several cows at that time, then yes, and no! You need a semen extender to extend the amount of semen so it can be spit between several cows. Also, how will you load it in a straw to inseminate it? Really, if you want to get several cows bred at once, your best bet is to have the bull collected, then freeze the ejaculate so you can have it handy when they are in heat.

 

[branguscowgirl]

If I understand you right, you will want to synchronize your cows to come in heat all at the same time. Run them through the chute to AI all of them at the same time. And have all your calves born at the same time. Correct?
If so, as FS said. You will need a vet to collect your bull and mix with extenders and freeze. Then follow a synchronization program on your cows.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

If you were using fresh semen you would not need the extender. You would not use straws, but use like a ampule.

 

[dun]

If you were using fresh semen you would not need the extender. You would not use straws, but use like a ampule.

Yup, pipette and a polybulb or a syringe with an inch of rubber tubing. When my old (late) mentor started doing AI (pre freezing days) he would get a call from the stud that they had a bull collected (fresh semen) and if he wanted something bred to it that day they would drive it down from around losangeles to san diego.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

If you were using fresh semen you would not need the extender. You would not use straws, but use like a ampule.

Yup, pipette and a polybulb or a syringe with an inch of rubber tubing. When my old (late) mentor started doing AI (pre freezing days) he would get a call from the stud that they had a bull collected (fresh semen) and if he wanted something bred to it that day they would drive it down from around losangeles to san diego.

If you were using fresh semen you would not need the extender. You would not use straws, but use like a ampule.

Now you guys are showing your age :lol:

I have worked in repro for many years, and have not had the experience of working with fresh semen in cattle before (just about every other common species we AI, but NOT cattle). But Dun, even if you are collecting fresh and driving it from Los Angeles to San Diego, didn't you use an extender? Semen dies pretty quickly in its pure state, and even when we AI horses and pigs to be used within a few hours, the semen was extended not only to make it cover more animals, but keep it alive longer. Once the sperm starts dying, the sample quickly goes bad from the dead sperm degrading, thus making the sample spoil sooner. The extender is there to keep it alive longer.

 

[dun]

I have worked in repro for many years, and have not had the experience of working with fresh semen in cattle before (just about every other common species we AI, but NOT cattle). But Dun, even if you are collecting fresh and driving it from Los Angeles to San Diego, didn't you use an extender? Semen dies pretty quickly in its pure state, and even when we AI horses and pigs to be used within a few hours, the semen was extended not only to make it cover more animals, but keep it alive longer. Once the sperm starts dying, the sample quickly goes bad from the dead sperm degrading, thus making the sample spoil sooner. The extender is there to keep it alive longer.

It may have an extender, Pete never mentioned it when we talked about the old days. Just hat the stud would call and bring a pipette of the stuff down, the AI was done by the guy from the stud. I'm thinking that it was around the 20s that he was talking about. In the mid 70s he was in his late 80s and had taken over the dairy when he was 18 when his father died.

 

[Horseandcattle]

The reason I was considering A.I was so I would have all the calves by one bull and have a more uniform crop. I just learned about extenders today at the vets. Now that ive learned more about it I don't see the A.I working for my situation.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

There is semen all ready frozen and ready to go if you look for it.

 

[Kscattle]

You could just sync your cows in groups and put the bull in with them. I don't know how many a bull could naturally service on synched cows but it's a thought. I heard/read somewhere that if you wean your baby calves for about 24hrs that the cows sometimes come in heat on their own. I don't know if it's true or not.

 

[Double R Ranch]

You could just sync your cows in groups and put the bull in with them. I don't know how many a bull could naturally service on synched cows but it's a thought. I heard/read somewhere that if you wean your baby calves for about 24hrs that the cows sometimes come in heat on their own. I don't know if it's true or not.

We separate our calves for 48 hrs (max) to allow the moms to push nutrient into Repro instead of lactation. We do this during a Synchronization. We pull the CIDR's give lute and separate calves. 48hrs later return the calves.
I would not rely on this to cause heat by itself.