AI class for this dummy

[Alan]

Badlands,

My only experience, so far, has been with the 45 head they brought into the barn at the sale auction, where the class was held. Most every dairy, holstein, I found the cervex at about 10 or 11 inches in, guessing by my arm length, just over the pelvic rim into the body cavity, sometimes just bent over. I could find the cervex and pull it up to me, but after the gun was through the cervex, the O ring on the gun was up tight with the cows vagina opening. The beef cross, mostly angus cross, was about 6 to 8 inches in, half way up my arm. The deep cervex's in the holsteins could be because of being at the auction yard, old cows, breeding problems, etc.

I plan to AI late May or the first of June, outside temps should be around 70 degrees F.

Alan

 

[Badlands]

I have found it much less tiring to pull everything back so that when I am ready to push the plunger, there is only about half the gun inside the cow.

What you are doing is having the cow "hanging" on the end of the gun with no leverage to hold things where they are.

If you pull everything up into the pelvic girdle, then you have most of the gun sticking out of the cow and you have more leverage, so you won't tire out as quickly.

Sometimes you have to stretch things forward to get some folds out, but then return everything to the rear-end of the cow so you have room to move with her.

If you have the gun all the way inside her, you don't (edit) have to room to move. If you have it part way out, you can move with her.

These beef cows won't stand still like the dairy cows will.

Badlands

 

[Alan]

These beef cows won't stand still like the dairy cows will.Badlands

Lots of difference between the dairy cow who is handled everyday and the beef cow who is not. It was kinda fun cause the beef cattle just as soon run over you as anything else. Lots of people jumping on panels.

Alan

 

[Bobg]

I've done some AI'ing at less than 32* and we just stick the gun down our pants or coveralls to keep it warm. That's just the way I was taught. A friend who learned to AI on the east coast just puts the gun between his teeth and gets everything ready then AI's and it works for him. I don't think it will work too good during cold weather though.

Bobg

 

[ENNOT]

Alan, Did Henry Yaeger teach the class? He was the instructor when I took it through Select Sires. HEck of a nice guy with tons of experience. I don't think you can find a better class in the NW than going to the Select class.

You'll be all set to go AI now that it isn't long until AI season.

 

[Alan]

Alan, Did Henry Yaeger teach the class? He was the instructor when I took it through Select Sires. HEck of a nice guy with tons of experience. I don't think you can find a better class in the NW than going to the Select class.

You'll be all set to go AI now that it isn't long until AI season.

Yes it was Henry, top notch, he is obviously very experienced in teaching AI. I'm very happy with what I got out of the class, scale of 1 to 10 it was a 15.

Alan

 

[MikeC]

Len Holliman is a class "A" AI instructor in the southeast.

He is also with Select Sires.

 

[Chuckie]

Select Sires is giving an AI class starting Monday thru Wednesday, at UT in Martin. I am really looking forward to the class. Chuckie

 

[C HOLLAND]

Alan I had a heifer come into heat yesterday and me and the wife were all setup to AI her at 4PM. Everything went good getting her in the alley and in the chute, the wife caught her in the head gate and I walked in the palp cage gate and she came unglued on me. She was kicking and caught me on the side of my leg so I backed off and opened the head gate and she backed in and continued to try and come out of the chute, I thought she was going to try and climb out the small gap at the top/side of the chute.

I decided to let her go before she hurt herself or me and let her in with my Angus bull, we watched him breed her about 30 minutes later.

I have got to add something to my chute for heifers because you can't use the drop down gates to seperate you from them and still reach far enough to AI them, unless you have 6' arms :lol:

I have a friend who AI's his cows and heifers in the chute without catching them in the head gate, I don't know if I will try that way though.

Another fun day and a chance to learn.

 

[Frankie]

Alan I had a heifer come into heat yesterday and me and the wife were all setup to AI her at 4PM. Everything went good getting her in the alley and in the chute, the wife caught her in the head gate and I walked in the palp cage gate and she came unglued on me. She was kicking and caught me on the side of my leg so I backed off and opened the head gate and she backed in and continued to try and come out of the chute, I thought she was going to try and climb out the small gap at the top/side of the chute.

I decided to let her go before she hurt herself or me and let her in with my Angus bull, we watched him breed her about 30 minutes later.

I have got to add something to my chute for heifers because you can't use the drop down gates to seperate you from them and still reach far enough to AI them, unless you have 6' arms :lol:

I have a friend who AI's his cows and heifers in the chute without catching them in the head gate, I don't know if I will try that way though.

Another fun day and a chance to learn.

Try feeding them something. We AI the cows in the working chute behind the squeeze chute. Just set a pan of feed down in front of them and they pretty much ignore what's happening at their other end. We squeeze the heifers up snug in the squeeze chute, but don't catch their head. They tend to be a little more nervous than the cows.

 

[Alan]

The instructor in our class, Henry, showed us some slides of a breeding box he made. The box is completly dark where the cow is, no head gate, and a bar behind the cow to hold her in. 26 to 28 inches wide, the AI tech and the hind end of the cow is in light. He said the cows are completly calm and fell secure in it and, he stated, they really just dive in. I'll try the pan of grain before I build one of these.

Alan

 

[Northern Rancher]

I A'I a couple thousand head most years and I've tried breeding boxes and quite frankly I didn't like them all that well. If your using a squeeze don't catch their heads-they'll stand alot quieter.

 

[KNERSIE]

I use a seperate alley without a head gate to AI in. The chute with the headgate only gets used for shots while all the tick control, pour-ons and AI get done in the alley with just a normal gate in front of the cow's face. I use a bar behind the heifer/cow to keep her from moving forwards and back.

When using a bar or chain behind the cow you AI make sure that you have various height and length options as not all cows and heifers are the same size and when the bar is too low some wants to lean back and sit on the bar.

If I were to rebuild my facilities some day I think I'll build a V shape alley for AI, especially virgin heifers that tend to want to move more from side to side and because they are smaller they have more room to do so.

I am still tickled by the immobilizer idea when AI and will give the manufacturers of the RAU immobilizer a call in the morning.

 

[Northern Rancher]

I've found with V shaped chutes some cattle try and climb up the side with their back legs-hard to describe but i've found a straight side that is width adjustable works best.

 

[Badlands]

I decided to let her go before she hurt herself or me and let her in with my Angus bull, we watched him breed her about 30 minutes later.

Something wrong here!!!!


I guess I've used chutes, head catches, breeding boxes. I think it's a personal preference. I've had the best luck with breeding boxes with a little hole cut in the front of them. I've worked single boxes, up to four stalls wide on bigger projects.

I guess the only thing that I find a bit contrary to my way of thinking is the V alley. If you have one go down, it is a pain getting them back up, they wedge right down in those things.

Badlands

 

[Northern Rancher]

I found them kind of dirty and hot to work in and I agree with the 'V' shape a good idea in principle but not so much in real life.

 

[dun]

I found them kind of dirty and hot to work in and I agree with the 'V' shape a good idea in principle but not so much in real life.

I thought it was a great idea several years ago and was really tickled thinking that there was a better way then just rssling around with the sack and nuts. I must not be cororidinated enough or have enough hands, seemed like 2 weren;t enough when I messed wit hthat thing and the sack of nuts and the bander.

dun

 

[DOC HARRIS]

I don't warm the end of my gun in water. I grip it firmly with my left hand and work it forward and back with my right hand, using friction to warm it. Only takes a few seconds and you can feel it heat up.

When the gun is loaded and the sheath is in place I just stick the loaded end down the front of my pants to keep it warm while I put on my sleeve and walk the 3-4 feet to the chute.

May not be technically correct, but I get pretty good rates.

Mike -

I am not EVEN going to comment on your technique!!

DOC HARRIS

 

[Badlands]

Doc, your wife would shake her head at you is she read that!

Too funny.


Badlands

 

[Northern Rancher]

If your messing with a sack and nuts when your A'I'ing you better take a refresher course lol.