AI for the rich and famous!!

[redfornow]

I read back through a page or to of this post and saw that I was being drawn into an argument and had not realized it.

I will let sleeping bulls lye for now ;-).

It looks like an argument to me from the very first post.

:lol: I think that is where it all started also.

REALLY?????

PS please note sarcasm

 

[S.R.R.]

I read back through a page or to of this post and saw that I was being drawn into an argument and had not realized it.

I will let sleeping bulls lye for now ;-).

It looks like an argument to me from the very first post.

:lol: I think that is where it all started also.

REALLY?????

PS please note sarcasm

I must admit you guys are good!!! ;-) If you are looking to provoke a man into trying to back himself up, you are doing a good job.

There is no way I am going to let some ignorant minded individuals try and make fun of someone who is trying to make this board a good place to be. I have noticed that not one of you have commented on the actual post but have chosen instead to try and pick a fight.

That is really to bad. :roll:

Let me put it plan and simple for those of you who have limited intellectual ability.

There is absolutely NO reason that when a new comer asks what they should do concerning the breeding of their cows we should jump on the AI wagon!!!!!!! A bull is not only a good option but one of the best.

 

[aplusmnt]

I read back through a page or to of this post and saw that I was being drawn into an argument and had not realized it.

I will let sleeping bulls lye for now ;-).

It looks like an argument to me from the very first post.

:lol: I think that is where it all started also.

REALLY?????

PS please note sarcasm

I have noticed that not one of you have commented on the actual post but have chosen instead to try and pick a fight.

Guess you missed my post then here is one of the early ones.

I am not sure how profitable it is for the commercial operator either, but It would have been better served to S.R.R. and all of us if this interesting subject was put in a friendly question on rather any of the commercial raisers can A.I. And still show profit and if so how? What are the advantages economically and what are the disadvantages? Thread started a fight right from the first post.

I would like more info but I wonder these things:

How cheap can a commercial guy synch his cows and A.I.? I figure only way a commercial operation can afford it is if they can do it themselves?

Does the math work out after the above pricing, could a guy with 300 cows, A.I. with say 60% Success rate. Which would save him from having to own say 3 additional bulls. Might be the cost of purchase, feed, vet bills and death or need to cull, might be more for these 3 bulls than the A.I.ng of all 300.

Then if you sell Replacements or just retain some for your self, you could retain the ones from the more proven A.I. bulls which would be a quicker way to improve you herd.

Another possible advantage is you could A.I. to say the breed you wish to retain females from but at same time run a terminal bull of another breed as clean up. Maybe the bulls you buy could be a little cheaper due to not needing as much quality for female retention all of the ones you get from the clean up you will sell as market animals.

Other advantages could be that sync-hing is just a natural part of A.I.'ng so your herd management would be less labor intense with less hours spent in the fields. You could end up with a 300 head operation having 180 or more cows calving withing just a couple days of each other.

The synchronizing would then also offer possibly better prices at sale barn if you can off 180 calves within just a couple days of same age with better uniformity.

I would want to know lots of things about all the above issues and crunch the numbers and get some professional advice from those that due it instead of just assuming it is stupid and will not make you money.

 

[backhoeboogie]

APlus, he missed my posts as well. Now he is challenging my intellect. Go figure. Only my bull has been used. He has asked that same question or poll several times. I answered or voted in favor of the bulls each time. Dad had never AI'd. Father-in-law had a degree in animal husbandry from A&M and he never AI'd. I am not against AI and it may be an alternative I use some day.

S.R.R. Pay close attention to this statement. I have a bull and he is the only thing that has bred my cows/heifers.

This thread may go another 14 pages before my bull is communicated to you. I apologize for my "limited intellectual ability" and if you truly reviewed the many posts and polls on this axe grinding mission of yours, maybe you would find the answer you keep asking.

Edit:
One more thing S.R.R. Why did you edit out the words you asked in your bull poll? Did you recognize that folks with an average bull might answer "No" ? Is this an ethics thing? You ask a poll question, get a group of answers, then change the question and edit out your post. Now that the question has changed, all the answers that were given may no longer be applicable to each person answering. Do you have any regard for the posters who answered your request?

 

[redfornow]

I read back through a page or to of this post and saw that I was being drawn into an argument and had not realized it.

I will let sleeping bulls lye for now ;-).

It looks like an argument to me from the very first post.

:lol: I think that is where it all started also.

REALLY?????

PS please note sarcasm

I must admit you guys are good!!! ;-) If you are looking to provoke a man into trying to back himself up, you are doing a good job.

There is no way I am going to let some ignorant minded individuals try and make fun of someone who is trying to make this board a good place to be. I have noticed that not one of you have commented on the actual post but have chosen instead to try and pick a fight.

That is really to bad. :roll:

Let me put it plan and simple for those of you who have limited intellectual ability.

There is absolutely NO reason that when a new comer asks what they should do concerning the breeding of their cows we should jump on the AI wagon!!!!!!! A bull is not only a good option but one of the best.

I assume this is aimed at me.
If it is all I can say is a happy thank you for the kind words.
Have a great one.
MD

 

[C HOLLAND]

There is absolutely NO reason that when a new comer asks what they should do concerning the breeding of their cows we should jump on the AI wagon!!!!!!! A bull is not only a good option but one of the best.

SRR, sometimes ignorance is not listening to other opinions and trying to shove yours down their throat.

You forgot to ADD,,,,IN YOUR OPINION,,,the one thing we all have and some just want others to see it their way and are not willing to listen to others opinions.

I wish that I had not purchased my bull ( he doesn't understand TRADITION) and had tried to AI all my heifers from the beginning, because he is nothing but a problem to deal with on my small farm, you have to keep him penned up seperately and it's a real problem with a small guy starting out that may only have a couple of pastures to work with.

I plan to sell him next year if my AI goes well this year and I will lease a bull if need be. I would never suggest a new person with just a few cows get a bull, the money could be spent much wiser.

oh yeah JMO for what it's worth :lol: :lol:

 

[S.R.R.]

You forgot to ADD,,,,IN YOUR OPINION,,,the one thing we all have and some just want others to see it their way and are not willing to listen to others opinions.

Yes you are right I should have added that.

 

[S.R.R.]

Edit:
One more thing S.R.R. Why did you edit out the words you asked in your bull poll? Did you recognize that folks with an average bull might answer "No" ? Is this an ethics thing? You ask a poll question, get a group of answers, then change the question and edit out your post. Now that the question has changed, all the answers that were given may no longer be applicable to each person answering. Do you have any regard for the posters who answered your request?

Not sure what you mean by changing the question? It is still right there on top and miss spelled just as it was when I posted it. "Do you own a bull or have owbed one in the last 5 years?"


As for why I edited out some of my posts it was because I did not want to start or continue another argument.

 

[redfornow]

C HOLLAND


I always like your posts.
You are wise for someone that knows so little :shock:
Or maybe I should have said you are wise for a hobby farmer.

Anyways great post, worth the read.
MD

 

[C HOLLAND]

C HOLLAND


I always like your posts.
You are wise for someone that knows so little :shock:
Or maybe I should have said you are wise for a hobby farmer.

Anyways great post, worth the read.
MD

Thanks,,,I guess this was a compliment,,,,I am so confused lately ))

I know very little and depend on help from others and I am not afraid to ask the so called "silly question"

I think we can all learn from each other, even a rookie can have a good idea, it just helps to be open and not have a steel trap for a mind.

My mind is stretched at times ))

 

[AngusLimoX]

There is absolutely NO reason that when a new comer asks what they should do concerning the breeding of their cows we should jump on the AI wagon!!!!!!! A bull is not only a good option but one of the best.

SRR, sometimes ignorance is not listening to other opinions and trying to shove yours down their throat.

You forgot to ADD,,,,IN YOUR OPINION,,,the one thing we all have and some just want others to see it their way and are not willing to listen to others opinions.

I wish that I had not purchased my bull ( he doesn't understand TRADITION) and had tried to AI all my heifers from the beginning, because he is nothing but a problem to deal with on my small farm, you have to keep him penned up seperately and it's a real problem with a small guy starting out that may only have a couple of pastures to work with.

I plan to sell him next year if my AI goes well this year and I will lease a bull if need be. I would never suggest a new person with just a few cows get a bull, the money could be spent much wiser.

oh yeah JMO for what it's worth :lol: :lol:

I am glad I started out with a bull, but then again I had 18 cows at the start. The 1st bull was gentle, 100% reliable and cost $2500.

I used him for 3 seasons, and should have seperated his daughters and kept him longer, but sold him 2 summers ago for $1800.

I bought the bull from someone I knew and trusted and had the facilities in place to handle a bull.

I do not regret starting out the way I did, but my intent from the start was to herd build and eventually be full time.

The foregoing was my experience, not my opinion. The following is my opinion. :lol: :lol:

Each poster asking is going to have a different set of circumstances and goals - I would not hesitiate to recommend a bull purchase to certain newbies.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I am glad I started out with a bull, but then again I had 18 cows at the start. The 1st bull was gentle, 100% reliable and cost $2500.

I used him for 3 seasons, and should have seperated his daughters and kept him longer, but sold him 2 summers ago for $1800.

I bought the bull from someone I knew and trusted and had the facilities in place to handle a bull.

I do not regret starting out the way I did, but my intent from the start was to herd build and eventually be full time.

The foregoing was my experience, not my opinion. The following is my opinion. :lol: :lol:

Each poster asking is going to have a different set of circumstances and goals - I would not hesitiate to recommend a bull purchase to certain newbies.

I thought you had been in the business much longer than that.

 

[S.R.R.]

I am glad I started out with a bull, but then again I had 18 cows at the start. The 1st bull was gentle, 100% reliable and cost $2500.

I used him for 3 seasons, and should have seperated his daughters and kept him longer, but sold him 2 summers ago for $1800.

I bought the bull from someone I knew and trusted and had the facilities in place to handle a bull.

I do not regret starting out the way I did, but my intent from the start was to herd build and eventually be full time.

The foregoing was my experience, not my opinion. The following is my opinion. :lol: :lol:

Each poster asking is going to have a different set of circumstances and goals - I would not hesitiate to recommend a bull purchase to certain newbies.

I thought you had been in the business much longer than that.

Just goes to show you that if a person is dedicated and determined about what they are doing you can excel in no time at all.
AngusLimoX I am impressed that you seem to have knowledge about many areas of cattle that it has taken some of us board members more then 4 times the years to learn and at times we are still trying to catch up ;-)

Good on ya!

 

[slazyk]

Hi, I'm new to the board. We have 350 Angus/Gelbvieh cross cattle. We fall calve. We Synch and AI our heifers They've been off MGA and will get lutalyse this Friday, start breeding Sun). We work with the Gelbvieh Assn in testing bulls, (we AI to non proven and to proven) so we get free semen, plus get paid extra for carcass data. We cannot keep the bull calves for bulls, but we keep the heifer calves (best ones) for replacements.

We also have our own home-grown bulls we use for cleanup, they are just as good as most AI bulls. Maybe we'll get into the AI business, I don't know. We've kept some excellent bull calves this fall, we'll see how they grow.

We GnRH our cows, follow with a lutalyse shot and start breeding them Dec 8-12. Using AI we don't need to keep near enough bulls for the cleanup. We also get farther ahead genetically using AI, esp with proven bulls. With ones not proven, why it's like opening a present!

We've been doing this 13 years. We've turned a hodge podge herd with several different brands on them into a great, good mothering, gentle herd. I cannot believe the difference between these cows now and the base herd they came from.

You can use your bulls, that is perfectly fine. We like to AI and have been doing it quite awhile. Everyone is totally entitled to their opinions, just don't get too irate with me because I won't shove AI down your throat 8)

 

[peacemaker]

Question for Both sides of the fence on this.
Just Curious about your thoughts in my set up.
I am a beginner & proud of it. Everyone of us started as a beginner. I only have 12 head right now (angus) but plan to have more.
This year my neighbor let me use his bull. He has two bulls that boarder me in the back. I was leaning towards AI because putting another bull in the mix could make short life of all our fences. What do you do when the neighbors already have bulls all around you. I would like to have a bull of my own but don't know if its' worth the trouble.So maybe AI is the best thing for now. Any suggestions

 

[backhoeboogie]

This year my neighbor let me use his bull. He has two bulls that boarder me in the back. I was leaning towards AI because putting another bull in the mix could make short life of all our fences. What do you do when the neighbors already have bulls all around you. I would like to have a bull of my own but don't know if its' worth the trouble.So maybe AI is the best thing for now. Any suggestions

There is nothing like a good neighbor. Fencing is a joint thing. It should be anyway. Sounds like you are fitting right in.

Alot of your bull concerns are going to have to deal with the bull specifically. It is going to be best if the bulls cannot fight across the fence.

I have two neighbors that adjoin me with bulls in pastures. Their bulls go at it constantly and one is always getting onto the other's place where their properties adjoin. I don't have as much problem, but I have problems too.

When I move my cows across the road to the river side after a hay cut, my bull goes at it pretty hard with yet another bull. That is where my biggest problem is. I just deal with it. I check the fences regularly and stay on top of it.

I had cut my herd back drastically and actually didn't have enough head for my bull. He needs a few more ladies. I wouldn't mind letting a good neighbor use him. Maybe you can work something out with that neighbor of yours.

Sounds like you are off to a good start. You might talk to your neighbor and express your wants/thoughts about it. He just might be preparing to change bulls or something. He might want to partner up wtih you on a new bull. Anything.

I am ignorant to AI. Just kind of interested in the subject/alternative mostly. I might try it some day. There are others in this forum who know detail. I will let them answer.

Welcome aboard.

 

[slazyk]

Having a neighbor's bull across the fence will let you know what kind of a neighbor you have.

Make sure the bull has been vaccinated, same with your cows.

AI would work, esp if you only have a few cows. You could inject them with lutalyse and get them bunched up heat-wise, so you could get most of them in a matter of a few days. Heat detecting a few cows for 21 days gets a little old, that's why I recommend the shot. Contact your veterinarian and he may have other recommendations, there are many other ways to synchronize your cows, I just don't agree with all of them ;-)

 

[AngusLimoX]

Having a neighbor's bull across the fence will let you know what kind of a neighbor you have.

Make sure the bull has been vaccinated, same with your cows.

AI would work, esp if you only have a few cows. You could inject them with lutalyse and get them bunched up heat-wise, so you could get most of them in a matter of a few days. Heat detecting a few cows for 21 days gets a little old, that's why I recommend the shot. Contact your veterinarian and he may have other recommendations, there are many other ways to synchronize your cows, I just don't agree with all of them ;-)

Man welcome aboard slazyk! Now this is more like it on this thread! Someone to learn from and talk cattle!

( My BA girls are bred to a gelb bull for the first time so we are gonna chat on that as well at some time :lol: ).

Thanks for the kind words S.R.R. and backhoe, but I really do nothin but eat, sleep and think cattle. It's my new career, I want to do it right, I owe it to my fellow producers, my customers, my cattle and most of all my BANKER! :lol: :lol:

 

[AngusLimoX]

This year my neighbor let me use his bull. He has two bulls that boarder me in the back.

If the bull suits your purposes it sure was sweet and easy getting your cows bred wasn't it? :lol:

I am sure if he has the bull power to spare your neighbour wouldn't mind a little cash or other arrangement for compensation.

I rented a bull last season, he was dropped off, picked up and for $20 a head my girls were covered, by a bull who's calves and daughters I have seen and liked. Sweet.

 

[peacemaker]

Yes it worked out great Anguslimox.
I was real fortunate. I bought here about 1 1/2 years ago and the people around me are the best. I have another farmer that has about 12 acres of corn growing down along the creek on my land and we worked out that I get 20-25% depending on the yield. but he's doing all the work. I know I would have a hard time getting him to agree but I would like to give my neighbor with the bull one of the calves. It's hard to get these guy's to take anything they just say someday they might need a hand. If and when they do you can bet I'll be there to help.
Anyway thanks to all of you who come on here & share your experience. It helps alot more than you probably realize.
thanks....