AI on cows you don't see often

[novatech]

Wither you own the land or lease it, it really makes no difference. You still will need the working facilities. I never found it necessary to use a squeeze or head gate for AI, although I have them.
To AI or not is more dependant on your goal. AI is more about choices to better obtain a higher price at market or improve quality with replacements. With bulls you are stuck with what you can afford. Any flaw found in a herd bull is be reflected herd wide. With AI flaws will be limited to only those a particular semen was used on. But with high percentiles you can eliminate most of them from the start.
The number of times through the chute should make them better at going through not worse, if they are handled correctly and the proper choices were made as far as temperament is concerned.

 

[Anonymous]

This is all good info. Thanks.

 

[highgrit]

Hook here's my take on AI. One bull can cover 40 cows. 40b x 25s= 1,000$ and thats not including S&H, tools, tank, N, and so on and so forth. And then your only going to have at the best 80% stick, and your still going to have to have a bull or two any way for clean up. I think if your trying to make money with commercial stock, AI is not the way to go. The deal is to sell as many lbs. of beef as possible, for the least amount of dollars.
Are you still going to try and work your real job?? Time is money in my book, I would rather be hunting and fishing than AI. :2cents:

 

[ohiosteve]

For what it's worth I'd say live cover. I couldn't imagine turning new cows out on a new property and then trying to catch them all with a few panels and a squeeze. If you go this route a cleanup bull would be a MUST. AI is great with the right facilities but in your situation I'd buy the best tested bulls I could afford and save the headaches and heartbreak.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Timed AI and following up immediately with bulls for cleanup seems to be your best bet if AI is in your plans.A heavier and more consistent calf crop along with tightening up calving are benefits hard to overlook. Our AI rep explains benefits of timed AI this way. "How would you like to have over half of your cows pregnant the first day of breeding season"? Think about it.

The numbers I have seen on timed AI is a 44 to 55% pregency rate. If you use the patches also and see / bred them over a two or three day period - - how much higher will be your pregency rate be?

 

[novatech]

For what it's worth I'd say live cover. I couldn't imagine turning new cows out on a new property and then trying to catch them all with a few panels and a squeeze. If you go this route a cleanup bull would be a MUST. AI is great with the right facilities but in your situation I'd buy the best tested bulls I could afford and save the headaches and heartbreak.

Now imagine trying to catch their calves to sell wither they are a result of AI or bull. The facilities are not a factor. A squeeze chute is not a must but a convenience.

 

[Anonymous]

Highgrit, I do plan on keepin the business but there are plans in the works I have someone else trained to run it. Eventually my son will take it over or if he doesn't want to I'll sell it.

I might just relocate a core group of the best cows closer to home to AI for replacements. That sounds like a better plan in general than trying to AI all

 

[dun]

Highgrit, I do plan on keepin the business but there are plans in the works I have someone else trained to run it. Eventually my son will take it over or if he doesn't want to I'll sell it.

I might just relocate a core group of the best cows closer to home to AI for replacements. That sounds like a better plan in general than trying to AI all

That would have been my suggestion. AI the top cows where you can keep an eye on them for heat detection and natural service the rest

 

[Anonymous]

And It looks like i just picked up another 40 acres adjacent to the 28 acre lease :banana:

 

[regolith]

Highgrit, I do plan on keepin the business but there are plans in the works I have someone else trained to run it. Eventually my son will take it over or if he doesn't want to I'll sell it.

I might just relocate a core group of the best cows closer to home to AI for replacements. That sounds like a better plan in general than trying to AI all

I agree.
As for not seeing them every day... if you have one short calving season for the whole group you might find it worth doing the work of heat detection, drafting and AI for three weeks then turn bulls out... you'll get most of 'em, and need fewer bulls (if the groups were large enough to need more than one bull each) and won't have the cost of synch; you'll just work youself silly for three weeks depending how many animals/areas of land you choose to cover. And don't even think about delegating any part of the job - it takes high motivation to do it properly.

 

[SSGenetics]

And It looks like i just picked up another 40 acres adjacent to the 28 acre lease :banana:

Good lord! When ya gonna start buyin up some more cows?

Send some of that "lease luck" up here! :tiphat:

 

[Anonymous]

As soon as all the paperwork is signed and pastures are brought back up to speed.
I'll send you all the luck I can afford to spare.

 

[circlew]

Hook what is your stocking rates on average in your part of Florida? Here they say one pair to the acre. I'm doing 1 to 1.5.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm shooting for 3/1 rate. Stockpiled grass for overwintering and drought.

 

[circlew]

sounds good

 

[Anonymous]

Just sent off the signed lease on the additional land. Official total is 76 acres right now with 200 more at least online probably by the end of the year.

 

[highgrit]

Hook are you having to pay for the leases?? When I was in Fl. we use to pick up land for free or a dollar per year + insurance. So the owner would save money on their property taxes. The only problem was the real estate market got strong for a while and the land would sell. Then the cows would have to find a new home. One of my friends is still doing it and says land is becoming easier to find.

 

[Anonymous]

One lease is 10/acre/yr
Another is 1/acre/yr
And another is some creative agreement

 

[ohiosteve]

One lease is 10/acre/yr
Another is 1/acre/yr
And another is some creative agreement

Can't go wrong there. I'd be all over $10/year pasture. Farm ground around here (Wayne County) is nearly impossible to find. Too many dairies.

 

[Double R Ranch]

In a situation like that I would say bulls and I don't use "bulls". If your running them threw to vaccinate or whatever I'd give each a shot of lute. That will give you a closer calf crop in some ways. Unless you don't have enough bulls for that many in heat at a single time.
I hope that makes sence. I do that if I have the time to do natural heat AI's. Hit them with Lute the month prior when prebreeding vaccinations are done. They cycle 3-7 days after and then again at the start of breeding season. Has worked well for us. We have groups come in at the same time. Better conception with natural heat breeding it seems. (for AI).
Just a thought to consider. Might give you the effect your looking for.
Double R