AI or Bull for small numbers

[travlnusa]

Will be moving from hostein bottle calves to angus cow/calf pairs this spring.

I am as set as I can be until the arrive, but among my nagging questions is how to best bred back the cows after they calf.

I will have three cows. Will an AI tech bother to show up for such low numbers? I can see getting bumped for better/bigger customers. Also if they dont cycle at the same time, I see trying to get AI tech here for one cow.

On the other hand, I cant see spending the money on a bull for the same three cows.

Am I wrong about the AI problem I have in my mind?

Is a grade bull the way to go?

Thanks for the help.

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

I don't think a bull would be worth the trouble. AI would be my 1st choice.

 

[shorty]

I talked to the A-I tech in our area , I have two heifers I would like to A-I and he said he he would come if I would use cidrs and syncronize them ,so we might try it.

 

[la4angus]

AI techs come out if you have 1 or 100. The pricing may vary, depending on distance and numbers of cattle to be AI'ed at the same time.

 

[Frankie]

Will be moving from hostein bottle calves to angus cow/calf pairs this spring.

I am as set as I can be until the arrive, but among my nagging questions is how to best bred back the cows after they calf.

I will have three cows. Will an AI tech bother to show up for such low numbers? I can see getting bumped for better/bigger customers. Also if they dont cycle at the same time, I see trying to get AI tech here for one cow.

On the other hand, I cant see spending the money on a bull for the same three cows.

Am I wrong about the AI problem I have in my mind?

Is a grade bull the way to go?

Thanks for the help.

Are there any dairies in your area? If so check and see how/when they AI their cattle. Some of them may be willing to work with you, even store the semen for you. In fact, more dairies are starting to use beef bulls on their dairy cows they don't want to keep replacement heifers from. So they might have some semen on hand you'd be interested in using. Or find a semen rep in your area and talk to him/her about prices, etc. Cattle can be synchronized to come into heat at or about the same time. AI is a great tool; we're 100% AI here, but it does time time to heat detect. Good luck...

 

[dun]

Depends on what you mean by "grade bull". If it's a pound bull from the local sale barn it's never worth it, or at best very rarely worth it. A grade bull from known breeding, health and mangment may be worth while. A lot depends on what your goals are. If it's just to get cows bred and calves on the ground that's one thing. If it's to get quality calves it's a totally different thing.

dun

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I know up here, quite often you can lease a bull. The guys up here charge around $25 per cow bred and you gotta feed the bull while its at your place. You might look at something like that if you have enough pasture space.

 

[TheBullLady]

I would think in your area AI would be the answer. Surely you're in an area of dairies or breeders. If the AI tech doesn't have to go far, and your close to other clients, it shouldn't be a problem getting him to come out.

 

[Scotty]

If there an ag college or university nearby, check out their catalog to see if there any AI classes available! You can learn to AI your own cows/heifers and save the expenses on AI Techs. Goodluck!

Maybe the school will do it for practice.


Scotty

 

[dun]

If there an ag college or university nearby, check out their catalog to see if there any AI classes available! You can learn to AI your own cows/heifers and save the expenses on AI Techs. Goodluck!

Maybe the school will do it for practice.


Scotty

You don't want a bunch of trainees trying to breed cows you plan on keeping

dun

 

[jcarkie]

thats for sure i went to class and saw how the greenhorns do (myself included). good thing they were cull cows

 

[Medic24]

AI :cboy: