AI Question

[onecarl2002]

Do you think it is possible to learn to AI by some of those instructional DVDs and practice on your own cattle or to really get it do you have to go to a class. And when a tank says working days is 75 day does that mean you most likely have to refill it every 75 days or what. And what is the round about cost of getting a medium size tank fill these days. thanks :?:

 

[dun]

Do you think it is possible to learn to AI by some of those instructional DVDs and practice on your own cattle or to really get it do you have to go to a class. And when a tank says working days is 75 day does that mean you most likely have to refill it every 75 days or what. And what is the round about cost of getting a medium size tank fill these days. thanks :?:

If it's a good instruntional DVD you can learn the pricniples, it's the actual mechanics of it that seem to stump people. Alos nice to have someone that you tell you if you're doing it right or night and getting the sememn in the right spot. 75 working days means you are int the tank several times a day most every day for that time frame. Cost us 20 bucks every 4 months or so, other's mileage may vary

 

[onecarl2002]

i have saw a ton of different tanks on the market what medium size tank would you recommend and how many straws will a medium size hold.

 

[cow pollinater]

I breed cows for the bulk of my living. I learned by looking at the equipment and figuring out what looked like it went where and then trying it on a few of my cows.
Since then I've picked up a boatload of new information but I learned the basics on my own and haven't changed any of them over the years.

As far as tanks are concerned, I've always run MVE tanks but the Taylor Whartons keep alot of people happy as well. A new mid to larger sized MVE with a smaller sized neck will likely hold for months in between refills. If you're just getting started you probably won't be using it much and that really cuts down on the nitrogen use. Cost of nitrogen is dependent on who you are purchasing from. I have a few small scale sales accounts who breed their own cows and I've always thrown in nitrogen and breeding supplies as a thank you for the business but it isn't always the case.

 

[novaman]

I think if you are serious about AIing you would be best served to take a class. Yeah you could do like pollinator and figure out how to get semen in the cow but your success will likely be significantly less than if you had taken a class and learned the ins and outs of AI. It's far more than just getting the semen into the cow. I learned a lot of stuff I would have never known if I hadn't taken the class. These guys teaching the classes are usually professionals who have bred thousands of animals. They know far more about the subject and will help you avoid some of the pitfalls. Semen isn't cheap and not getting cows/heifers bred while you are on a steep learning curve gets expensive fast compared to a few hundred bucks to take a course.

 

[deenranch]

http://www.brahman.com.kh/contents/aiprocess

This is the only website I could find these pictures on!!!! I taught myself how to AI. I bought a book from ABS thru Bovine Elite on how to AI cattle. Then I found these pics on Select Sires website...

I then went to work on the cows. Good luck!!!

 

[deenranch]

http://www.selectsires.com/reproductive/ai_technique_cattle.pdf

Try this one... It's better

 

[Amo]

Ask Select Sires for a catalog. Its all printed in the book, plus they also talk about handling, thawing, and other tank/straw stuff.

 

[rodderz]

I AI all my own dairy cows and it is certainly not difficult. However it's the kind of thing that some people can do and some can't. The size and shape of your arm and hand plays a part. I did a short course and the most valuable part was just the repetition and sheer numbers of cows that we did. You reach a point where it just clicks. Having instructors that can show you precicely where the "target" spot is, is very helpful. Certainly have a go though. Remember to be gentle as you can hurt the cow and potentially affect her future reproduction. Good luck.

 

[novatech]

If one is going to self teach then I would advise that after reading all the books go to the slaughter house and acquire all the reproductive tracts you can get your hands on ( different breeds). The reason for more than one is that you will learn that all reproductive tracts are not like the pictures. One cervix may be so small that you can barely find it in the cow and the other so large you can barely get your hand around it. There are also differences in length. You can practice on these out of the cow and see more or less what is going on. When inside the cow, you are then have a beter idea of what you are feeling for.

 

[angus9259]

If one is going to self teach then I would advise that after reading all the books go to the slaughter house and acquire all the reproductive tracts you can get your hands on ( different breeds). The reason for more than one is that you will learn that all reproductive tracts are not like the pictures. One cervix may be so small that you can barely find it in the cow and the other so large you can barely get your hand around it. There are also differences in length. You can practice on these out of the cow and see more or less what is going on. When inside the cow, you are then have a beter idea of what you are feeling for.

This is an important piece - maybe the most important from my own training experience.