AI questions

[jenna]

Hello,
I recently found this board, and I had a few q's regarding AI of cattle. I have been doing AI for about a year on our farm. It consists of 800 milking head and 250 beef cows. Almost all of which we breed artificialy, so I am pretty busy. Was just curious about a few things. I am using a glove from our AI company, but I have had some trouble with it breaking.(kind of messy) Any one have a high sens glove that is also strong? Also, should a new glove be used for each animal? In school we were told it did not matter, but I have heard it both ways. What are some of you getting for conception rates with ai? I'm about 70-75% with both the dairy and beef.

 

[dun]

I'e found that insufficient lubrication can cause the gloves to seperate at the seams on occasion. If I'm breeding a large number of cattle all at the same time I reuse the glove until it starts to leak. The glove is moe for the technicians safety/health then the cows. enerally if it's all in one herd they
re all pretty much the same as to what types of bacteria, etc. in in their colon.
With beef cattle, on observed heats with proper timing you should be in the high 80% range at a minimum. With dairy it's a whole different ball game. Because of the diet, environment and milk production stress low 80% range should still be common.

dun

 

[cypressfarms]

Jenna,

I like the look on your face in that picture.

Kind of like "Oh man, did the glove just break again"

 

[buckaroo_bif]

I use the ABS gloves. Have Never had one break but the clear ones like you are using in this picture, yes they break. I lube up pretty good for the first cow and then find I have sufficent lube to go into as many as needed, till my arm wears out.
bif
You can order the gloves here 12 bucks a box.
http://www.agonline.com/rei/supplies.asp

Also these guys to do business with for semen or whatever your needs. Very knowledgeable and don't try to sell you all the hype such as the "flush quality" b-s semen you hear about on another web site.

 

[dun]

I use the ABS gloves. Have Never had one break but the clear ones like you are using in this picture, yes they break. I lube up pretty good for the first cow and then find I have sufficent lube to go into as many as needed, till my arm wears out.
bif
You can order the gloves here 12 bucks a box.
http://www.agonline.com/rei/supplies.asp

Also these guys to do business with for semen or whatever your needs. Very knowledgeable and don't try to sell you all the hype such as the "flush quality" b-s semen you hear about on another web site.

The most I've ever goten out of one glove was 35 cows, it leaked on #36. Chaned gloves and when I was all done my wedding ring which is silver and gold was tarnished to a rich black except for the gold part. I used to use the clear gloves from ABS and now even the local ABS guy buys the better quality gloves (thicker) from Valley Vet.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We also use ABS gloves. My vet even bought some from me. Sensitive but strong. (so my husband says )

 

[dun]

One batch of gloves I got from ABS didn;t have fingers, just a square end, talk about useless

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Interesting. My ABS rep sells gloves in boxes marked ABS & they are rosy pink.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

Interesting. My ABS rep sells gloves in boxes marked ABS & they are rosy pink.

The gloves I get from ABS are also pink. I have never had a problem with them. I don't think I could ever go into 35 cows without taking a break. But then I ain't quite as salty as ol' Dun is! :lol:

 

[dun]

I don't think I could ever go into 35 cows without taking a break. But then I ain't quite as salty as ol' Dun is! :lol:

It wasn;t much by choice other then I told the guy I'ld breed his cows for him. He had synched all of the open cows in his dairy herd and just ran them in one after the other. Ended op doing I think it was 67 this morning. Was wishing that there was such a thing as arm viagra by the time I was done.

dun

 

[C HOLLAND]

Jenna, I have to ask????
Do you always dress like that for AI on your cattle, if I wear good clothes my wife would kill me and just throw them in the trash, and I noticed you are using the right hand in the back side of the cow, I guess if you are left handed that would work better for you but we were taught to use the right hand on the AI gun.

Good to see a young person, and especially a young lady interested in cattle and not scared to do AI.

 

[NCSU Maverick]

Do most of yall use a thermos that plugs into your truck to thaw straws or just a regular thermos? We borrowed one that plugs in and have ordered our own. Just curious what others use.

 

[jenna]

thanks for the replys. No, I don't dress like this all the time. The picture is one from when I was in school about a year ago. I graduated last Spring. I am left handed, so I use my right to palpate.

 

[ollie']

Jenna, I think you are doing a fantastic job if you are getting 70-75% of them bred AI first service. Is that what you are saying or that you are getting 70-75% bred in a couple or three services then putting a bull on them? Either way you are doing a good job for your first year. Practice helps . Even on cows you have a hard time with stay with them and try to get them bred. Sometimes you'll learn something while inside one that will help you breed the next one.

 

[dun]

Do most of yall use a thermos that plugs into your truck to thaw straws or just a regular thermos? We borrowed one that plugs in and have ordered our own. Just curious what others use.

When I used to need to thaw large numbers of straws at once I used the electric jobs, for only one or two I just use a regular thermos or pocket thaw if it's from Genex.

dun

 

[Bret]

I am "O" for two. Just getting started. So I hope my failures will provide amusement if nothing else. Having just completed an ABS short course, I appointed myself the third string AI'er.

Doc AI'd No. 164 heifer for me. She cycle 21 days later so a mutual friend with much AI experiece AI'd her a second time while Doc was on the road. 21 days (approx) later, 164 cycled again and I was the only one left.

I attempted to AI her and thought I did a good job until I let her out of the chute and started to put things away and discoverd the straw was full of semen fifteen minutes later. This was squirted into the air and onto the ground while rolling my eyes. Apparently I did not get the O ring and gun together properly and I just extended the gun instead of the plunger into the straw.

I had to round of the heifer again and load up another straw.

Conclusion--heifer has cycled two more times since including last week and was loaded up Saturday morning. I hate thinking that I sold her to cover up my incompitents. I just had to confess.

You can all stop rolling in the snow now. This Is why some wise person on here suggested practicing with the cheap straws. Good advise.

 

[Bobg]

Apparently I did not get the O ring and gun together properly and I just extended the gun instead of the plunger into the straw.

Bret,

If you use a spiral type gun you can eliminate the sheath coming off.

As far as using gloves repeatedly you can do it. I know in AI class we preg tested on University of Idaho's and WSU's dairy herds. At WSU we had to change gloves every time since the have a couple of cows that have an auto immune disease and don't want to spread (spread by blood) it. At U of I they have the same disease, but they only required us to wash our gloves between cows. Most of us changed gloves every cow. I guess I would worry about changing gloves unless you were concerned about transmitting diseases from cow to cow.

Bobg

 

[la4angus]

With 1050 cows and most of them being AI'd she gets as much experience in a week sometimes as most people would get in a year or more.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Was wishing that there was such a thing as arm viagra by the time I was done.

:shock: Hey, Dun, maybe you could sell the idea!!!

We pocket thaw all semen (Genex recommends pocket thaw on their semen).

 

[dj]

Jeanne - Simme Valley
Do you keep it(the straw) in your pocket for a timed two minutes?
Are you having good luck with this method of thawing for products that aren't Genex's?
For anyone that AI's in DEC-JAN do you keep the gun in your shirt/jacket/coat/coveralls to keep it warm between cows?