AI Question's

[kim]

Any ideas on the job outlook for AI Technicians?

When you need AI services do you call out a tech or do you do it yourself?

If you require a tech, how readily available are they?

How 'in demand' are techs in your imediate area (how many of your buddies or neighbors use techs - estimations)?

Just looking for some number estimates according to real time experiences. Thank you kindly

 

[dun]

AI techs are not in a great demand in most areas. You sure couldn;t make a living or even a fairly decent income off of it unless you work for one of the major studs. Years ago I had a custom AI business in the Mojave desert and later in the Oakdale area. I made more money and was busier when I would do the relief breeding for dairys. I covered an area about 75 miles around Oakdale and still only had maybe ahalf dozen cows to breed a week for individuals. But that was before the synch craze got rolling. No matter how well balanced a bull selection I had in the tank there would always be the clients that wanted something different then what I carried. If I pout 5 units in the tank and used only 1-2 I would be stuck with 3 units of a bull that no one else wanted. I enjoyed it and met some great folks, but it sure wasn;t a way to make much money. With the size area I covered and the facilitys that some people had it took a lot of time away from home to get it done.
Just a few pitfalls to watch out for...........

 

[cjpherford3]

i work at a big dairy in our area of oregon and i do make good money from them all year long and in the spring i breed for my beef clients and am staying busy with them. all my clients pay for any semen they order and i hold it for them. but i work 7 dfays a week breeding heifers at the dairy. cj

 

[Outrigger2]

i stay busy from about mid nov to feb. i agree with dun, it would hard to make a living without being the stud rep as well.. i just enjoy breeding cows. i have had too many conflicts between customers. everybody is local. maybe 10 miles apart.

 

[TomW]

Kim we do use a tech. He owns /runs a dairy locally and is a great guy. For the few cows we have he charges next to nothing. He also has offered to keep any straws we order in his tank at no charge. I really think he does a few of the farms arounf here to collect a bit of pocket change. I am not sure you could make a living breeding beef.
If you plan on working at/on a dairy farm I would imaging this skill would be considered very useful but not as a primary responsibility.
my 2 cents
tom

 

[kim]

Thanks for everybodies input. I've registered for a class during the winter for just the basics. A quicky class I guess you could say. Mostly just for fun and some general know how. I'll see how it works out and go from there.

I should of included this question in the original post, but, I'll ask anyway and see what happens.

Any ideas of the outlook for embryologists? Same questions as above, just applied to embryology. Are transfers typically performed by a vet or are there specialty techinicans primarily involved in embryo transfers?

Just kind of broadening my horizons I suppose ;-) Thanks again

 

[MikeC]

Any ideas of the outlook for embryologists? Same questions as above, just applied to embryology. Are transfers typically performed by a vet or are there specialty techinicans primarily involved in embryo transfers?

Both. The best ones I know of are not vets.

I guess their expertise had channeled into one area?