AI Tank Inventory

[gizmom]

I am writing this because I spent a good part of my day in a let's call it a Easter egg hunt. We have three AI tanks the boss would say I have an addiction. I do confess to having quite a variety of bulls in the tanks. Some time back I purchased some semen on a young bull, he wasn't in an AI stud at the time. I made the purchased based on the genetics of the calf. When I was told they were collecting him I asked if they would sell me 10 straws, they said yes. Here is where things get complicated, we had two cows at an ET facility Bickett Genetics, at that time. The boss and I had gone to the Tennessee River Music Sale where I purchased some eggs which were stored at Lookout Mountain genetics, the semen on the bull I had purchased was also stored at Lookout Mountain. When I was making arrangements to get the eggs I found out they were going to be visiting Bickett so they offered to take both the eggs and the semen to Bickett to save me some shipping charges. Which was greatly appreciated. The screw up was all mine, I forgot to get the AN number on the cane. Since all this took place the bull has been picked up by an AI stud in fact I purchased sexed semen on him for a flush (another story with an unhappy ending) so I was looking for the same number on the cane.. I searched through all three AI tanks and couldn't find anything other than sexed semen on the bull. I was 100% certain I had a cane of convential in one of the tanks but for the life of me I couldn't find it. I started making phone calls. Finally got the AN number the one used prior to him being picked up by the stud. I say all this as a reminder of how important it is to keep a good tank inventory. I may miss notation of straws used but this is the first time I have ever lost an entire cane! Again no ones fault but my own, and I paid the price in time spent trying to figure it out. We have to breed the donor tonight at 8:00 then again in the morning. I sure hope the calves turn out as good as I think they will. Does anyone else have this type of addiction?

Gizmom

 

[Beefeater]

Sounds like a headache to me. My vet who stores my canes free retired last year. New guy didn't have any records of what's in the tank or if any belong to someone else! Luckily I've only got about 10 straws left and believe they are accounted for now. I'll be looking for a good used tank this year... surely with all these dairy operations going under there will be some cheap tanks.

 

[gizmom]

I think we purchased one tank new ( our first one). All three of the tanks we have now we got through dispersal sales.

Gizmom

 

[wbvs58]

Gizmon. you must have a lot of semen to need 3 tanks, but then if my memory serves me correct you had 3 outboard motors on your boat!!!!!!

Ken

 

[WinterSpringsFarm]

I too have an addiction to semen. You just never know what bull might click with that cow. Couple that with embryos in my tank and space is at minimum.

 

[NEFarmwife]

We have 3 tanks as well. One tank has embryos in it that are collected from my FIL's sim. We keep our own embryos at embryologist. In this tank, we also have "old" semen that he's used in his flushes before. More club calf stuff. And semen he's collected on his own bulls. I don't touch this for inventory. He has some very expensive semen in this tank and I wish he'd move some of it out. But that's his choice and if he ever decided to, I'd help him inventory it. This would be a nightmare.

The other two tanks, I keep a running inventory on. I also keep another sheet of cane codes we've used, so that if one straw was ever mismanaged to the wrong tank, I'd be able to identify it.

 

[gizmom]

NE

We have 3 tanks as well. One tank has embryos in it that are collected from my FIL's sim. We keep our own embryos at embryologist. In this tank, we also have "old" semen that he's used in his flushes before. More club calf stuff. And semen he's collected on his own bulls. I don't touch this for inventory. He has some very expensive semen in this tank and I wish he'd move some of it out. But that's his choice and if he ever decided to, I'd help him inventory it. This would be a nightmare.

The other two tanks, I keep a running inventory on. I also keep another sheet of cane codes we've used, so that if one straw was ever mismanaged to the wrong tank, I'd be able to identify it.

I also keep a running inventory but have failed to mark down use a few times. I love the idea of keeping a list of past cane codes. I am going to start doing that thanks great tip! Of the three tanks one is ET the other two one is full the other is used for overflow and we leave it with embryologist when we leave the donors to be flushed. Every year the boss puts me on restriction from purchasing he keeps my hoarding under control :lol:

Your right we did have three motors but now we are boatless. I have to admit I missed the boat one time this summer lol but sure didn't miss the expense of maintaining something that was rarely used.

Gizmom

 

[NEFarmwife]

NE

We have 3 tanks as well. One tank has embryos in it that are collected from my FIL's sim. We keep our own embryos at embryologist. In this tank, we also have "old" semen that he's used in his flushes before. More club calf stuff. And semen he's collected on his own bulls. I don't touch this for inventory. He has some very expensive semen in this tank and I wish he'd move some of it out. But that's his choice and if he ever decided to, I'd help him inventory it. This would be a nightmare.

The other two tanks, I keep a running inventory on. I also keep another sheet of cane codes we've used, so that if one straw was ever mismanaged to the wrong tank, I'd be able to identify it.

I also keep a running inventory but have failed to mark down use a few times. I love the idea of keeping a list of past cane codes. I am going to start doing that thanks great tip! Of the three tanks one is ET the other two one is full the other is used for overflow and we leave it with embryologist when we leave the donors to be flushed. Every year the boss puts me on restriction from purchasing he keeps my hoarding under control :lol:

Gizmom

My husband shook his head at me the last time I chased down some semen for our donor. We planned to breed her this round. So I ran for one cane. I came home with 5 canes of various bulls.

But let me say this, had I not purchased some of this stuff long before we needed it, it doesn't look like we'd have been able to obtain it now.

I like keeping a few back every year. It's like a small insurance policy if anything looks really good. Breed it again!

 

[Redgully]

Yeah i currently only have 8 breeders......and 23 bulls in my can. What can i say, i like to have options! I have it all listed in canisters and colour coded and i keep all my used straws. I am always on the lookout for something different too that may suit my cows.

 

[Franke]

Does anyone just toss any out that didn't work or do you try to sell it to someone?

 

[gizmom]

I will toss it if it didn't work, unless it didn't work due to hair. Not everyone needs slick haired cattle so I will sell that. I also have the bad habit of wanting to keep three straws....just in case I need to flush someday to that bull. I can't tell you the number of canes taking up space because of that habit lol. I thought I was the only guilty party but found out we have some friends that do the same thing.

Gizmom

 

[Franke]

You use three straws of semen to flush? We just use two but still have the same issue two straws of this four of that.

 

[torogmc81]

15 active or soon to be active females
1 tank
88 straws
13 diff bulls
Adding 2 more, 10 each

I too have an addiction, but need to find a better way to word it than WinterSpring did :lol:

 

[southernultrablack]

14 head here, 18 different bulls in the tank. Maybe some embryos soon.....

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I have to confess, I have an addiction to embryos! lol. I have two tanks... but I have TONS of embryos! I put one or two in, then move on. Not good, and when space gets limited, I put in the singles (embryos) to make more room! My embryologist loves me!

 

[WinterSpringsFarm]

15 active or soon to be active females
1 tank
88 straws
13 diff bulls
Adding 2 more, 10 each

I too have an addiction, but need to find a better way to word it than WinterSpring did :lol:

After I posted it I thought yea that just don't sound right!

 

[pdfangus]

i keep my inventory on an excel spread sheet and have it connected to my breeding sheet so that every time I make a breeding it counts the use and updates the quantity remaining....

i add the cleanup bulls and allocate them 100 units to start with and they dont stay around long enough to use more than that.