AI trouble *face palm*
- Thread starter RisingCreekHerefords
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wbvs58
Well-known member
You got plenty of time, no rush. I have a pouch that goes inside my shirt and I put it on well before I get them ready so it'll be warm. I put the loaded gun into a chemise before I put it in the pouch to keep things clean. The pouches are designed to take about 6 loaded guns so in busy places they go from one cow to the next, I know a good insemintor can be fast but there is still a fair delay from when they start loading to finishing the last cow. The big thing is not to expose it to variations in temp. Assuming your temp is going to be similar to the cows temp.
Ken
Ken
Taking your time to make sure things are right, will save you time in the end. No certain time to go from tank to cow, the most important thing in that process is from tank to thaw, your going from -320 in the tank through outside temp into 95 degree water, you don't want the straw to crystalize from tank to water.
After that temp is going up all the time, I put it in my pants, so temp goes from 95 to 98 to 101 after the rod is in the cow, you can probably work with it till your arm gets tired, no worries.
After that temp is going up all the time, I put it in my pants, so temp goes from 95 to 98 to 101 after the rod is in the cow, you can probably work with it till your arm gets tired, no worries.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
Don't stress. You can do lots of stuff wrong and still get cows pregnant.
Dont feel bad, i just finished up on a class last week and had some to breed this week. I made a few fumbles but most of mine had to do with getting sheath seated on gun, or not locking sheath on with lock ring. It made me feel like a dummy, i think i was rushing trying to get gun ready and in shirt to keep warm that i forgot the little things. Anyways i got it figured out, its a learning process.
M-5
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Heres a tip, While looking at craigslist this morning I found an ad looking for a bull to rent. I called the guy and he has 2 cows he needs breeding. after talking with him a few minutes he agreed to let me AI them at cost of semen. He told me they were cycling this past weekend so I told him I would come by this week and show him the bulls I have in my tank. I told him the days to start watching for heat again . Sometimes you have to look for opportunities
wbvs58
Well-known member
Exactly, opportunities will always turn up if you are serious.M-5":o1q1hy6p said:
Ken
RisingCreekHerefords
Active member
Well I tried again this weekend. I had one heifer very noticeably in standing heat. I honestly don't think there is any way other than divine intervention that I may have gotten 4 out of 5 bred my first time out, but as of right now I only have seen the one in heat. I bred her, and two cows I synced this weekend. I fumbled around for what seemed like forever and deposited the semen in each one without being confident I was through the cervix. The heifer, I think I could have been through the cervix. The cows, I don't think there is any way I was through the cervix. I'm just not confident at all in my ability to get the gun through the cervix and knowing when it is there. Will that come with practice?
Well im not a seasoned veteran by no means, but i will try to explain what seems to work for me. When i took the class the instructor said once the gun is in the vagina to push it foward until it meets resistance. At that point do the sweep with the hand that is in the rectum to locate and pick up the cervix. The resistance that you felt with the gun should be the gun at the cervix but it could be a fold the gun is hung in. For this explaination lets say it the gun is at the cervix, now you want to work the cervix over the gun, i was told not to get hung up on counting the rings as the gun passes them in the cervix, once the gun is through the cervix the resistance changes a little in my opinion, so at that point ill take the pointer finger of the hand thats holding the cervix and feel for the tip of the gun. I was told the tip needed to be 1/4" in when depositing the semen. I know i said alot but what really helped me was using that pointer finger to feel for the gun tip. Once you locate the tip, work you finger back if your in the cervix you will lose the ability to feel the gun, continue back and you will feel the gun again at the entrance of the cervix. That really helped me alot, select sires has a pretty good illustration of this on there website if you google it. Hope that helps
wbvs58
Well-known member
Risingcreek, when I was struggling a bit I started looking at videos for small snippets of information that would help me. One very good video said that the most important thing was to know where the tip of the rod was all the time. When you pass the rod through the lips of the vulva your other hand is down there anyway as you are pressing down and to the side to open the lips, your fingers in the rectum then follow the tip of the rod forward as far as it goes and is then at the cervix, there is no sweeping of the hand or fishing for the cervix as it is right there at the end of the rod, you just pick it up and start to work it over the end of the rod.
The minute you stop worrying and start enjoying the challenge your success rate will increase.
Ken
The minute you stop worrying and start enjoying the challenge your success rate will increase.
Ken
RisingCreekHerefords
Active member
Well the blood tests are back. Out of five heifers, two are bred. One I was confident I did correctly...and the other? The heifer that went down in the chute! The heifer that I was no way close to her cervix and quickly injected the semen when she laid down so I wouldn't totally waste the straw...THAT heifer! I told my dad when I stepped out of the chute there was no WAY she was bred after that...well it was definitely divine intervention. Definitely not me! I AI'ed two of the open heifers when they came in. If they happen to come in again, I will turn them out with a bull for about a week in hopes to get them bred before I have to pull the bull. I don't want them calving in the dead of winter.
I have also AI'ed a few cows since my last update...still not feeling any better about it. One of the heifers I bred is the only heifer I have actually gotten through the cervix on. On the other 8+ times AIing, I wasn't close to getting it through and finally my arm either tired out or the cow started having a fit and I just had to give up. :bang:
I have also AI'ed a few cows since my last update...still not feeling any better about it. One of the heifers I bred is the only heifer I have actually gotten through the cervix on. On the other 8+ times AIing, I wasn't close to getting it through and finally my arm either tired out or the cow started having a fit and I just had to give up. :bang:
RisingCreekHerefords
Active member
I thought about that dun. I plan on doing that or trying to go to another class from a different provider. Not saying the one I went to was bad at all, but maybe the difference in teachers may make a difference for me. But that will be when funding isn't so tight lol. The neighbors cows have a habit of getting out every year when the grass starts growing. I have threatened to AI them to dexters, longhorns, or belted galloways for the practice! :lol2:
muleskinner
Well-known member
Rising Creek Just to let you know you did better than I did last year. Out of 11 cows I got ZERO pregnant to AI. I am
out of practice myself. I will try again this year and try again to get some practice somewhere. So keep working at it and
and try to get your refresher course.
Good luck
Eric
out of practice myself. I will try again this year and try again to get some practice somewhere. So keep working at it and
and try to get your refresher course.
Good luck
Eric
