AI vs buying a bull

[rjbovine]

First time posting - just recently found site; great site with lots of info . I just started a small group in Sept 2010 buying bred cows from local sale barn. I now have six head, one has had a calf, we don't expect to expand much larger than this. The last two were just bought in the last two weeks. Today one of them acts to be in heat/bulling. She was preg checked by vet at sale barn and was in first stage; I now have my doubts whether she is bred. My question is would you buy a bull or ai? I would like to know more about the pros and cons of ai over owning a bull. We should have two more to calf soon. That would make four that should need bred back with in maybe 90 days or so. Would appreciate any input.

 

[Meador_m]

In your situation I would recommend A.I.. This method allows for a wider range of genetic diversity. Also your calving season will be shorter, and you will not have to pay for and feed a bull year round. (less fences to fix as well) That being said if you could find someone to "share" or lease a bull with so you wouldn't have to put up with him year round that would be another option.

 

[novaman]

For 6 cows AIing would be cheaper than buying a bull. However, it takes more time and effort on your part to get the cows bred via AI.

 

[dun]

Who is going to do the AIing for you, where will you store the semen? Those have to be the first considerations when contemplating AI. WHne that's worked out, do you have the time/inclination/desire to do heat detection?

 

[backhoeboogie]

There is also the option of running your cows in with a friend's herd for a month etc.

There are many options. Check the local farm publications at the sale barn and you'll probably find an AI tech looking for work.

Do you have facilities such as a head gate etc?

 

[angus9259]

I'd use a bull - anyone you know who'd want to go in on a bull with you? Share pasture? Lease a bull?

I PERSONALLY think ai is harder than it seems - there are so many "ifs" that go with it. IF you see them in heat - IF you get through the cervix properly - IF you can even find the cervix, IF you've timed the event correctly - for people who are practiced at it - usually not a big deal. When I was first getting started though - it was not easy. Theoretically you get better genetics and a tighter group of calves. In practice, IF you get 50% bred the first time, then you might get 25% the next and the rest the third - 9 weeks spread - IF you even get them all then. In the meantime, are the cows really bred or are they just not showing heat when you're looking for them to cycle back in if you missed them.

If you're going to hire someone to do it, you'll need to pay them, sync them, and still might (will) miss some.

Ideal world - ai. You need to decide if you live in the ideal world.

PERSONAL opinion / experience only.

 

[rjbovine]

Thanks for the pros and cons have decided to lease a bull . Neighbor boy has been certified to A.I. if he is interest I would have two hefiers to bred later this summer. Like the idea of chooseing a fancy bull to use on these two.

 

[Black Coos]

See who you buy your hay from , If they have a bull you can Lease.. Quite often the local seed producers ole Reg. Herd bull comes up for sale..

Get to know your locals, and sale barn operators...Lease a bull for 120 days and take hime back home..

 

[lavacarancher]

Been thinking about AI'ing as well but I always thought to get it done right you needed to take your stock to a vet. I never even thought about having my own dewars, liquid nitrogen, etc. Shows to go ya how much I know about the subject. What does it typically cost to have a professional to do it?

 

[novaman]

What does it typically cost to have a professional to do it?

Depends on how many head.

 

[SRBeef]

rent a bull would be my suggestion.

 

[Grandpa]

Your operation sounds like mine. Renters never took care of the family place, so I got rid of them and started with 8 bred cows and 1 cow/calf pair, hoping to expand to about 15-20 head. Plenty of acres, just not plenty of me. I rent a bull for 3 mos. a year at $50 a month from a neighbor or one of the guys at the sale barn. For $150 a year I don't have to own a bull, my fences stay fixed, and I get a calf crop. Anyway, 9 cows aren't enough to keep a bull "at home" and out of the neighbor's place.

 

[CVAR]

paying someone to AI for you shouldnt cost much (you should be able to call someone at a local dairy or other large purebred ranch that would know how) the bigger issue in getting the animals to cycle (come into heat) then detecting a standing heat then AI'ing 12 hours later (assuming you had someone to order and store the semen up to this point) then watching for heats 18 days later to see if they actually took to the AI and havinga plan if they didnt.

AI can be a pain and you should have a clean up bull either way or you risk having your calving season get really screwed up. I artificially inseminate every cow I own but always kick them out with a bull to clean up any heats that come back 3 weeks later. By the way, unless you seen your cow actually have a standing heat (meaning she stands there and lets the other cows ride her, there is a good chance she is still bred even if you seen her headbutting other cows) One open (unbred cow) cow can stir up several other cows even if they are bred - occasionally they will even try to ride other cows, the big difference is that the cows that are bred will not stand to be ridden by the others and any open ones will stand for others when they are in heat.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There are way too many options that aren't being addressed. Here's another. Many of us change bulls periodically because we are retaining heifers. I sent my last one out as a packer bull at the sale barn. Probably got more for him that way and didn't have to mess with finding a buyer.

You likely could have bought that bull at the sale and then hauled him back a few months later. Chances are you would have made money on him based on the timing as to when I shipped him. He was a very good bull. That is the reason so many heifers were retained out of him. This happens all the time.

 

[angus9259]

There are way too many options that aren't being addressed. Here's another. Many of us change bulls periodically because we are retaining heifers. I sent my last one out as a packer bull at the sale barn. Probably got more for him that way and didn't have to mess with finding a buyer.

You likely could have bought that bull at the sale and then hauled him back a few months later. Chances are you would have made money on him based on the timing as to when I shipped him. He was a very good bull. That is the reason so many heifers were retained out of him. This happens all the time.

I agree - some repeat bull buyers at my place took their old (still young) bull to the salebarn when they were going to start breeding back their heifers. Great bulls - no longer useful and no real good market for them.

I disagree - other buyers come because their bull has come up shooting blanks - sold two bulls this year to "emergency buyers" who found themselves in that boat. Those bulls ended up at the same salebarn.

 

[canoetrpr]

I've got very small hobby operation - 4 cows now, and one heifer who will be bred this summer. I have a bull.

It is pretty darn convenient to let things occur naturally. He is a young bull from great bloodlines so I am taking my chances. He is VERY easy going - most Galloway bulls are. In a couple years, once I have heifers from him I want to breed, I will try to find a buyer for him or he will be sent to the slaughterhouse and will be sold for meat as a 3 or 4 year old.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There are way too many options that aren't being addressed. Here's another. Many of us change bulls periodically because we are retaining heifers. I sent my last one out as a packer bull at the sale barn. Probably got more for him that way and didn't have to mess with finding a buyer.

You likely could have bought that bull at the sale and then hauled him back a few months later. Chances are you would have made money on him based on the timing as to when I shipped him. He was a very good bull. That is the reason so many heifers were retained out of him. This happens all the time.

I agree - some repeat bull buyers at my place took their old (still young) bull to the salebarn when they were going to start breeding back their heifers. Great bulls - no longer useful and no real good market for them.

I disagree - other buyers come because their bull has come up shooting blanks - sold two bulls this year to "emergency buyers" who found themselves in that boat. Those bulls ended up at the same salebarn.

I am not disagreeing with you on the latter. I think it best to know local cattlemen and discuss such situations. Chances are you will have seen the resulting calves and know what you are buying in that situation. EPDs are one thing, but reality and conformation are another. If a friend of mine were culling a good bull because of retention, it is a win win situation.

 

[TexasBred]

See who you buy your hay from , If they have a bull you can Lease.. Quite often the local seed producers ole Reg. Herd bull comes up for sale..

Get to know your locals, and sale barn operators...Lease a bull for 120 days and take hime back home..

Money in the bank isn't making anything anyway. I'd buy the bull, use him for 120 days and sell him and unless I starved him I should get my money back. If he died I lost my a$$...but if a rented bull died I'm sure he would then be VERY expensive.