Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
We have been using 100% AI for 35 years (although I have slipped a few in with my bull Macho - but he's an AI sire).
Anyway, I will never be convinced that one bull fits all. Dun mentioned he breeds to several bulls, well we may breed my 35-40 head to 8-10 different bulls.
I like your scenero though, makes breeding AI to Simmental real cheap. Most semen runs between $12-25. NO CERTIFICATES! My husband does all our AI work. We don't use syncronization. May use Lut as a tool, but not to try to sync. Shoot for a 45 day calving season but generally ends up 60 days (well, longer because we breed our heifers about 2 weeks before the cows.) We OCCASIONNALLY have one that is open & we will keep her for a fall calving - IF, she had twins, or some other problem we did not think was her fault. Generally, we never have more than 0-3 bred for fall.
(we calved 6 this year, but 3 were purchased bred that way).
Temperament IS important to us. Believe me, if an AI bull has a temperament problem, it gets around the industry QUICK. What if you use a young unknow bull that seems sweet & nice, but passes on a KILLER dispostion. Now you have a whole herd of ill tempered calves. When I breed to a young unknown bull, I just use him on a few to sample him.
What works for me, in my breed, in my quality, in my area, may never be economical for anyone else.
Besides, keeping a bull around is a real pain - even a sweetheart like Macho. Rubs & destroys everything. Can't put out a large bale with or without a ring feeder. Without a feeder, he rolls the bale into oblivian (sp?) and with a ring, he ususally ends up wearing it and/or crushing it. Have to hand feed him. We're just not set up to have a bull around. :shock: But sure love looking at him :heart:
We'll be hauling him to stud for the winter next week or so.
Anyway, I will never be convinced that one bull fits all. Dun mentioned he breeds to several bulls, well we may breed my 35-40 head to 8-10 different bulls.
I like your scenero though, makes breeding AI to Simmental real cheap. Most semen runs between $12-25. NO CERTIFICATES! My husband does all our AI work. We don't use syncronization. May use Lut as a tool, but not to try to sync. Shoot for a 45 day calving season but generally ends up 60 days (well, longer because we breed our heifers about 2 weeks before the cows.) We OCCASIONNALLY have one that is open & we will keep her for a fall calving - IF, she had twins, or some other problem we did not think was her fault. Generally, we never have more than 0-3 bred for fall.
(we calved 6 this year, but 3 were purchased bred that way).
Temperament IS important to us. Believe me, if an AI bull has a temperament problem, it gets around the industry QUICK. What if you use a young unknow bull that seems sweet & nice, but passes on a KILLER dispostion. Now you have a whole herd of ill tempered calves. When I breed to a young unknown bull, I just use him on a few to sample him.
What works for me, in my breed, in my quality, in my area, may never be economical for anyone else.
Besides, keeping a bull around is a real pain - even a sweetheart like Macho. Rubs & destroys everything. Can't put out a large bale with or without a ring feeder. Without a feeder, he rolls the bale into oblivian (sp?) and with a ring, he ususally ends up wearing it and/or crushing it. Have to hand feed him. We're just not set up to have a bull around. :shock: But sure love looking at him :heart:
We'll be hauling him to stud for the winter next week or so.
