Cost to AI

[Robert1617]

New to this...what does it cost to have a vet or specialty AI facility AI your animals? What is the success rate with this?

 

[Kingfisher]

Where are your cows?

 

[Hunter]

I had one quote me $29 per head plus the cost of semen. That included the drugs.
The success rate is supposedly 40%-60% plus or minus.

 

[Dave]

I do about 60 heifers every spring. I sync them and a guy who works for a local big dairy does the breeding. Total it runs about $50 a head. That is $20 a straw for semen. $10 for the CEDR. About $10 for the drugs. And $10 per head for the breeding. We do 60 head in 2 to 3 hours. If I bred on natural heat I would save $20 a head on my cost to sync but doing that wouldn't work with either one of our schedules. Results have varied some from year to year but average around 60%.

 

[5S Cattle]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

 

[frieghttrain]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

That or breed them to an AI Hereford clean up with Angus or reverse. Granted this will only work with solid colored animals. :2cents:

 

[Margonme]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

They can be DNA checked to the AI sire, also.

 

[5S Cattle]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

That or breed them to an AI Hereford clean up with Angus or reverse. Granted this will only work with solid colored animals. :2cents:

Makes sense. Thanks

 

[5S Cattle]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

They can be DNA checked to the AI sire, also.

What's that run per?

 

[Dave]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

If you are running a registered program then DNA. If you are commercial does it matter? I wait three days and kick in the clean up, which are well bred good bulls. On commercial waiting month is just going to give you a smaller calf to sell.

 

[Margonme]

How do you tell if it's the ai or the cleanup bull'a calf? Wait a month before you turn the bull in?

They can be DNA checked to the AI sire, also.

What's that run per?

I rarely have the need to DNA. I don't run a bull. I cannot remember the exact cost but it is in the $20 range. If you are selling cattle guaranteed bred to a specific bull, you are going to have to hold the AI cattle away from a bull for at least 30 days. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make those guarantees.

 

[Ebenezer]

Cost is a poor question. The most loss is in using flash-in-the-pan new bulls via AI. Spend extra $'s on a bull or bulls that you know will really do some good. Unproven bulls are a high % failure and a greater expense. Much to be gained with proven bulls beyond AI cost.

 

[dun]

Cost is a poor question. The most loss is in using flash-in-the-pan new bulls via AI. Spend extra $'s on a bull or bulls that you know will really do some good. Unproven bulls are a high % failure and a greater expense. Much to be gained with proven bulls beyond AI cost.

Pretty accurate assessment. Each year we would sample one young sire on proven cows. Over the years, about 1/3 were total duds for one reason or another, 1/3 were solid average bulls and about 1/3 turned out to be really good to exceptional.

 

[Margonme]

Cost is a poor question. The most loss is in using flash-in-the-pan new bulls via AI. Spend extra $'s on a bull or bulls that you know will really do some good. Unproven bulls are a high % failure and a greater expense. Much to be gained with proven bulls beyond AI cost.

Not taking one thing away from your point, it is sound. I will add that you have to factor in your objectives and market strategy.

If your market is fancy, high end cattle, i.e., show/seedstock, you better provide what the market in your area demands. The big demand here is for heifers AI bred to name brand bulls, and for bulls with name brand pedigrees, etc. And we both know some of those bulls are not proven. For example, in the Simmental breed, Cowboy Cut is the hot item right now, when heifers walk in the ring bred to him, they ring the cash register.

The market is complex. At the high end are a lot of rich people who like cattle. Almost like collecting rare artifacts. I sold a heifer guaranteed bred to Uno Mas because the guy collects Simmentals with her facial chrome markings. After I sold her, a 76 year old man called and wanted her. He wanted the name of the guy who bought her so he could try to buy her from him. The reason was the same, he said he was 76 and on his last Roundup. He liked the style of chrome she had.