Dropped a Straw

[inyati13]

I saw the thread on the semen tank by 3way and didn't want to intrude on his thread so started this. I was removing a straw from Top Hand ($20) with the forceps. Another straw of Top Hand adhered to it. It dropped loose and hit the ground. The straw in the forceps went into the thaw water just fine. I discarded the straw on the ground. But I wonder, if I picked it up and put in the thaw, would it have been too compromised to use?

 

[bse]

id think it would depend on how fast you got it to the thaw unit? I think i would have thawed it and doubled up on the same cow could have added a few swimmeres to her i dont think id use it on a different cow. How did you get along with your A Iing?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Drop the straw in the forceps back where it came from. Pick up the straw on the ground put it in the thaw. Get yourself a clothes pin to hold the goblet up while you get the straw.

 

[inyati13]

id think it would depend on how fast you got it to the thaw unit? I think i would have thawed it and doubled up on the same cow could have added a few swimmeres to her i dont think id use it on a different cow. How did you get along with your A Iing?

Not good. I got everything ready. The straw was in the thaw. The heifer was in the crowding pin. I went to put her in the chute. She walked in nice and easy. I have the tarter chute with the swinging head catch. She stopped just before she engaged the door. I was gentle with her and she just would not go forward. It took me several minutes of coaching but she would not move. I went to the front of the chute and opened the door to see if it would make her rush for the exit. It did. I shut the door but that didn't do anything but get her close to the front. I opened the door by swinging it back to the catch position. She came forward again and I thought I had her but the far side of the door did not catch. I finally closed the door and went to work with her head out of the headgate. She was hopping around. Her tail was hitting me in the face. Hers bowels are loose and that made it almost impossible. I finally hit the plunger and chalked it up to experience.

I am going to change out my chute. The swinging catch head gate is a bad design. I am looking at the Perfert Chute with the scissor headcatch. You just never know how they are going to engage the swing headgate. Sometimes they hit it hard other times they just stand before it.

 

[inyati13]

Drop the straw in the forceps back where it came from. Pick up the straw on the ground put it in the thaw. Get yourself a clothes pin to hold the goblet up while you get the straw.

Thanks. That is a good idea on the clothes pin. I don't have the dexterity I did when I was 40.

 

[Alan]

Not a criticism so my appoligies if if come out that way. Why not get the cow/heifer in the chute first then get your straw thawed? I AI mostly by myself so I get the cow in the chute, put the straw to thaw, bythe time I get the gun ready and my glove on the semen is ready to go. Some of my cow take their time going in the chute. I have a heifer that was a bottle baby that does what she wants to a point.

 

[dun]

Drop the straw in the forceps back where it came from. Pick up the straw on the ground put it in the thaw. Get yourself a clothes pin to hold the goblet up while you get the straw.

Thanks. That is a good idea on the clothes pin. I don't have the dexterity I did when I was 40.

I've alwasy used a clothepin to hold the canaister so that the cane is still below the neck but where I can get it with my fingers. Pull up the cane, remove the semen with the tweezers, drop the cane and pop the semen in the thaw unit.

 

[inyati13]

Not a criticism so my appoligies if if come out that way. Why not get the cow/heifer in the chute first then get your straw thawed? I AI mostly by myself so I get the cow in the chute, put the straw to thaw, bythe time I get the gun ready and my glove on the semen is ready to go. Some of my cow take their time going in the chute. I have a heifer that was a bottle baby that does what she wants to a point.

I don't worry about criticism. I think that is what I will do in the future. Thanks. BTW, I got several that are like your heifer.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I don't use the tweezers either. Use the clothes pin to hold the canister up and i use a wire hook to lift the cane and just use my fingers to get the straw.

 

[dun]

I don't use the tweezers either. Use the clothes pin to hold the canister up and i use a wire hook to lift the cane and just use my fingers to get the straw.

Fingers aren;t agile enough anymore to get a hld of the straw. I found that it ended up a lot faster to use the teezers for me anyway.

 

[Chris H]

Good pointer on using the clothes pin, thanks.

I can't use my fingers to touch the straw, too sensitive.

 

[cow pollinater]

Drop the straw in the forceps back where it came from. Pick up the straw on the ground put it in the thaw..

The straw that you put back in the tank will likely have more damage than the one that got dropped. Frozen semen can take a lot of abuse but one thing it cannot stand is temperature swings. Once it comes out of the tank it needs to stay out and get put to use.
Any time I think that semen may be damaged I'll pair the questionable straw with a good one and double up. That way it can only help. With beef prices being what they are that's CHEAP peace of mind. And of course, if it's for a customer, the questionable straw is free.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

All a matter of time CP. If he noticed the dropped straw as soon as it fell and dropped the other one back in the tank i think it would have been fine. Have to wonder why they were stuck together in the first place.

 

[inyati13]

All a matter of time CP. If he noticed the dropped straw as soon as it fell and dropped the other one back in the tank i think it would have been fine. Have to wonder why they were stuck together in the first place.

You made a good catch there RBB. I have thought about that too - were they sticking together or did I have the forceps on two at the same time. Well as Clint Eastwood said in Dirty Harry, "To tell you the truth in all the excitement, I kind of lost count myself..." Getting off track. I actually think I was excited because it was the first time I was doing one of mine own. I had the heifer waiting and I may have gotten the forceps on two and the one that was not held well fell. They should not be adhering to each other. My tank is new (MVE 20/20) and SS rep just filled it and put in the semen. I have checked the LN level and t is full. The frost line is where it should be. But I did come out with 2 and one fell on the ground. The one I had in the forcep, went right into the thaw.

Next time which will be real soon since I got the cycles down on the ones I plan to do, I plan to use the clothes pin and take a little more time. I was so concerned about having the canister up that I rushed more than i need to. I think I will still try to pull the straw out with the forceps.

BTW, I doubt that I got the heifer that I worked yesterday. But that is not all bad. I would rather have the calf come in late February than early February.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Thats where the clothes pin helps. I pull the canister up to the bottom of the tank neck clip the pin on and us a wire hook to pull the cane up from there, and use my fingers to get the straw cause i ain't much of a hand with the pinchers. Main thing is relax and take your time. Its not a race.

 

[inyati13]

Thats where the clothes pin helps. I pull the canister up to the bottom of the tank neck clip the pin on and us a wire hook to pull the cane up from there, and use my fingers to get the straw cause i ain't much of a hand with the pinchers. Main thing is relax and take your time. Its not a race.

RBB, I got a spring-loaded clamp today that works like the clothes pin. I tried it on canister 6 which is empty. That works better. I plan to make a cane hook too. Thanks.

 

[cow pollinater]

All a matter of time CP. If he noticed the dropped straw as soon as it fell and dropped the other one back in the tank i think it would have been fine. Have to wonder why they were stuck together in the first place.

My apologies, RBB as I didn't mean to come off as argumentative with my first reply but fractions of seconds do matter once a straw is out of the tank. He'd still be okay but the damaged straw is the one that went back into the tank. In a small herd with great management it's likely a non issue however it gets handled but in the long run, semen that gets pulled out of the tank needs to be put to use.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Not a problem CP but all semen is transfered from one tank to another. It is taken out of the shipper and into the tank. It has to be done just don't need done any more than you can help.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Take a breath, slow down. Smile

We always have the cow loaded before we even look for the semen. Once loaded, then we thaw and glove up, or recently, we glove up then pull a straw and load in the gun for immediate insemmination. My husband puts the straw under his arm while he finds the cervix, then loads the straw in the cow. The big thing is take your time....
I would have put the dropped straw in the cow also. Better than just throwing away....

It will get better. I promise ;-)

 

[inyati13]

Take a breath, slow down. Smile

We always have the cow loaded before we even look for the semen. Once loaded, then we thaw and glove up, or recently, we glove up then pull a straw and load in the gun for immediate insemmination. My husband puts the straw under his arm while he finds the cervix, then loads the straw in the cow. The big thing is take your time....
I would have put the dropped straw in the cow also. Better than just throwing away....

It will get better. I promise ;-)

Thanks. I hope so.