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TexasJerseyMilker
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I texted our neighbor and said thanks but never mind about the heifer bull. I'm having her AIed with sex selected semen for a purebred heifer calf. I got the tech's phone number at the feed store.
Estimate weight of Jersey calf
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TexasJerseyMilker
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This morning I could tell something was going on. Daphne, the old cow, was charging and butting Honeydew away whenever she approached. That is because Honeydew had been trying to mount her, a dominant behavior not liked by the dominant cow. Then she came over and put her chin on me with that crazy look in her eye.
So the AI guy came with a big box truck full of semen tanks and liquid nitrogen. I got to look through a catalog of Jersey bulls and all their traits! The pictures were of the bull's daughters. It was like a Playboy Magazine of cows! The Cleavage, the teat placement and length. He has average amount of milk, large percentage butterfat, and large amount of cheese.
I selected a bull named JX Stoney. He has New Zealand bulls in his pedigree for production on grass. Not those tiny little 2 finger teats. Good flat topline tail section so the urine of the heifers does not run down into their cervix.
The tech communicating by telephone showed up exactly in the 6 hours cows are fertile. He could tell by the mouting behavior on my old cow and even how often Honeydew chews her cud. Should be under 40 seconds, not several minutes like not bulling cows. Honeydew was good in the squeeze chute we made out of corral panels, now no longer a virgin.
This was so much better than the constant stress for me worrying about when is the neighbor's heifer bull going to be delivered. And, not another half Angus meat calf, but a purebred sex selected semen 92% chance of a heifer. And, for a calf delivered in April at grassus maximus. All for $75 bucks.
So the AI guy came with a big box truck full of semen tanks and liquid nitrogen. I got to look through a catalog of Jersey bulls and all their traits! The pictures were of the bull's daughters. It was like a Playboy Magazine of cows! The Cleavage, the teat placement and length. He has average amount of milk, large percentage butterfat, and large amount of cheese.
I selected a bull named JX Stoney. He has New Zealand bulls in his pedigree for production on grass. Not those tiny little 2 finger teats. Good flat topline tail section so the urine of the heifers does not run down into their cervix.
The tech communicating by telephone showed up exactly in the 6 hours cows are fertile. He could tell by the mouting behavior on my old cow and even how often Honeydew chews her cud. Should be under 40 seconds, not several minutes like not bulling cows. Honeydew was good in the squeeze chute we made out of corral panels, now no longer a virgin.
This was so much better than the constant stress for me worrying about when is the neighbor's heifer bull going to be delivered. And, not another half Angus meat calf, but a purebred sex selected semen 92% chance of a heifer. And, for a calf delivered in April at grassus maximus. All for $75 bucks.
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MurraysMutts
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I'll dang sure be checking this thread in 9 months!
farmerjan
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Here's to hoping you get the heifer you want from this breeding.... just be aware that sexed semen is 90% accurate... there is the 10% chance it could be a bull calf... they do not guarantee a heifer.. but most all the time they are....and hoping she settled also.
What bull stud does the AI tech work for? Or independent? I am thinking Select Sires ... western division....
What bull stud does the AI tech work for? Or independent? I am thinking Select Sires ... western division....
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TexasJerseyMilker
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Yes, Select Sires. He had quite a selection of sires on his truck. He gave me a catalog. Stoney throws 92% heifers. He's A2A2 milk, lots of cream. I sure hope she's got a bisquit in the oven.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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FarmerJan, is there somewhere I can read and learn what all these abbreviations, graphs and codes mean that are listed with the bull information? Thanks
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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Mark your calendar to watch for a repeat. Breeding with conventional semen, you are to expect roughly a 70% conception rate. With sexed semen, it is lower. You can go to Select Sires web site. But, if you are talking about BREED coded information, you need to go to the breed website.
Chewing her cud - timing??? Never heard that one.
Chewing her cud - timing??? Never heard that one.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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Me either but he's an experienced professional who works in several states. I called him in the morning when I saw what was going on in the pasture. At noon I was supposed to call and report my observations. She's was still mounting but her cuds were just over a minute. He said she still needs a little more time. I'll be there in 2 hours. He also knew what bulls the dairy Honeydew came from uses for sires, so did not select any of them.
He said these bulls sire 90% heifers or better. Here are Stoney's select sire designations.
Here is what those stand for.
Feedpro is for increased production with smaller body size for more efficiant feed to milk conversian. Fertility pro with gender selected ultraplus is for increaced number and viability of heifer producing sex selected semen. Mastitis resistant pro is self explainatory. Robot pro designation is about having longer teats so robot milkers can fasten on the inflations. Not those tiny two finger rear teats.
I realize she might not take or slip the embryo. He told me do not feed her over 3lbs a day of grain or she could heat up and move things along to much including her calf. If she comes back in heat in 3 weeks I will use Stoney again
He said these bulls sire 90% heifers or better. Here are Stoney's select sire designations.
Here is what those stand for.
Feedpro is for increased production with smaller body size for more efficiant feed to milk conversian. Fertility pro with gender selected ultraplus is for increaced number and viability of heifer producing sex selected semen. Mastitis resistant pro is self explainatory. Robot pro designation is about having longer teats so robot milkers can fasten on the inflations. Not those tiny two finger rear teats.
I realize she might not take or slip the embryo. He told me do not feed her over 3lbs a day of grain or she could heat up and move things along to much including her calf. If she comes back in heat in 3 weeks I will use Stoney again
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TexasJerseyMilker
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JX Stoney is one of the few dairy bulls you can see his picture. Mostly it's pictures of bulls daughters. Stoney has 1000s and 1000s of daughters. Most dairy bulls look very feminine and wimpy . Here he is, looks pretty masculine for a Jersey bull.
Unlike humans, macho males have rings in their noses. Poor dude has probably never known a cow but makes his owners a ton of money.
Unlike humans, macho males have rings in their noses. Poor dude has probably never known a cow but makes his owners a ton of money.
farmerjan
Well-known member
He is siring 92% heifers BECAUSE it is sexed semen... or as it is now called "gender selected"... they sort the semen at the facility and package the female carrying semen in the straws... he is not siring 92% females on his own by random breeding... and... that is still an 8% chance it could be a bull calf if she settles.
I am only telling you this because I am Walking MURPHY'S LAW. Bred my half guernsey/half hol cow to sexed semen 3 years running... guernsey semen... and got 3 bull calves out of it... and when the farmer's holstein bull got in with the cows she got bred and OF COURSE.... HAD A HEIFER. She was on a dairy milking.... I had 4 others at home and couldn't handle any more nurse cows at the time she calved... so one of my farmers was needing some more milkers so I put her there... it worked out good.... EXCEPT for the calf situation... The heifer was rather high strung and he bought her from me as I didn't want another holstein.... it worked out but gee whiz... I only wanted one heifer that would have been 3/4 guernsey...
I would ask the semen guy if they put out a chart/list that tells what each of the categories means that are listed with the bulls. They have changed them so much I am not sure I even know what all they mean now...
I am only telling you this because I am Walking MURPHY'S LAW. Bred my half guernsey/half hol cow to sexed semen 3 years running... guernsey semen... and got 3 bull calves out of it... and when the farmer's holstein bull got in with the cows she got bred and OF COURSE.... HAD A HEIFER. She was on a dairy milking.... I had 4 others at home and couldn't handle any more nurse cows at the time she calved... so one of my farmers was needing some more milkers so I put her there... it worked out good.... EXCEPT for the calf situation... The heifer was rather high strung and he bought her from me as I didn't want another holstein.... it worked out but gee whiz... I only wanted one heifer that would have been 3/4 guernsey...
I would ask the semen guy if they put out a chart/list that tells what each of the categories means that are listed with the bulls. They have changed them so much I am not sure I even know what all they mean now...
Travlr
Well-known member
You might need to set her up for having a heifer by increasing her carbs and minimizing her proteins and salt. Her Ph may be too acidic... or is it alkaline? Anyhow, high protein/mineral for bulls and high carbs for heifers.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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I had been feeding her 3lbs grain (stocker grower), free choice salt block with selinium and Rain and Wind mineral high Mag. Her dairy body condition score is 3.
If on 5th or 6th of September Honeydew does not get that crazy look in her eye and tries to put her chin on me I will know she has a bisquit in the oven.
I asked the guy So. . . .how do they get this gender selected semen? Do they put it in a petri dish and play a football game on TV on one side so all the boys swim over there? He said no its a centrifuge. Male sperm are lazier so they end up at the bottom.
Select Sires has about 21 Guensey bulls, 4 are proven sires and one has sex selected. Of the 20 others eight have sex selected semen in the 2023 Spring catalog
I see that Select Sires also has sex selected from Angus bulls. You can get mostly male calves because commercial steers are worth more than heifers.
If on 5th or 6th of September Honeydew does not get that crazy look in her eye and tries to put her chin on me I will know she has a bisquit in the oven.
I asked the guy So. . . .how do they get this gender selected semen? Do they put it in a petri dish and play a football game on TV on one side so all the boys swim over there? He said no its a centrifuge. Male sperm are lazier so they end up at the bottom.
Select Sires has about 21 Guensey bulls, 4 are proven sires and one has sex selected. Of the 20 others eight have sex selected semen in the 2023 Spring catalog
I see that Select Sires also has sex selected from Angus bulls. You can get mostly male calves because commercial steers are worth more than heifers.
farmerjan
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She is long gone now.
Travlr
Well-known member
You're still breeding for females aren't you?
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Most all studs offer sexed heifer or sexed bull semen - at least in the beef. Commercial beef breeders make more money on males.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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Well it's been 21 days since Honeydew was AIed and she shows zero signs of being in heat.
Honeydew just eats and stands around in the shade with the other cow, lies down chewing cud. Nothing like the sex cazed wench she was three weeks ago.
I observed her closely yesterday and will again tomorrow in case her cycle is shorter or longer.
But it looks like she probbaly does have a biscuit in the oven.
Honeydew just eats and stands around in the shade with the other cow, lies down chewing cud. Nothing like the sex cazed wench she was three weeks ago.
I observed her closely yesterday and will again tomorrow in case her cycle is shorter or longer.
But it looks like she probbaly does have a biscuit in the oven.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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Day 22 and still no interest in anything except food.
A funny thing happened yesterday evening. I went out and separated Honeydew and Daphne from the horses where they had been kept a few days. They had been in pasture 1 so I could easily see bovine behavior in case HD came back into heat. The other cows were nowhere to be seen in pasture 2. These are great big beef cows so fat they resemble overstuffed couches. Anyway, I fed hay to my cattle and the horses were eating hay on their side of the fence. This spot is west side of the house. I went to get Daphne her cubes when I came back she was gone.
Thats weird I thought, but then she suddenly reappeared in the corner of pasture 2 by the other side of the house. She had to circle the hill to do that. So I fed her the cubes there. But I wanted her to come back to eat the hay. So I lured her back around the hill to where Honeydew was. I looked at Daphne and thought she is getting old and has lost some weight I wonder if she has worms. So I went and measured out some ivermectin pour on, came back and she was gone again. I walked back around the hill and she was no where to be seen. Honeydew reappeared in 2 and was following me.
I went back to the other side of the hill and checked the ravines in case Daphne had fallen in- no Daphne. Honeydew followed me back and went back to eating hay near the horses. This is really weird Daphne has disappeared from the face of the earth I thought so I walked back down into pasture 2 to see if she was on the other side of the trees. She wasn't.
Standing there in pasture 2 what do I hear but the thunder of hooves. Turned around and saw Honeydew come shooting over the top of the hill as if shot from a cannon. Down the hill she came galloping at top speed like a race horse straight for me. I had no idea she cattle could move that fast. I was getting ready to jump around and wave my arms when she came shooting past me, running top speed across the field and disappeared in the crossing into pasture 3. I went over to 3 and there was Daphne standing there licking that red cow she is so crazy about, Honeydew and the rest of the cattle were watching this. I am done trying to micromanage these cattle I thought and went home.
A funny thing happened yesterday evening. I went out and separated Honeydew and Daphne from the horses where they had been kept a few days. They had been in pasture 1 so I could easily see bovine behavior in case HD came back into heat. The other cows were nowhere to be seen in pasture 2. These are great big beef cows so fat they resemble overstuffed couches. Anyway, I fed hay to my cattle and the horses were eating hay on their side of the fence. This spot is west side of the house. I went to get Daphne her cubes when I came back she was gone.
Thats weird I thought, but then she suddenly reappeared in the corner of pasture 2 by the other side of the house. She had to circle the hill to do that. So I fed her the cubes there. But I wanted her to come back to eat the hay. So I lured her back around the hill to where Honeydew was. I looked at Daphne and thought she is getting old and has lost some weight I wonder if she has worms. So I went and measured out some ivermectin pour on, came back and she was gone again. I walked back around the hill and she was no where to be seen. Honeydew reappeared in 2 and was following me.
I went back to the other side of the hill and checked the ravines in case Daphne had fallen in- no Daphne. Honeydew followed me back and went back to eating hay near the horses. This is really weird Daphne has disappeared from the face of the earth I thought so I walked back down into pasture 2 to see if she was on the other side of the trees. She wasn't.
Standing there in pasture 2 what do I hear but the thunder of hooves. Turned around and saw Honeydew come shooting over the top of the hill as if shot from a cannon. Down the hill she came galloping at top speed like a race horse straight for me. I had no idea she cattle could move that fast. I was getting ready to jump around and wave my arms when she came shooting past me, running top speed across the field and disappeared in the crossing into pasture 3. I went over to 3 and there was Daphne standing there licking that red cow she is so crazy about, Honeydew and the rest of the cattle were watching this. I am done trying to micromanage these cattle I thought and went home.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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I had Honeydew inseminated by a sex selected (heifer selected) Jersey bull while she was in standing heat in August. No sign of heats ever since until a few weeks ago except with the old cow (open) for a few hours they showed mutual sexual interest in each other. I do still not have a definite pregnancy and shes 115 days bred.
So I tried to get a blood test (she is a virgin heifer).
I had the heifer in a home made squeeze chute in the barn. In Oregon the winter light is not strong at 3 pm and I gave it up after several tail sticks. The jugular vein was impossible to palpate in her winter coat, even with soaked in Vetricin antiseptic.
I am a retried hospital nurse known as as One Stick Larue, also knows as The Mosquito and I can't found a tail vein in my own cow. The feedstore only that supplied the test tube, which is a red top tube and a double needle but no needle holder That is with those needle holders with people you stick, see a blood flash then push the test tube into the needle holder and it fills the test tube. You mail it back to the company be read. But here was no needle holder.
With only a syringe and a single needle I could not find a vein in my own heifer. My rancher husband helped me with this this jury rigged confinement I built. I tried the tail stick multiple times with no luck. Then I looked for the jugular stick. But HoneyDew has her winter coat. Tried soaking the area with Vetricin, could not find her jugular.
She was in a homemade squeeze chute made out of corral panels and rope with a 2x4 to keep her from backing out and by then the light in the light in the barn was minimal. I called it quits. In my experiance, when you intuit something will go wrong with livestock it WILL GO WRONG so we gave up.
HoneyDew pooped and peed from stress. Is there a cow urine pregnancy test like they have with women? Confined and stressed cows will poop and pee I guarantee.
Well, I found https://www.emlabgenetics.com/bovine. It is a pregnancy test like women use, mid stream collection and every thing. I orders 2 tests so I can retest 10 days later. Anyone ever use this?
So I tried to get a blood test (she is a virgin heifer).
I had the heifer in a home made squeeze chute in the barn. In Oregon the winter light is not strong at 3 pm and I gave it up after several tail sticks. The jugular vein was impossible to palpate in her winter coat, even with soaked in Vetricin antiseptic.
I am a retried hospital nurse known as as One Stick Larue, also knows as The Mosquito and I can't found a tail vein in my own cow. The feedstore only that supplied the test tube, which is a red top tube and a double needle but no needle holder That is with those needle holders with people you stick, see a blood flash then push the test tube into the needle holder and it fills the test tube. You mail it back to the company be read. But here was no needle holder.
With only a syringe and a single needle I could not find a vein in my own heifer. My rancher husband helped me with this this jury rigged confinement I built. I tried the tail stick multiple times with no luck. Then I looked for the jugular stick. But HoneyDew has her winter coat. Tried soaking the area with Vetricin, could not find her jugular.
She was in a homemade squeeze chute made out of corral panels and rope with a 2x4 to keep her from backing out and by then the light in the light in the barn was minimal. I called it quits. In my experiance, when you intuit something will go wrong with livestock it WILL GO WRONG so we gave up.
HoneyDew pooped and peed from stress. Is there a cow urine pregnancy test like they have with women? Confined and stressed cows will poop and pee I guarantee.
Well, I found https://www.emlabgenetics.com/bovine. It is a pregnancy test like women use, mid stream collection and every thing. I orders 2 tests so I can retest 10 days later. Anyone ever use this?
puzzled in oregon
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Shave a small spot of hair off her neck, apply a light tourniquet to the neck, the vein will pop right up.
Don't forget to remove tourniquet.
Don't forget to remove tourniquet.
farmerjan
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Several members on another forum I go on, use the urine tests on their sheep and goats all the time... and say they are very reliable. I think they buy theirs off Amazon or Ebay, although I know one that gets them from a farm supply.... maybe Jeffers or Valley Vet supply? I am assuming that the cattle ones would be very reliable also.
