Looking for advise...

[Bryan L]

My wife and I wanted to get back into the cattle business this year and purchased several registered brangus bred heifers back in the fall. They'll finish calving by April 1st. Being this is the first year back in the biz, money is tight. My question is, if you were in my shoes, would you consider or breed back via AI without a clean up bull?

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

 

[Supa Dexta]

I would consider it, But I would feel better with a bull. Any neighbours around that need a place to stash a bull for a few months? Or a place you can put your few cows for a couple of months? Both options are cheaper than getting and maintaining your own bull.

Just a couple options.. But you can stick with solely AI sometimes and get lucky as well.

 

[double v]

AIing look at semen cost plus prep vs bull cost will it be that much difference? What if your first round you only get 60% reprep cost and more semen add it up and you should be able to figure the money one way or the other...

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Can you do the AI yourself? If not you need a bull.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

I think it depends on how good your AI operation is. How easy it is to handle your cows, (facilities, your conception rate when AIing, etc...). Put it this way, I would still like to have a bull out there part of the time.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

We used all ai until we hit about 20 cows, then realized it was nice to keep a yearling bull of ours around to clean up what did not stick after the first attempt.
Now, you said heifers. Heifers can be some of the hardest to stick after their first calf; they are still growing and feeding a calf. I would try AI, but have a back up plan. To this day we do not keep bulls much beyond a year of age, we ai everything or put an embryo in her. So it can be done, it just depends on how much work you want to put in.
Oh, and we use natural heats, so no expense other than the semen. And we ai ourselves. School is cheap and easy to complete. Cheaper than keeping a bull around!

 

[dun]

If you do the AI yourself and have a good conception rate there isn;t much reason for a bull. We were 100% AI for 30 some years but I did all of the AI work myself. If you need to hire it done, unless it's a clsoe by neighbor that can come exactly when needed I would consider having a bull for clean up. Some producers will lease a bull for short term (insure that it passes a trich test and a BSE) at a nominal cost. Partner up with someone that only needs a bull part time (same trich and BSE considerations) Bulls aer fairly destructive when they run out of work but they;re not too bad generally till they approach 2 years old. Then they get to be a real pain in the butt.

 

[Jessica06]

If you learn to do it yourself, or have a good tech close by, yes. Our last two calf crops will have been 100% AI...we do it ourselves. Unless you are feeding them pretty good, be prepared to have them move back a bit before they start cycling. We have a pretty good bull to clean up with this season, and are just putting our first calf heifers with him, no AI, and it looks like they'll be about a month later next year. If I were in your shoes, I would probably hold off breeding them back until the fall, because of the heat, and to give them extra time to come back. Are you wanting to get registered calves?

 

[Bryan L]

Folks,

Thank you for your comments. They are very much appreciated. You all have mentioned things that I probably didn't think of or give enough credence too... I'm scheduled to take the AI course in the January/February time frame. So I will be a rookie at it. My plan was to us a friend, who is a certified and been doing it 12 years or so, here in town to work with me. He ownes a feed & seed business. I'm doubting he can just drop what he's doing at a moments notice.

Ricebeltrancher, yes Im wanting registered calves. The good news is the earliest that I will need a bull is around July and your point about the heat and waiting till Fall is excellent and noted.

The right decision for my situation is to bite the bullet and buy a bull. The one consideration is that most of the farmers around here use early spring as their breeding season and maybe I can lease one for this next fall.

Thanks again!

Bryan L

 

[Williamsv]

I would go ahead and invest in a good bull. My husband bought what he was told four registered heifers that had been bred AI. I bought a cow that was supposed to be. Two of his heifers were not and my cow was not, so I would buy a bull.

 

[Son of Butch]

My husband bought what he was told four registered heifers that had been bred AI. I bought a cow that was supposed to be. Two of his heifers were not and my cow was not, so I would buy a bull.

Serviced and bred are two different things. But some people only hear what they want to hear.
Good Bulls don't run 100% conception either.
Rule of thumb, if you have to ask for ADVICE about A.I. on a cattle forum then I'd ADVISE you to get a bull.

P.S.
I assisted in teaching A.I. classes for a major A.I. stud back in the day.
It's not a tough skill, but 1/3 of do it yourself guys had trouble getting the hang of it and never had the opportunity
to get enough follow up practice to be consistently successful. Learning can be an expensive process.
Just another reason to get a bull.

 

[Bryan L]

My husband bought what he was told four registered heifers that had been bred AI. I bought a cow that was supposed to be. Two of his heifers were not and my cow was not, so I would buy a bull.

Serviced and bred are two different things. But some people only hear what they want to hear.
Good Bulls don't run 100% conception either.
Rule of thumb, if you have to ask for ADVICE about A.I. on a cattle forum then I'd ADVISE you to get a bull.

P.S.
I assisted in teaching A.I. classes for a major A.I. stud back in the day.
It's not a tough skill, but 1/3 of do it yourself guys had trouble getting the hang of it and never had the opportunity
to get enough follow up practice to be consistently successful. Learning can be an expensive process.

All very good and valid points. I bought what I think is a really good bull. He passes the eye test, has a really good disposition and has excellent EPD's. It's only money I guess.....

Thanks again!
Just another reason to get a bull.