Newbie A.I. troubles

[farrier]

I'm having a tough time threading the gun through the cervix. I can pick up the cervix every time no problem. I can get the gun to the cervix. Once I get there I'm having no luck. I think I'm getting it started, then the cow will contract and I lose everything and have to start over.
I went to school last fall, but I only was able to thread one through in two days of cows.
I've been in eight cows so far, and just been able to deposit the semen in front of the cervix.
My wife says I'm too old and my hands are too coarse. I've got no feel.
I wonder if I just need more cows and time, or find someone with softer hands to do it for me?
Thanks.

 

[dun]

Are you trying to put the gun through the cervix or feeding the cervix over the gun. Big difference in difficulty.

 

[bse]

The more you do the better, sounds like you have the feel if your getting the cervix, if you dont feel the gristle on the end of the cevix with your gun you could be going into the bladder, you can still feel it all like that but your not going to get in the cevix, just back the gun out go up and over and try again.
If your syncing some maybe get someone there a little more experienced to just help you out, once you get a few it will only get better.

 

[farrier]

I'm trying to put the cervix over the gun.
I can feel the gristle of the anterior cervix. Some times I think I feel the opening, only the gun tip seems to slip by into the fornix.
Maybe I just need one of those ahah moments.

 

[dun]

I'm trying to put the cervix over the gun.
I can feel the gristle of the anterior cervix. Some times I think I feel the opening, only the gun tip seems to slip by into the fornix.
Maybe I just need one of those ahah moments.

If you feel the gristle part, if you wiggle the cervix it will usually slip in. Some are a real pain to get in.

 

[farrier]

Dun,
How many cows did it take for you get where you could do it every time?

 

[bse]

That ahah moment is the thing, the opening can be anywhere around there just hold firm and keep moving the cervix until that ahah moment.
Im not Dun but for what its worth it took me alot of cows and about a year for it to feel like riding a bike. When i went to school, the first day i did pretty good, the second didnt get a one but i wanted to be cutting hay my mind wasnt there. Theres still some that are tougher than others but the more tough ones you get the better it all gets.

 

[dun]

Dun,
How many cows did it take for you get where you could do it every time?

I was lucky, we had 25-30 new cows each morning and afternoon and only 13 people in the class. After the second day I was helping the instructor check to see if people were getting into the cervix or not. It was one of the very few things that I just seemed to have a natural knack for.
The reason I asked about which was being threaded, the biggest issue I've seen with beginners is they tend to fish around with the gun rather then just put it in place and work the cervix.

 

[cmf1]

I'm having a tough time threading the gun through the cervix. I can pick up the cervix every time no problem. I can get the gun to the cervix. Once I get there I'm having no luck. I think I'm getting it started, then the cow will contract and I lose everything and have to start over.
I went to school last fall, but I only was able to thread one through in two days of cows.
I've been in eight cows so far, and just been able to deposit the semen in front of the cervix.
My wife says I'm too old and my hands are too coarse. I've got no feel.
I wonder if I just need more cows and time, or find someone with softer hands to do it for me?
Thanks.

That had been the hardest part for me to get over. Then the guy that helps me, who is very cuccessful with AI, tells me " once I get a hold of that cervix, it 's mine! And I ain't giving it up till I'm done with it."
It 's helped me retain a firmer grip on it without worrying about messing up anything. While keeping the gun hand low pressure.
I'm still not great at it but that little pearl helped me a bunch.

 

[farrier]

Thanks for the replies.
I'll practice more until I can get it, I hope. I'm small time with just nine cows, so I'll just have to be patient.
And from now on when I have a hold of the cervix, and she starts to contract, I'll just apply the Kung Fu grip.

 

[Jessica06]

If a cow throws rings at me, I'll let go of the cervix, get past the rings, and find it again. It usually only takes me a few seconds to get the gun in the cervix. I just keep forward pressure on the gun, and pick up where I left off. I agree that rookies are usually not as aggressive as they need to be. Gotta be careful telling them that though. When they overcorrect I end up feeling sorry for the poor cow next in line! :shock:

 

[Jessica06]

If your syncing some maybe get someone there a little more experienced to just help you out, once you get a few it will only get better.

I agree with this.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Grab the cervix firmly rotate wrist counter clockwise then sliding your first two fingers and thumb back to the fornix and guide the gun up to your thumb and into the opening of the cervix.

Don't give up. This morning I tried to AI a cow in the chute , bad angle, bad attitude just BAD.

Went out there an hour ago, with a good attitude tied her to the rail and did it in 4 minutes.

Sometimes it seems I have to rotate the far end of the cervix up at the end to pass the gun.

Good luck

 

[farrier]

Grab the cervix firmly rotate wrist counter clockwise then sliding your first two fingers and thumb back to the fornix and guide the gun up to your thumb and into the opening of the cervix.

I'll give that a try.
I guess if it's going to work, it's going to happen in the first five minutes?
If I'm at it for say, 20 minutes or so, will the semen till be okay as long as the gun doesn't come out?

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

They taught us 15 minutes from thawed. And at that point deposit it anyway. Better than on the ground.

 

[cow pollinater]

Lots of good advice. I disagree with the 15 minute part as I've put semen under a microscope and looked at it throughout the day to test viability thresholds. Faster is better but don't sweat over time is what I tell starting breeders. You'll get more cows pregnant putting semen in the right spot on the right cows than you ever will worrying about time.
One tip that I always give that help a lot of people getting started is, when the going gets tough and you just don't know how you're going to get it there take a break and let her take a shyt. Most of the time she will after you've been in there digging around and after she does you have a whole new cow. :nod: Once you've done a couple that won't be needed anymore but it sure helps when you're learning.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Thanks for the timing info CP.

 

[farrier]

Lots of good advice. I disagree with the 15 minute part as I've put semen under a microscope and looked at it throughout the day to test viability thresholds. Faster is better but don't sweat over time is what I tell starting breeders. You'll get more cows pregnant putting semen in the right spot on the right cows than you ever will worrying about time.
One tip that I always give that help a lot of people getting started is, when the going gets tough and you just don't know how you're going to get it there take a break and let her take a shyt. Most of the time she will after you've been in there digging around and after she does you have a whole new cow. :nod: Once you've done a couple that won't be needed anymore but it sure helps when you're learning.

Thank you sir.

 

[Lawson Farms]

I've been AI'ing for a few years, and I still get a retired dairyman to come help me. He's been doing it more than 50 years. Some cows are just tougher than others. I can go back through notes and see that some cows are just tough every year. We work in two separate chutes, but sometimes I ask him to come finish one that I can't start and he will tell me what he feels as he's breeding her. As we run thru 50 or 60 cows, he can almost do 2 cows for every one I do. I have gotten my percentages up close to his.

 

[pdfangus]

it is not a race......
attention to detail will get more cows pregnant that breeding sixty cows per hour....
detail in every aspect of the process....water temperature....proper gun preparation, semen handling, and finally the service....
develop a proper process and stick to it....
it has long been known that older men have a harder time learning to AI....younger people and women seem to catch on more easily...
but everyone can learn to do it...