newbie to AI

[saltbranch]

Guys, I am interested in learning more on this. Reading the posts here, there definitely is a lot to learn. Are there any online articles to read to help me get up to speed on this? Is it better to pay someone to do this, or do it yourself. I have worked with cows birthing and having issues, so I am not a total newbie.

 

[boondocks]

Guys, I am interested in learning more on this. Reading the posts here, there definitely is a lot to learn. Are there any online articles to read to help me get up to speed on this? Is it better to pay someone to do this, or do it yourself. I have worked with cows birthing and having issues, so I am not a total newbie.

Do a Google search for: cattle AI protocol
You will find a wealth of articles, from semen companies, ag schools etc., comparing and contrasting the various forms of AI (different protocols, schedules, drugs. timed versus natural heats etc).

I have wanted to learn how to do it myself, but for my small herd of a dozen, it just doesn't make sense: the cost of classes, plus travel expenses and time away, is disproportionate to the cost my AI tech charges. Plus, it would take me forever to get as proficient as he is (although as you will see in the AI threads, we have many "lay" people who do their own AI and have good success rates with a bit of practice and dedication).

Good luck!

 

[ram]

Saltbranch, first off we don't use AI on our place. But if we did you can believe we'd be doing our own AI work. Depending on someone else to run your business is a bad deal.

 

[bse]

Boondocks has good advice, google and you tube, theres lots of information out there.
Depending on number of cows you have? If it's worth doing your own, it can be pricey with tanks, keeping them filled, and all things that go with it, but if its possible for you to get good at it, it is the best way.
If you get a AI tech your really not depending on him to run your business, your renting his arm service, and maybe some advice on bulls that may work for you. When all that is done it is still you making the decision on what bulls, and how you want it done.

 

[ram]

Boondocks has good advice, google and you tube, theres lots of information out there.
Depending on number of cows you have? If it's worth doing your own, it can be pricey with tanks, keeping them filled, and all things that go with it, but if its possible for you to get good at it, it is the best way.
If you get a AI tech your really not depending on him to run your business, your renting his arm service, and maybe some advice on bulls that may work for you. When all that is done it is still you making the decision on what bulls, and how you want it done.

What's sucess rate difference between breeding on an observed heat compared to a chemical induced heat? And does breeding on a chemical induced heat still qualify as being natural or organic? Y'alls AI techs must be really dependable, and live right around the corner.

 

[saltbranch]

After splitting everything up, we are at 17 head, young cows. I was looking at AI as an alternative to having a bull full time and all the headaches that would go with a bull and low number of cows to service.. Where would I find out who provides AI in my area so I can see what cost would run? Local vet?
I do plan to increase herd size as $ permits

 

[bse]

Saltbranch, id check with semen companies in your area, Accelerated Genetics, Select Sired, And, or Genex, they should be able to tell you of someone in the area that can help you.

Ram, most of your so called chemically inducing drugs are just natural things a cow produces, progesterone, prostaglandin, your just making it work when you want it to, does that still make it Organic? Not a clue.
Natural heat will raise concetion rates, not sure at what percent, but most folks don't do there own or have the time to watch them, so we sync, and I'd think if an AI tech set you up a day to get all this done, he would be there to take care of business.

 

[Son of Butch]

Where would I find out who provides AI in my area so I can see what cost would run?

COBA/Select Sires based in Ohio services the Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma area.
They should be able to tell you who to contact in your local by calling them at 1-800-837-2621
You could also contact ABS but I don't know their contact info.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

After splitting everything up, we are at 17 head, young cows. I was looking at AI as an alternative to having a bull full time and all the headaches that would go with a bull and low number of cows to service.. Where would I find out who provides AI in my area so I can see what cost would run? Local vet?
I do plan to increase herd size as $ permits

Great idea! Good advice here already, look into the major companies and one of their reps will do the breeding for you. The only limiting factor with that is you have to use their bulls only. But the bigger ones have a great selection of bulls (Genex, Select Sires...). We now have around 30 cows, and use AI for all of it. But there are three of us that AI so we breed on natural heats for the most part.
Good luck! We find AI rewarding!

 

[SteppedInIt]

Google Bovine Elite. They list AI service technicians all over Texas. Look for one close to you.

I was successful on my first 2 out of three I had open without formal training. I finally hired an AI tech to stick the one I had trouble with. The one thing I learned is, the cows are all different. At least these three were.

 

[saltbranch]

Google Bovine Elite. They list AI service technicians all over Texas. Look for one close to you.

I was successful on my first 2 out of three I had open without formal training. I finally hired an AI tech to stick the one I had trouble with. The one thing I learned is, the cows are all different. At least these three were.

I found Bovine Elite via google search. I have left messages with 2 AI techs within a 100 miles of our place. Would you mind saying what they charged? If not posting it, send me a message...I am curious at the charge.
I did find out the AI training course cost and that it fills up fast. They have openings starting in March.

 

[boondocks]

Google Bovine Elite. They list AI service technicians all over Texas. Look for one close to you.

I was successful on my first 2 out of three I had open without formal training. I finally hired an AI tech to stick the one I had trouble with. The one thing I learned is, the cows are all different. At least these three were.

I found Bovine Elite via google search. I have left messages with 2 AI techs within a 100 miles of our place. Would you mind saying what they charged? If not posting it, send me a message...I am curious at the charge.
I did find out the AI training course cost and that it fills up fast. They have openings starting in March.

Our cost is under or around $75 per cow per AI cycle. This includes the semen (usually $30 or so); AI tech; meds for a timed AI (CIDRs, which are a bit pricey; cystorelin; Lutalyse), and a bit left over for an extra person to help with getting them up in the chute.
I don't think (as Ram does) that by using a tech, we are giving up management of our operation. We tell him when we want him to come and he's here, does his job effectively, and is willing to let us pick his brain. A few times, one or more have not "caught" and come back into natural heat. We will call him out on short notice to re-breed then; once, he was here within an hour. For what he gets paid, versus the costs of the class (and given our small herd), it's a no-brainer. I may eventually take the class just because I would like to learn, and it would give us a bit more flexibility with work schedules.

 

[M-5]

I took a last this yr. bought all my supplies and I done a few cows at this point. I will do a few more next year and continue to work my way up to doing them all.
class/travel and lodging approx. 600.00
ai tank and kit approx. 900.00
semen orders approx.1000.00

all in all its about the price of a middle of the road bull. I think its some of the best money I have spent being able to upgrade the quality offspring of my commercial cows for pennies on the dollar.

 

[SteppedInIt]

Google Bovine Elite. They list AI service technicians all over Texas. Look for one close to you.

I was successful on my first 2 out of three I had open without formal training. I finally hired an AI tech to stick the one I had trouble with. The one thing I learned is, the cows are all different. At least these three were.

I found Bovine Elite via google search. I have left messages with 2 AI techs within a 100 miles of our place. Would you mind saying what they charged? If not posting it, send me a message...I am curious at the charge.
I did find out the AI training course cost and that it fills up fast. They have openings starting in March.

The gentleman I used charged $30 plus $.35 per mile. He was the closest to me, approx. 40 miles. I supplied the semen. With you being in San Anotnio, I would have thought there would be several in your area closer than 100 miles. Keep searching, if I come across any I will pass along the info.

I think I got set up from scratch for less than $1,000. Bought tank for $573 shipped; N2 fill $46; Ordered individual supplies for $251(basically everything in the kit, except the box).
My first order of semen was $386 shipped.

 

[wbvs58]

One of the biggest problems with learning AI is getting the practice especially if you seasonally join. It is all done over a couple of weeks and by the end you might be starting to get consistent at it and then it is 12 months before you do it again.
Spreading it out by heat detecting only or synch small batches helps a lot and you get a bit of a rest to think about what you did wrong between groups but your tight calving suffers.
One thing that I think is important when inseminating but I never see mentioned is diet. If they are on a paddock of lush green feed and are scouring a bit and can end up sucking a lot of air in the vagina making things difficult especially if a group are synch together, when they are mounting each other you can often hear the air rushing in.
Ken

 

[Supa Dexta]

This is one of the best vids out there on it I think I've seen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ygWu0rUs8I

I never took a course. Had an older fellow show me when I started at it, and just went at it.

 

[boondocks]

One of the biggest problems with learning AI is getting the practice especially if you seasonally join. It is all done over a couple of weeks and by the end you might be starting to get consistent at it and then it is 12 months before you do it again.
Spreading it out by heat detecting only or synch small batches helps a lot and you get a bit of a rest to think about what you did wrong between groups but your tight calving suffers.
One thing that I think is important when inseminating but I never see mentioned is diet. If they are on a paddock of lush green feed and are scouring a bit and can end up sucking a lot of air in the vagina making things difficult especially if a group are synch together, when they are mounting each other you can often hear the air rushing in.
Ken

Ken, good (interesting) info, thanks!
(But gave me a bad visual I'm afraid! :lol2:

 

[dun]

The idea of cost has to looked at realisticly. The school along with the peripheral costs of it and the cost of the tank are high. But those costs are actaully spread out over years. The school costs is a lifetime investment, or until you're too old to do it. The tank is close to a lifetime investment, 20 years or more with proper care is a realistic time frame.
So that takes it down to the individual cost per cow. If you don;t sync, you're looking at about a buck and a quarter per head plus semen cost. For the popular breeds, there are a lot of really good bulls in the 15-25 dollar range. Syncing is out of my wheel house. The times we did timed AI with sync I had the BAS rep do the syncing and a lot of the breeding. Results, even with GnRH at AI time ran from 55% to a low of 20% the last year we did it. On natural heats with good heat detection, anyone that doesn;t hit in the 70% or higher range has a problem. Could be the tech could be the nutrition for the cow or the time of year.
This year we're doing the old fashioned sync on cows that came up open becuase of the low libido bull. GnRH and 7 days later Lute. Then breed on observed heats.
For the familiarity issue of doing it so seldom and spread out, you could volunteer to AI for neighbors just to keep your hand in (no pun intended).
When I got certified (that used to be how it was done) I started a custom AI business. Only bred on average a half dozen cows a week (area had a population of under 30k people and most of them city folk. Goy a lot of fiverse experience both in cattle breeding and using makeshift facilitys. From a squeeze chute to a cow tied to a tree with a rope around her neck.
A benficial side affect is that it will make you (or at least allow you if you wish) to become a better/more knowledgable herdsman.

End of rant, sorry about the length