Semen Tank Inventory

[cowgirl_jenna]

How does everyone track your inv. in your tank? I have a pad of paper to make notes while breeding, but my computer cattle tracking program i got last year will track inv. too. The nice thing with it, is it'll subtract straws automatically when a breeding is recorded.

I guess my second question is do you guys always buy some extra units of semen when ordering? I do for some, and have quite a variety of different bulls right now. I have a friend who buys just enough for her planned breedings and carries very little inv from year to year. Have another friend who has 20 cows and has one full tank and started on his second I order extra because if-(when) I make a mistake I want a plan b, or c...
Jenna

 

[dun]

For the inventory I keep with the tank I use a spread sheet. Column 1 is the Cansiter, column 2 is the bull collection code, column 3 is the bulls name, column 4 is the starting inventory, coukmn 5-14 a blanks to write in the date I used a unit. I usually buy semen in lots of 5 or 10 so it works for me. The herd management software deducts the quantity when I record a breeding, but it's handy having a list with the tank so I know what's what and where

 

[cmf1]

Software on desktop and laptop with flashdrive backup.
Everytime I close the program it prompts me to backup, so I do.
Wish it would let me do planned matings though so I could record, print and take it to the barn. Then come back and verify the actual breeding.
Pencils are still pretty useful tools i reckon.

 

[robert]

Genex make a really handy breeding/calving notebook, in the back is set up to record which bulls (sire code and name), how many straws, in six separate lists to account for each canister in a tank. When I breed a cow I check off a unit of whatever bull I used and note the date and sire used next to the dams number in the front, pretty basic but darned effective!

 

[HOSS]

I don't have a huge inventory. I use an ABS inventory card that list the bull, cane#, qty etc. I keep it in my breeding box.

 

[regolith]

My breeding company lists the inventory on a sheet of paper attached to the bank, when things were simpler I simply crossed out the straw count and wrote in the new number against each bull.
With a highly complicated breeding programme, I write each bull's name on a white board in a grid format, the cow numbers below his name with a different colour for each day (meaning I have four colours so must update my permanent records at least every fourth day during AI) and tally up the straws used in the permanent records before wiping the cow numbers off the board.
I also mark up if a straw explodes or I use two in a cow, yet somehow the straw count by the AI company is always slightly different when the bank is sent back to them for storage.

If you don't *want* a highly complicated breeding programme don't over-order straws. I keep getting caught out with a better than anticipated conception rate and a herd declining in size, and have enough inventory to not order any next year.
Ideally I want to be carrying only 50 - 100 straws from year to year and they would be older bulls that I know work well in my herd (and may not be easily available) and straws that are discounted by bulk buying, so I'll get enough for 2 breeding seasons rather than pay the higher price.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I just made a sheet in excel, kinda like Dun, but when we use a straw I put the cow ID and date where the straw data was. It has room for cane ID, bull name, and sire/dam. We keep a copy with the tank in the barn, and just update the computer form. We reprint a new sheet every breeding season or if I get a new bull I want to use.
We always order in sets of 5 or 10. We AI some cows on a third cycle, so I always need to have enough supply of a bull to be able to do that and not pay shipping "because she came back in". Since we do not use bulls, we always need to make sure we have some in the tank.

 

[Cattleman200]

I just keep a notebook numbered with a tank number, then list the inventory by cannister in each tank. When I take something out I deduct it from the inventory. The breeding theory deduction would not work for me because I sell semen here also out of a variety of bulls and sometimes remove 50 + units at once. It just works better for me that way. I also list my embryo inventory the same way. Currently I have 5 tanks to keep up with. Three large 34/18 tanks and two smaller 20/20 tanks. Problem is almost all of them are full now.


Circle H Ranch

 

[houstoncutter]

Bill I hope you got a lot of ol Baxter in em

 

[Cattleman200]

I had all my bulls collected at Cottage Farms in Jackson,TN. I had quite a bit of semen stored there and it was costing me around $100 each quarter. I made a decision to have all my semen moved here and ship it out from here. Baxter passed away last year here on the farm. I only have about 160-180 straws left on him now but yes it is here. Baxter kinda put me on the map in the Limousin business.



Circle H Ranch

 

[houstoncutter]

Just about every animal I saw outa that bull was top shelf... Come close to buying a couple of bulls from Council out of him, but they were just too young at that time.

 

[Cattleman200]

by houstoncutter » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:26 am

Just about every animal I saw outa that bull was top shelf... Come close to buying a couple of bulls from Council out of him, but they were just too young at that time.

Thanks Houston, they actually owned half of him the last few years. He was used heavy in their program a few years. I had some really good milking females out of him. I still have a few in my herd now. When that semen is gone that will be the end of things for him.


Circle H Ranch

 

[glacierridge]

I should really look into organizing this better at GRF. Dad and brother do the breeding, I have a fairly good idea what we've got on hand. Since we breed year round/calve year round, we always have some in the tank. I know we have some at times from year to year on some sires, but on purpose.
Kind of like the year round thing more than we don't.

 

[jrk53]

nice one already done up you can print and or save at
http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/semenrecord.pdf