Sexed seman

[Chappydog]

I'm new to AI and wanting to know the pros cons dos, donts, ect on sexed seman. I've got 4 heifers I'm going to have AIed in October. Is the increased cost worth it? Are there any differences in the cow taking on the first try?

So basically I'm looking for everything some of y'all know about this.

We will get to what bull to use at a later time :mrgreen:

 

[Bigfoot]

I think the extra cost is justifiable, if you are wanting a particular sex for a reason. I think the research says you'll have a lower conception rate. I haven't ai'd in a long time. I've been thinking about going back to it some, and will probably go with sexed semen when I do.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Yep to what Bigfoot said. More expensive, lower conceptions rates, but worth the payoff if you get what you want. We have been AIng cattle for about 6 years now ourselves, and have a tough time getting conceptions on heifer sexed semen, but not conventional. But, our Genex rep came out and did EXACTLY what we do to prepare and inseminate, and got the heifer stuck to the HS semen... so not sure what we were doing wrong.
Do it! Worth it, for sure

 

[pdfangus]

I personally am not going to pay two and a half times the price for 10% lower conception....
I don't know if I am smart enough to know if a bull calf or a heifer calf would be better for me anyway. most of my bulls are going to be steers and heifers taste just as good as steers....

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I personally am not going to pay two and a half times the price for 10% lower conception....
I don't know if I am smart enough to know if a bull calf or a heifer calf would be better for me anyway. most of my bulls are going to be steers and heifers taste just as good as steers....

I agree. The HS semen we used and have is Upgrade, who went on sale at $25 a straw for HS semen when his conventional was $35! Genex had an overstock on the sexed I guess, so we bought 10 straws. I was at a sale several years ago (Sanders Ranch in KS) and we happen to win 20 straws of semen on two bulls - LMF Movin Forward and Triple C Bettis. They gave me HS on Bettis, since they did not have any conventional in the tank. I got zero conceptions on that 8 straws (sold two to a buddy of mine). Funny thing, I have used 5 of the Moving Forward straws, and have had 4 heifers from those five straws! lol, just the way it works I guess!!!

 

[Bigfoot]

Im tired of paying top dollar for registered bulls. I have a few purebred cows. I'm thinking of taking a shot on sexed semen, and raising my own bull. My kids are young, and building their herd. I could see shooting for a heifer on their cows. Other than that, I wouldn't fool with it.

 

[bse]

I tried it no luck probably not enough. If i understand it right its much better on heifers. Even with sexed its not 100% that it will be that sex. I think if i was trying to make a bull id use conventional and a nice heifer would be a bonus.
I was gonna use sexed male on a group of commercials because steers are worth more, but was advised against it because of cost and conception rate, all that figured in even a little less for heifers vs steers still would be ahead with conventional.

 

[dun]

I tried it no luck probably not enough. If i understand it right its much better on heifers. Even with sexed its not 100% that it will be that sex. I think if i was trying to make a bull id use conventional and a nice heifer would be a bonus.
I was gonna use sexed male on a group of commercials because steers are worth more, but was advised against it because of cost and conception rate, all that figured in even a little less for heifers vs steers still would be ahead with conventional.

We used regular semen this year. Of the 4-5 we hoped to get bulls from we got one bull. Sure hope he works out since he's planned to be our replacment bull for next year. Funny part is those were the only heifers, everything else was a bull (steer now)

 

[Chappydog]

Thanks for the info folks. I'm still trying to decide on what direction I'm going to go. But I'm leaning toward just straight run seman. My mind could change between now and October though.

 

[cow pollinater]

I have used literally thousands of units of the stuff. Conception is about 60% of what conventional does on cows and around 75% on heifers. Conception and the degree of sexing accuracy is variable between bulls and there is an odd chance of getting semen that does not always produce the desired sex AND doesn't stick that well.
Plus you have to factor in that 90% accuracy... It's a roll of the dice. That ten percent can really bite you in the butt. The same way that conventional semen is 50/50 probability but we all have years with 70/30.
My recommendations to my customers are to either use it one time only on hand picked heifers and be ready to breed them twenty one days later without being upset over it or use it first service only on a big group of cattle and be happy with getting 60% of the desired sex and ignore what didn't work.
You also have to be really careful who you purchase from. One stud sells two levels of sort. I think it's 60% and 90% and the difference is the speed at which they flow it across the sorting machine but the conception is compromised equally on both.
I have some sorted semen that I've had in my tank for my cattle and I finally gave almost all of it away... It's just so much easier to breed one time and expect them to conceive and not look back.

 

[pdfangus]

I have used literally thousands of units of the stuff. Conception is about 60% of what conventional does on cows and around 75% on heifers. Conception and the degree of sexing accuracy is variable between bulls and there is an odd chance of getting semen that does not always produce the desired sex AND doesn't stick that well.
Plus you have to factor in that 90% accuracy... It's a roll of the dice. That ten percent can really bite you in the butt. The same way that conventional semen is 50/50 probability but we all have years with 70/30.
My recommendations to my customers are to either use it one time only on hand picked heifers and be ready to breed them twenty one days later without being upset over it or use it first service only on a big group of cattle and be happy with getting 60% of the desired sex and ignore what didn't work.
You also have to be really careful who you purchase from. One stud sells two levels of sort. I think it's 60% and 90% and the difference is the speed at which they flow it across the sorting machine but the conception is compromised equally on both.
I have some sorted semen that I've had in my tank for my cattle and I finally gave almost all of it away... It's just so much easier to breed one time and expect them to conceive and not look back.

if these statements from this man are not enough to convince anyone that sexed semen is but the latest ploy to separate cattle dreamers from their cash....then by all means invest in it.....

 

[Son of Butch]

I have used literally thousands of units of the stuff. Conception is about 60% of what conventional does on cows and around 75% on heifers. Conception and the degree of sexing accuracy is variable between bulls and there is an odd chance of getting semen that does not always produce the desired sex AND doesn't stick that well.
Plus you have to factor in that 90% accuracy... It's a roll of the dice. That ten percent can really bite you in the butt. The same way that conventional semen is 50/50 probability but we all have years with 70/30.
My recommendations to my customers are to either use it one time only on hand picked heifers and be ready to breed them twenty one days later without being upset over it or use it first service only on a big group of cattle and be happy with getting 60% of the desired sex and ignore what didn't work.
You also have to be really careful who you purchase from. One stud sells two levels of sort. I think it's 60% and 90% and the difference is the speed at which they flow it across the sorting machine but the conception is compromised equally on both.
I have some sorted semen that I've had in my tank for my cattle and I finally gave almost all of it away... It's just so much easier to breed one time and expect them to conceive and not look back.

if these statements from this man are not enough to convince anyone that sexed semen is but the latest ploy to separate cattle dreamers from their cash....then by all means invest in it.....

I Agree with the statements of both these men. Sexed semen is damaged semen.
For the math challenged members on this board, I will add...
IF you are getting 60% 1st service conception on cows... 60% x 60% = 36% first service conception
75% conception on heifers with conventional semen is 75% x 75% = 56% first service conception

Study after study has shown the economics of getting cows bred on time. Look before you leap.
Run your own numbers [if you know them] and see how it comes out.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Good stuff.

Same thoughts about aspirating or flushing to sexed semen?

 

[Bigfoot]

Count me out. Thanks CP.

 

[pdfangus]

Good stuff.

Same thoughts about aspirating or flushing to sexed semen?

well in my mind and experience flushing is gambling and dreaming on a bigger scale.....
more risk and possibly more reward....

if you have a demand for 10 bulls at big bucks by bull A and out of your cow B then flushing is warranted using sexed semen...

Flushing you breed the cow multiple times with multiple units of semen so the chances of conception are improved but still going to be less than using conventional semen....

Some flush projects go very well and some go Flushing down the drain.

Another couple of aspects is female sorted semen seems to be more available than male sorted....and the bulls I want to use are never the ones that have good sorted semen available....but then I seldom go with the herd on bull selection either...

 

[cow pollinater]

Good stuff.

Same thoughts about aspirating or flushing to sexed semen?

Long winded answer:
When the sorting process was patented they looked at the amount of semen that was needed to reach different benchmarks in fertility. They patented the amount currently in use in a sorted straw and proved repeatedly that it would take ten times that amount(which is roughly the amount in a conventional straw) to show a reliable and significant increase in conception. They set the standard at the lower amount as it is expensive to sort semen (especially when we have to pay to use the patent) and there is a lot of waste of "product" so it is hard on the bulls to put out normal concentrations in a sorted straw. So What we're doing is putting one tenth of a straw of semen into a cow and having he!! getting one viable pregnancy... What's going to happen when that cow is super-ovulated? :!: You wind up with a one to one ratio in there.
They do make a concentrated version made for flushing cows but by the time you factor in the poor availability of bulls(not all bulls sort well so some CAN'T be offered honestly), poor conception rate, possibility of poor sexing accuracy, and increase in early embryonic death(another downside I forgot to mention) it is just easier and more cost effective to use conventional product.
With the increase in conception from using conventional vs. sorted semen for flushing, I would bet that you can get more calves of the desired sex just by putting more calves on the ground with conventional semen.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Good stuff.

Same thoughts about aspirating or flushing to sexed semen?

We flushed with heifer sexed semen, got 0 fertilized eggs, 12 UFO's (unfertilized eggs). Our embryologist suggested against it, I WANTED IT, so I did it. And I paid for it... :cry2:

 

[Chappydog]

This has been an awesome discussion and I really appreciate the info.

I am settled on not using the sexed seman, and I'm glad I asked.

 

[Ferd]

I told my kids that a smart person learns by others' mistakes, so he doesn't have to make so many of his own. Thank you for this discussion.

 

[tater74]

I know there is some evidence in humans that the ph of the womb will determine the sex of the baby. The more acidic the womb the greater chance of a female.

Has there been any expermentation in cattle? Could you change the ph in your cows through the type of feed they eat and increase the likelyhood of the calf you want?