Sexed semen regular?

[torogmc81]

Jake's thread on number of bull calves vs heifer calves got me wondering, along with the many times that folks have brought up the sexed semen questions in various different AI threads. Does anyone used Sexed semen quite often, or at least on a few of their best cows every year? Maybe CP and others know of some breeders that use it quite frequently?

Our best cow has had two bull calves so far in her young life, but I really want to get at least a few heifers out of her, preferably sooner then later. So we AI'd her in December with sexed semen to VAR Reserve and she took first try. I'm very anxious to get that calf on the ground and see it/her develop. I find myself wondering, especially with a smaller but growing herd, is it worth the lower conception rate to "aim" for more planned heifer pregnancies out of our best. The cost difference is obvious, but IMO, doesn't matter considering how high reg. Angus females are going for at Production sales (at least around here).

I guess I can ask my technician in May how much sexed semen he sells, too :idea: :idea:

 

[Son of Butch]

What's the question? Does anyone use sexed semen?
No. A.I. studs collect it just for storage. :dunce:

 

[torogmc81]

Just looking to start a convo, smart arse. I'm perfectly fine with no one responding if they think I'm boring and ignorant, so thanks for your thoughtful response!!

 

[Bigfoot]

Strictly based on information I have gathered here, I have concluded that sexed semen is a bad way to go. I do very little AI, so it's not really my bag though.

 

[cow pollinater]

I've used literally tens of thousands of units of the stuff. If it were my choice I wouldn't sell a straw of it but you can only be so firm with your customers before they decide to buy from someone who will sell them whatever they want.
I will say that the conception on the stuff packaged within about the last year has been noticeably better but there is still a lot of the older stuff out there being marketed especially on the beef side of things as they tend to pull a bull out of the lineup to sort and collect a bunch at once so they can get them back in the conventional lineup.
If you use it use it one time on everything and consider the calves you do get as an extra heifer. If you try to use it as a tool to get the desired sex out of particular cows you're headed for disapointment as they're a good chance that your "best" cow is going to be a couple of services behind the rest of the herd as it is not designed to give you good conception.
Plus, you can't rely on 90% accuracy to mean that out of every ten pregnancies nine calves of the desired sex will be born. Instead think of rolling dice. We know that statisticlly we can roll the dice and have a one in six chance of getting a one but some people can roll the dice ten times and get a one every time and some people won't get one at all. It takes thousands of observations to really see the 90% and a lot of people with only a handful bred to sorted semen get burned.
Plus, when you add in the economics of beef production, calves are worth a lot of money regardless of sex and that extra 21 days of growth on a calf that you gain by getting a cow pregnant the first time that you breed her makes anything less than a conventional straw look like a really bad idea.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I'll agree w/ CP here ... with one caveat ... and that is you're trying to grow your females as fast as you can and with as little cost as you can (i.e., you're going to be your own seed stock producer). It seems to me that that is the one instance that it makes sense to do whatever you can reasonably do to get females on the ground.

Another alternative to that (grow your females yourself and do so quickly) is to buy twice the number of cows as you want, AI them all to conventional semen, sex the embryos at 70 days, note which ones are carrying bull calves, and then at the right time, sell all the cows with bull calves keeping all the cows with the confirmed heifers.

Either approach has its costs and its risks.

 

[Jake]

Jake's thread on number of bull calves vs heifer calves got me wondering, along with the many times that folks have brought up the sexed semen questions in various different AI threads. Does anyone used Sexed semen quite often, or at least on a few of their best cows every year? Maybe CP and others know of some breeders that use it quite frequently?

Our best cow has had two bull calves so far in her young life, but I really want to get at least a few heifers out of her, preferably sooner then later. So we AI'd her in December with sexed semen to VAR Reserve and she took first try. I'm very anxious to get that calf on the ground and see it/her develop. I find myself wondering, especially with a smaller but growing herd, is it worth the lower conception rate to "aim" for more planned heifer pregnancies out of our best. The cost difference is obvious, but IMO, doesn't matter considering how high reg. Angus females are going for at Production sales (at least around here).

I guess I can ask my technician in May how much sexed semen he sells, too :idea: :idea:

I know Finks was using it to flush with to try to create more bulls so they didn't have the "throw away" heifers.

I've wanted to use it but haven't found the instance to go for it yet.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

The best way to use it is in doing IVF flushing, in my opinion. You can use one straw of semen on several cows if done via IVF. A bit more pricy, but hopefully you end up with several females on the ground all at the same time.

 

[retro]

What's the question? Does anyone use sexed semen?
No. A.I. studs collect it just for storage. :dunce:

X2 with that said Just what is your question ? You tried so you must think it was a good decision :?: CP said it well I have used it about 50 or so times and most of the time use 3 or 4 straws and bred them twice in the cycle only because it is available to me a a very reasonable $. but the conception rate is low so be per paired ... it's not the Cat's meow :2cents:

 

[torogmc81]

What's the question? Does anyone use sexed semen?
No. A.I. studs collect it just for storage. :dunce:

X2 with that said Just what is your question ? You tried so you must think it was a good decision :?: CP said it well I have used it about 50 or so times and most of the time use 3 or 4 straws and bred them twice in the cycle only because it is available to me a a very reasonable $. but the conception rate is low so be per paired ... it's not the Cat's meow :2cents:

The four responses above yours understood my comment and question. Thank you, Jake, FSR, Walnut, and CP for your responses.

I apologize to you(retro) and Butch for me not being clear on my subject and question, I am no college English major .... that said.
Subject matter should've read, "I am curious how many CT members are regular sexed semen customers?" I'm just curious, and I pointed out that I am fully aware of the many threads already discussing the subject. All I did was tell of my one tiny experience with sexed semen as a sidenote. Didn't mean anything more by it. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused

 

[retro]

Not a college scholar myself you don't need to apologize I couldn't grasp the question but Thanks for clarifying it. Maybe this will help in your though process I'am only interested in females as I think you are also. I'am very fortunate to have a Trans Oval station 50 miles and Own a small part of a Angus bull that has sexed semen so my costs are slightly lower but I only use the sexed semen on cows that are IVF, to just start AI'n good cows with that idea in mind might not work to well for you . But you got 1 stuck on the 1st try ,so you are headed in the right path Good luck to you :tiphat:

 

[torogmc81]

Not a college scholar myself you don't need to apologize I couldn't grasp the question but Thanks for clarifying it. Maybe this will help in your though process I'am only interested in females as I think you are also. I'am very fortunate to have a Trans Oval station 50 miles and Own a small part of a Angus bull that has sexed semen so my costs are slightly lower but I only use the sexed semen on cows that are IVF, to just start AI'n good cows with that idea in mind might not work to well for you . But you got 1 stuck on the 1st try ,so you are headed in the right path Good luck to you :tiphat:

Thank you. That is quite the treat to be within 50 miles of the Trans Oval station!! I am anxious to calf heifers out of my best, but probably need to just be patient and let them come over time through unsorted AI.

 

[retro]

Torogmc81 if'n ya got a good female that you would like more of her and you have somebody that can IVF her then I would strongly recommend using sexed semen I think you would be happier with your results for the money spent... Just please don't think about flushing a virgin heifer, "See other thread on this forum for reasons" good luck to you