Sexed semen

[mncowboy]

Looking to see what experiences folks have had using sexed semen. From a commercial stand point, I'd find it much more productive if I could increase the odd's of getting heifer calves to be retained.
Specifically St Genetics and their sexed semen.
Thanks in advance

 

[bse]

Ive heard good things about ST, only loose 6% conception so im ok with that. will know more in about 2 months gonna try it end of April and if it works out flush a few with it in the fall. and breed them all with it.

 

[Luckiamute]

I've used sexed semen on a small scale (I have a small herd) with pretty good success over the years, though I have not used it much the past couple of years because of the lack of availability through most of the major stud companies. I used to use sexed semen acquired through Genex when a number of their bulls had sexed semen available (Right Answer, Bismarck, Thunder, Density to name a few). One year I had an 80 percent conception rate and most years my conception rate was as good or better than conventional semen conception rates. -- 65 percent or so. I only used sexed semen with natural heat detection, not timed AI or synced protocols. I just discovered ST Genetics late last year and have been studying their 2017 spring semen catalog pretty regularly and it appears they have some nice young bulls in their lineup, though a lot of them are young and unproven. I likely will order a few straws and see what happens.

 

[mncowboy]

I'm looking at three of the St Genetics bulls, like you said they all appear pretty new and unproven but most come from sires and MGS's that have been around for quite sometime.
S Foundation -Vision unanimous /Chisum
http://www.stgen.com/sire-directory/bee ... eef-cattle
Stone Cutter - Black granite/ Right answer
http://www.stgen.com/sire-directory/bee ... eef-cattle
Sitz Dividend - Bastow cash /Ten X
http://www.stgen.com/sire-directory/bee ... eef-cattle

I'm leaning towards Stone Cutter with Right Answer and Black granite and Bismarck, I would anticipate he'd produce good commercial working females.

 

[cow pollinater]

I'm not a fan. I know that it has come a long way from when I first started using it but I've never been able to get it to pencil out on beef and just barely on dairy. As your conception rate goes up the accurracy of the sort goes down so conception reports have never really impressed me. Plus you lose a cycle on more heifers so if you have a calving window plan on that good management tool getting thrown out the window and you really can't identify your most fertile cows when you use semen that doesn't do to well to begin with.
I have sold literally tens of thousands of units of the stuff but it won't ever be used in my own cows and I can honestly say that I never sold it unless I was made to feel like I was going to lose the business to someone else if I didn't do what the customer wanted.

 

[bse]

CP
Do you think by ST doubling there sperm count it will be better? I used some sexed years ago with no luck, and like you say surely don't want a disaster! With what there saying and in simple numbers if my math is right. 100 cows 60% conception, 60 bred cows conventional semen. ST sexed 6% less conception would still give me 54 bred cows, if I'm looking at it right. Thoughts!!

 

[cow pollinater]

Not really. The reason the cell count was set where it was when the patent for sorted semen was because we've known for a long time that there are benchmarks that have to be met in regards to cell count in order to increase conception. It would take something like eight straws of sorted semen to consistently see a marked increase in conception. They set the cell count at the lowest rate in the tier knowing that it would take much more sorting to get up to the next level.

 

[Luckiamute]

mncowboy: I like the bulls you noted, and I also really like Connealy Concord, whose dam is the dam of Black Granite. I just wish he had some reports available on what his calves are doing.

 

[muleskinner]

Visited a place that gets dairy heifers in from farms and raises them from birth till about 2 months before calving. They do about 9000 heifers a year. They tried the sexed semen route and found out it was to expensive and not worth it. Most of there clients just want them to use non sexed semen. They do have a few clients that want the first service with sexed semen and then go to non sexed after that.

 

[farmerjan]

With the ratio of heifer to bull calves running 3 to 2 already this year and a little better than 60 % heifer calves last fall, I think I need some BULL sexed semen......Maybe it's in our water... Except the cows calving now have been exposed to a total of 6 bulls, from breedings at different pastures with no shared water and miles apart. Last fall there were calves out of 7 different bulls. Most pastures are set up for some rotational grazing and we run 15 to 40 cows all according to where they go. Mostly in the 15 -20 cow groups. Had 90 calves last fall, 36 bull calves, 54 heifers. Have 40 already on the ground now with about 30 more to go this spring....16 bulls and 24 heifers already...
Better a live heifer than a dead bull, I keep telling myself. We sold off about 15 or more cows from last years spring calving group that were old and open. Bought some over the winter and they are running 3 bulls to 4 heifers so far but I haven't figured them into the totals since they were bought bred.
Have a couple of my dairy cows on one farm. He uses sexed semen with very good conception on his holsteins; both cows and heifers. Get's 75% heifer calves... My 2 cows....1st cow - non-sexed got 1 heifer and one bull.... the other cow, sexed got 3 bulls.....and 1 heifer. We laugh that I am the poster child for Murphy's law.