Sexed Semen

[UncleLA]

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on AIing with sexed semen?

How are the pregnancy rates?

How much more expensive is sexed semen, versus regular semen?

What's the easiest way to determine what Angus bulls have sexed semen available?

 

[Outrigger2]

here is what ABS thinks.

http://www.absglobal.com/beef/42711Beef ... 0Flyer.pdf

Seedstock producers may benefit more from sexed semen. could be wrong.jmo

 

[novatech]

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on AIing with sexed semen?

How are the pregnancy rates?

How much more expensive is sexed semen, versus regular semen?

What's the easiest way to determine what Angus bulls have sexed semen available?

You are useing about 50% of the normal amount of semen. As far as pregnancy rate if you beleive the people selling it, it is about the same as unsexed.
The cost is about double.
As far as where to obtain it I don,t have a clue.
I took a couple of heifers to Genetic Resources in Navasota, Texas. After two months they never came into heat. I took them home and they came in within a month and I AI,d both with regular semen. It seemed like they were always out of what I wanted and were pushing a bull that they had a surplus of semen from.
My advice is that if you go the sexed semen route, purches it outright and have someone you trust do the AI. Don,t settle for what they want to sell. Get a garantee on purchase of live semen.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The sexed semen from ABS is only 1 million sperm/straw. It is ONLY recommended to be used on virgin heifers - no cows - no flushes - no syncronized breeding. It is DEFINATELY lower conception (even on virgin heifers) and a normal $20 semen is $50 sexed. (per ABS)

 

[Outrigger2]

doesn't seem worth it.jmo

 

[Sage]

Check with the dairy breeders they have much more experience with sexed semen use. The use in beef herds is expanding and obtaining the bull you want can be impossible at certain times of the year because of demand. Sperm quantity/straw is cut back from conventional semen but smarter people than myself know where the fine line is that lowers conception rates or allows a few extra straws to be produced per service.

 

[Brandonm2]

The October Angus Journal has a very informative article on sexed semen. I would post a link but the Angus Journal still has September's issue up.

 

[UncleLA]

Thanks Brandon!
I haven't read my October issue yet!

 

[dun]

I picked upa copy of SimTalk, the one that has the sire summary in it and there is a blurb about sexed semen in it.

 

[dun]

Here's a link to thesexed semen I was referring to:
http://www.accelgen.com/Bovatel_WhatsBovatel.aspx

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Accelerated is using the same technology that my stud, Dependabull, was doing the research on. Dave tried to buy the technology, but was not successful.
You can expect 10 more heifers out of 100 calves. So if you normally would get 50/50 you can expect 60/40.

 

[ENNOT]

Accelerated is not producing sexed-semen. Bovatel is "gender-biased" semen. Meaning that there is a 10% greater chance of having a heifer calf than a bull calf. They have not, and probably will not sell sexed semen due to the cost of production. The technology is expensive.

Select Sires is the only company "pushing" sexed semen in the dairy market. They have a stronger market than other companies and have spent the money for the equipment to produce sexed-semen. Even then, I deal with a heifer development lot that is exclusively dealing with sexed-semen, and they are having to bred 50% of the heifers twice.

Talk to honest rep's, they are not going to sell sexed-semen to most producers. Conception on "cows" is better than virgin heifers, from trials that are recorded. Thats because they "know" the cows are cycling. Alot of trials have been done on heifers, but data is failing due to no synch which means they are not positive that heifers are cycling.