WalnutCrest
Well-known member
My wife would love to learn AI/ET ... but, for now at least, we're leaving it in the hands of people who've done it for a very long time at a very high level.
Who Does Your AI'ing?
- Thread starter cowgirl_jenna
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Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
A knack can be built with lots of practice. At our place, there are three of us that AI, myself (natural knack), my daughter (VERY natural knack), and hubby. Hubby has been doing it for about 5 years, and did not have a knack, but he has learned to slow down and pay attention, and this fall attained 70% conception rate. It is really nice having three of us, since we breed off of natural heats, at all hours. Before we built our barn, we had our chute out in the field and would AI via headlights of the truck! We still deal with frozen lube (like Ron!), and frozen wet wipes (use to clean vulva before inserting pipette). And now the daughter does all of the AI for the diary down the road, so it was a win win for her!
Putangitangi
Well-known member
I did a course with one of the local companies and then worked for them for a couple of seasons. I had to give it up when I got poisoned at another job and couldn't move my muscles reliably - not so good when you want to get out of the way of a big cow and your legs are frozen! But by then I'd had lots of practice and for the last ten or so years I've only done my own cows. Some years there were up to 40ish, others only a handful, so I'm slower now, but the first one I did the other day felt so natural it was as if I'd not had a break, so I now feel quite confident in retaining the skill.
I just did a big cow in blazing sunshine; no frozen anything around here, other than the straw before it comes out. The bigger problem is keeping the cow cool while she waits for me to get ready. My cows are also being secret cyclers this season. I suspect I've missed some. Fortunately I don't have a stop date this year, so I can afford a couple of late calves if that happens.
In the daytime I often do the insems on my own; night time I prefer to have someone else there, to hold the torch and just in case something goes wrong.
I just did a big cow in blazing sunshine; no frozen anything around here, other than the straw before it comes out. The bigger problem is keeping the cow cool while she waits for me to get ready. My cows are also being secret cyclers this season. I suspect I've missed some. Fortunately I don't have a stop date this year, so I can afford a couple of late calves if that happens.
In the daytime I often do the insems on my own; night time I prefer to have someone else there, to hold the torch and just in case something goes wrong.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
My bulls do my Ai'ing, oh I guess that's just I'ing.
