Your costs for AI

[Gliderider]

I was thinking about doing AI instead of purchasing a bull since we will only have 8 cows total eventually. I'm not sure how cost effective a bull would be with that few cows. Anyway, I was wondering what ya'll pay for AI per cow. I called my vet and he said it would be $35 per cow plus the $45 farm call. Do you have a vet do yours or someone else, or do you do it yourself? How did you learn if you did it yourself? I would like to eventually do it myself without the vet and then also be able to check and see if they took. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bobg]

I only have a couple cows and got rid of my bull since it took extra feed and was a pain. I was going to AI, but they wanted to charge me $45 plus mileage. I finally got into the AI class at the local college and now do my own. If you decide to AI, I would synchronize your cows and hopefully be able to do all or most of them in one trip. Talk to your vet about it.

Bobg

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

I paid a guy last week $35 to AI one of my cows. It happened to be a cow that I had bought from the guy a while back, so for the convenience of him I just dropped the cow/calf off at his place for a couple of weeks. He called me to come get the cow when he was done with the AI.

 

[alabama]

Ai is great for using the best bulls at a reasonable cost. However, you will still need a bull. The most important thing in raising cattle is a live calf from every cow every year.
Go to a class and learn to do your own AI. But keep your cows in a confined breeding season by running in a clean up bull.
If your only reason to AI your cattle is to save the cost of a bull, forget it. With that said, you may be able to use a lesser bull for your cleanup and save some cost on the purchase cost of the bull but you won't be able to keep his heifers.
The best is a good AI program and a good cleanup bull.
I have a good friend with a few cows. We help each other with various farm chores. We AI his cows when we can, but I just loan him a bull for a month or so to make sure we have them bred. He keeps the cattle fed while the bull is on loan to him so I have no lose and it works out good for us both. This may be a better way for you if you don't mind helping some of the locals with thire cattle.
You can also rent a bull form a local breeder for a small fee. You may offer him $50 or $100 for the use of a good bull for 2 or 3 months. And if you keep, the critter fed and in good shape, he may just loan him to you the next year.

 

[Gliderider]

You can also rent a bull form a local breeder for a small fee. You may offer him $50 or $100 for the use of a good bull for 2 or 3 months. And if you keep, the critter fed and in good shape, he may just loan him to you the next year.

I have thought about doing that, but I am breeding Scottish Highlands and there are NO bulls close by. I'd have to haul on in from the mountains or another state. That's why I was intereded in AI also.
Thanks for the info though!

 

[alabama]

I wish you the best of luck breeding Scottish Highlands.
Another thought that comes to mind depends on how much time you have to watch the girls.
If you have a good 30 minutes very morning and again in the evening and a good AI tech close by you may be able to get most of the girls serviced every year. The cost of a good AI tech should be about $30 a trip and $10 a cow. If you can keep your breeding season short, it won't be so bad.
The hardest part of a good AI program is heat detection. You have to have the time to watch the girls and recognize when they are in heat.

 

[dun]

But keep your cows in a confined breeding season by running in a clean up bull.
The best is a good AI program and a good cleanup bull.

I beg to differ, a good AI program can stand on it's own, particularly with only a few cows.

dun

 

[Aero]

I beg to differ, a good AI program can stand on it's own, particularly with only a few cows.

dun

this would be heavily dependent on conception from the AI though.

 

[dun]

I beg to differ, a good AI program can stand on it's own, particularly with only a few cows.

dun

this would be heavily dependent on conception from the AI though.

If they don;t settle by the second service they grow wheels. Although fertility is theoretically a lowly heritable trait, culling for it will increase the heritabliity

dun

 

[Aero]

If they don;t settle by the second service they grow wheels. Although fertility is theoretically a lowly heritable trait, culling for it will increase the heritabliity

dun

i wasnt referring to the fertility of the cows.

 

[dun]

If they don;t settle by the second service they grow wheels. Although fertility is theoretically a lowly heritable trait, culling for it will increase the heritabliity

dun

i wasnt referrign to the fertility of the cows.

If they won;t settle with a max of 2 services either the semen, heat detection, cows fertility or the technician are the problem. All of those are easy to check and fix

dun

 

[Gliderider]

Since we only have two cows right now, and two, 2 week old heifers, I wanted to AI the two cows now and next year the heifers should be about ready. We may have a bull by then or we may just AI again. I don't think there are any AI techs around here. I'll call the vet tomorrow and ask, but I think anything involving someone elses animal has to be done by a liscensed vet. Like I can't legally give my neighbors animals vaccinations. She can, but no one other than the animal owner or a vet.

 

[dun]

Since we only have two cows right now, and two, 2 week old heifers, I wanted to AI the two cows now and next year the heifers should be about ready. We may have a bull by then or we may just AI again. I don't think there are any AI techs around here. I'll call the vet tomorrow and ask, but I think anything involving someone elses animal has to be done by a liscensed vet. Like I can't legally give my neighbors animals vaccinations. She can, but no one other than the animal owner or a vet.

You might want to contact either of the people in the attached link to find out about schooling or having them AI for you. Just a wild shot in the dark. Genex does carry 2 highland bulls.

http://www.crinet.com/aitrain.htm#south%20east

dun

 

[bobrammer]

Typically there are several fees involved with AI. You will need to sync your herd, pay for the semen, and pay the AI tech or vet. I agree with Dun, if done properly, a small guy can do fine
with AI as a stand alone program. YMO.

 

[Capt Call]

Typically there are several fees involved with AI. You will need to sync your herd, pay for the semen, and pay the AI tech or vet. I agree with Dun, if done properly, a small guy can do fine
with AI as a stand alone program. YMO.

You are now giving advice on A.I.

 

[bobrammer]

Didn't mean to overstep my bounds. I've just been looking into costs and was sharing what I've learned.

 

[Capt Call]

Not doubting your research or your intelligence, I think this is one of the dangerous things about the board. I wasn't trying to insult but six months ago you were just starting out.

 

[Gliderider]

You might want to contact either of the people in the attached link to find out about schooling or having them AI for you. Just a wild shot in the dark. Genex does carry 2 highland bulls.

http://www.crinet.com/aitrain.htm#south%20east

dun

Thanks, I'll give them a call this afternoon. I'd love to just be able to do my own. I'm all for learning and saving money.

Typically there are several fees involved with AI. You will need to sync your herd, pay for the semen, and pay the AI tech or vet. I agree with Dun, if done properly, a small guy can do fine
with AI as a stand alone program. YMO.

I know about the cost of semen, not sure of the cost of sync, but I just wondered if my vet was average or overpriced.
JFYI - I'm a girl.