Your thoughts please..

[J]

I am just starting out and have been picking up an older bred cow here and there. I currently have 3. I was wondering would it be worth going through AI school and breeding my "fairly decent" auction bought older cows with an above average bull? Nothing fancy or high dollar, just something better than what I could afford in a bull, feed, its maintainence, etc.

I would basically be selling the calves unless some good heifers came along. Not set on doing this just thought since it was an option I would get some advice on it. I realize there is probably more to it than this and that I would need to do more than 3 just to get good at it, I could probably AI my uncles cattle to get more practice if this would be a feasable thing.

I probably have left something out or missed something here but would like to hear your thoughts on it.

 

[Brandonm2]

AI school and equipment is a big upfront cost; but compared to buying and feeding a bull in the longrun I think it is worth it. With good selection your cows' heifers will be much better than their moms. You can make very rapid progress toward your goals of what the ideal cow should be. Be warned though that successful AI takes a ~60 day every day time committment checking for heats. If due to your schedule you have to use timed AI and then use a cleanup bull to get the ones that didn't stick, I would just as soon buy a good bull and skip the Lutalyse, semen, and equipment costs in a small herd.

 

[sidney411]

You might be better off (cheaper and better settle %) getting an AI tech and syncronizing your cows. I'd check into that along with the schooling and startup/maintenance cost of doing it yourself.

 

[dun]

AI school and equipment is a big upfront cost; but compared to buying and feeding a bull in the longrun I think it is worth it. With good selection your cows' heifers will be much better than their moms. You can make very rapid progress toward your goals of what the ideal cow should be. Be warned though that successful AI takes a ~60 day every day time committment checking for heats. If due to your schedule you have to use timed AI and then use a cleanup bull to get the ones that didn't stick, I would just as soon buy a good bull and skip the Lutalyse, semen, and equipment costs in a small herd.

Even being a huge proponent of AI, I think this hits it squarely on the head. Even with synchronizing you're still going to have an on going heat detection situation since they won;t all settle first service and some may not even be ready to be bred until well after they've already been time inseminated.

dun

 

[J]

can someone type out how to pronounce "Lutalyse"


? lootalace ?

 

[sidney411]

I've always heard it pronounced "loot-uh-lies"

 

[farmer rich]

For 3 cows AI would work out far cheaper than natural service, provided you have an AI technitian who could come out to serve the cows. You will be able to breed the cows to a far superior bull than you could justify buying for such a small number.

 

[J]

For 3 cows AI would work out far cheaper than natural service, provided you have an AI technitian who could come out to serve the cows. You will be able to breed the cows to a far superior bull than you could justify buying for such a small number.

I plan to increase my numbers when I can but like I said I'm just starting out with my own herd and trying to keep an open mind and evaluate all options available.

 

[Brandonm2]

can someone type out how to pronounce "Lutalyse"


? lootalace ?

"loot-uh-lice"

 

[flaboy+]

For 3 cows AI would work out far cheaper than natural service, provided you have an AI technitian who could come out to serve the cows. You will be able to breed the cows to a far superior bull than you could justify buying for such a small number.

I plan to increase my numbers when I can but like I said I'm just starting out with my own herd and trying to keep an open mind and evaluate all options available.

How about maybe getting it touch with someone in your area with a good bull you could use. I sometimes do that for folks when my bulls having nothing better to do. I make them bring the cows to me though. I'm not too keen on by bulls leaving the property unless they are going to Burger King. ;-)

 

[Bobg]

I'm AI'ing my two cows right now, since I have no room for a bull. I will be keeping any good heifers as replacements. I was able to take an AI class at WSU for $80, borrowed a tank from a friend. And bought semen from Select Sires. For me it's a lot cheaper, I was going to borrow a bull, but that was a pain in the you know where trying to find one. If I had 10 head or so I would buy a bull, but till then I'll just AI.

I would check what it would cost to AI them if the tech would do them all at once. I didn't synch mine this year, but will next year to save on the time spent watching them.

Bobg

 

[farmer rich]

I think you would be better off with AI for up to 10 cows. I personaly use AI bulls on all cows for first service then turn in a sweeper bull to catch returns. That is for a pedigree seed stock herd, not a commercial one. What you decide to do depends upon what your objectives are. If you simply want a small commercial herd renting or sharing a bull with a neighbour might be the solution. If you want a high quality herd of really smart cows then AI is the fastest and cheapest way of acheiving that, provided you choose the right bulls to suit your cows of course.

 

[C HOLLAND]

Well here goes what I have been told on this subject.

When you work full time at a day job, it's very tough to know when they come into heat and the rule of thumb is AM/PM or PM/AM

Now what I mean by that, if you get up in the morning and you notice a cow showing signs of standing heat then you need to AI that cow in the PM that same day and the other way if you notice it in the afternoon, AI the next morning.

For me I have my wife watch them during the day when I expect them to come into heat and she will look for signs every few hours for 15 min or so and make note of cow's number and time for me.

now the cost of getting started

Tank cost 500-600 dollars, AI kit and misc items 200-300 dollars, the semen for a good quality bull, 10-25 dollars per straw, normally with a 5 straw min purchase.

My Semen rep is letting me borrow a tank for the first few times and let me decide if AI is practical for me.

I hope this helps.

 

[J]

For 3 cows AI would work out far cheaper than natural service, provided you have an AI technitian who could come out to serve the cows. You will be able to breed the cows to a far superior bull than you could justify buying for such a small number.

I plan to increase my numbers when I can but like I said I'm just starting out with my own herd and trying to keep an open mind and evaluate all options available.

How about maybe getting it touch with someone in your area with a good bull you could use. I sometimes do that for folks when my bulls having nothing better to do. I make them bring the cows to me though. I'm not too keen on by bulls leaving the property unless they are going to Burger King. ;-)

I have considered that option and my uncle would be willing to do that but his bull is pretty much just something to breed with, nothing special, my neighbor on the other hand has a good angus bull and he would probably let me turn a few head in with his, but I hate to ask for favors or help from others. Just feels like I'm bugging them because I know everyone has a life with things to do and I hate to intrude, although my neighbor and I help each other out pretty regularly.

For example I had my uncle come out and shred this past spring. It's wide open but before he finished he had broken the window on the door of his tractor. (his fault, had the door open, backed up and somehow the tire caught it and shattered the glass.) Then a pin broke on the 3 point and he ended up pulling a hydraulic hose out of the shredder, and last but not least had to replace his back tires due to a flat. (again he said he knew the tires were bad not my fault)
But I sure felt bad and even worse he wouldn't let me pay him or help pay for repairs.

 

[farmer rich]

Many AI techs will store semen for you, you may want to make some enquirys locally.

 

[preston39]

J....,
Good advice here.

One additional thought. If available...near u...a registered Angus breeder may rent you a bull for a month or so....until you get the Ai trainng under control.
If your cows are synced it would cost you less. Also you may be able to work out an arrangement where you could take each cow to a nearby farm for breeding.

 

[flaboy+]

I have considered that option and my uncle would be willing to do that but his bull is pretty much just something to breed with, nothing special, my neighbor on the other hand has a good angus bull and he would probably let me turn a few head in with his, but I hate to ask for favors or help from others. Just feels like I'm bugging them because I know everyone has a life with things to do and I hate to intrude, although my neighbor and I help each other out pretty regularly.

For example I had my uncle come out and shred this past spring. It's wide open but before he finished he had broken the window on the door of his tractor. (his fault, had the door open, backed up and somehow the tire caught it and shattered the glass.) Then a pin broke on the 3 point and he ended up pulling a hydraulic hose out of the shredder, and last but not least had to replace his back tires due to a flat. (again he said he knew the tires were bad not my fault)
But I sure felt bad and even worse he wouldn't let me pay him or help pay for repairs.

J, I feel the same way. You might just mention that you want to get your cows bred and see if he offers. You could also mention that you would be willing to pay a stud fee (from my horse days). I do this for folks I know are NOT trying to take advantage of me. I.E. No yanks. Anyway just another way of getting calves on the ground.

 

[Brandonm2]

I have considered that option and my uncle would be willing to do that but his bull is pretty much just something to breed with, nothing special, my neighbor on the other hand has a good angus bull and he would probably let me turn a few head in with his, but I hate to ask for favors or help from others. Just feels like I'm bugging them because I know everyone has a life with things to do and I hate to intrude, although my neighbor and I help each other out pretty regularly.
(

I don't know your neighbor; but if I was him I would rather have my bull breed (or cleanup) THREE cows than have a neighbor's bull running up and down my fencerow busting the wires and loosening the posts.

 

[Bobg]

I also work full time and have a hard time doing any heat detection . One way around the am/pm heat detection problem is to sych your cows and have all the AI'ing done at one time. I have done this in the past and planning on doing it next year again.

Bobg

 

[C HOLLAND]

BOBG You must have been reading my mind, I was going to type the same thing in another post.