Your Total Cost to AI

[TGCJ7]

I tried searching this but AI was too common, I'm sure it has been asked before.

So. What is your total cost to AI?
It would help if you itemized your costs for me.

Thanks a Lot
Tim

 

[Alan]

It depends on the type of AI synch you use on your cows. With the type I use and these are a close or ball park figure;

2 cc of Fertygle $5
CIDR $10
5 cc lute $5
Straw of semen anywhere form $10 to $2000
2 cc Fertygle $5

Total cost without semen about $25 per head using my synch technique

Alan

 

[dun]

Glove 4 cents
Sheath 3 cents
Talcun poweder so the glove is easier to put on 1/10 cent
Lubricant (mineral oil) 1/2 cent
semen 15-25 dollars

 

[cypressfarms]

TGCJ7,

You didn't really state what your trying to calculate for. I don't a.i., it's just not the best use of money for my operation (My opinion only). If you are trying to compare the cost of a.i'ing versus the cost of buying a bull, don't forget that most people who a.i. also have a bull to "cleanup" the cows that did not settle. I think that people forget this cost - so sometimes it seems a.i. is a way better solution. I'm not saying that it isn't. Being able to pick any bull in the world to complement your cows is GREAT, but you'll probably still need to factor in a cleanup bull. Unless there is something new that I'm not aware of.....

 

[regolith]

Without a cost breakdown, I'm looking at $NZ 6-7000 for AI this year, over 290 cows.

Semen is $NZ16 - 20 a straw dairy, $8 a straw for the cows I won't keep replacements from (low birthweight beef), allow $150 for hire of AI tank, the odd delivery charge (semen, tank, nitrogen), gloves, lube, sheaths, wipes.
I don't charge my time. Probably I should. If I got someone else in to do the AI it would be $6 per insemination.

Tailpaint about $8 a litre, I'll probably use eight -twelve litres. Synch as below - I might do 10% of the herd depending how they're cycling, 25 - 35 dollars a cow for drugs, allow 2 - 300 for vet visits to administer those drugs (we don't get to handle and adminster them ourselves in NZ).

Aside from the AI costs, I'll be buying or leasing 2 Jersey yearlings for the yearling heifers, three Angus 2 yr olds for the cows. Cost to buy $NZ1000 - 2000 per bull.
I could instead continue with AI the whole mating season, and may in future (only running bulls with the heifers). So far finishing off with a bull weighs better in terms of workload and getting cows in calf.

These costs are New Zealand dollars - semen here is cheap compared to many other countries, other costs tend to translate fairly well even though the dollar is valued at 55c US at the mo.

 

[TexasBred]

Glove 4 cents
Sheath 3 cents
Talcun poweder so the glove is easier to put on 1/10 cent
Lubricant (mineral oil) 1/2 cent
semen 15-25 dollars

dun that sounds about like ours except we save the 1/10 cent on talcum... Select Sires does come by periodically and add a bit of nitrogen to the tank. I've never used any $2000 semen and won't ever.

Cypress we don't keep a bull on the place. Just watch for that little 3-4 month old "bull" calf to show us who's cycleing and AI again if necessary. There's always one of those little guys who thinks he's a man. ;-)

 

[Frankie]

I tried searching this but AI was too common, I'm sure it has been asked before.

So. What is your total cost to AI?
It would help if you itemized your costs for me.

Thanks a Lot
Tim

In the past, we've figured we've got less than $100 in every registered calf. 1.5 straws of semen @ $30, a $30 AI Cert, and $7 registration fee. (Sometimes we use higher priced semen and sometimes AI certs are higher, so overall we use the $100 figure.) We do all the work ourselves including heat detecting and AI.

 

[dun]

Cypress we don't keep a bull on the place. Just watch for that little 3-4 month old "bull" calf to show us who's cycleing and AI again if necessary. There's always one of those little guys who thinks he's a man. ;-)

Until a couple of years ago we didn;t either. But the manipulation is getting harder to do so we AI once then turn them in with the bull. Some cows are strictly meat makers and they go with the bull without AI.

 

[dun]

dun that sounds about like ours except we save the 1/10 cent on talcum...

With sweaty arms the talcum makes the glove slip on so much easier.

 

[TGCJ7]

Cypressfarms is right.
Maybe I should have asked the questions "What will my cost to AI be?"

I'm wondering if it would be economical to get rid of the bull.
I've only got four cows and will not expand on the cow/calf side of things.

Thanks
Tim

 

[smallrancher]

With 4 cows, it would be much much cheaper to go the A.I. route, if you know what you are doing with heat detection. But the heat detection is key. 4 cows is a small enough number to manage, that you wouldn't need to synchronize.
Good Luck

 

[novaman]

I wouldn't have a bull for 4 cows. AI requires extra labor but with that few number of cows it won't be much extra. I would synch them with the CIDR protocol. This would have them all cycling within a couple days of each other and make heat detection a breeze. My cost to do the CIDR protocol is around $18/head.

 

[redcowsrule33]

No one seems to value their time (just because no one else does doesn't mean you shouldn't ;-) ) Labor costs, even if it's your own, are usually quite high especially if you synch.

Then we pay for a technician to AI for us @ $8 a head. You can say all you want for doing it yourself, but I only AI ~20/year and he does well over 10,000. It is worth the money to me.

If you wanted to get really picky there's the maintenance of the tank, facilities, etc.

This year I came close to adding in the cost of a bull calf and my marriage, but that's a long story. :lol2:

A good article from MSU:
http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/145 ... ttle-herds

 

[novaman]

No one seems to value their time (just because no one else does doesn't mean you shouldn't ;-) ) Labor costs, even if it's your own, are usually quite high especially if you synch.

Then we pay for a technician to AI for us @ $8 a head. You can say all you want for doing it yourself, but I only AI ~20/year and he does well over 10,000. It is worth the money to me.

If you wanted to get really picky there's the maintenance of the tank, facilities, etc.

This year I came close to adding in the cost of a bull calf and my marriage, but that's a long story. :lol2:

A good article from MSU:
http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/145 ... ttle-herds

Sure there are other costs involved. Everything else considered in, I still think you would be much further ahead money-wise and genetically by AIing.