DIY AI and buying semen

[Spudley]

VR Venom calves out of Holstein-Freisian cows.

 

[sheepdogtrail]

Do your research. I find it works better if you make your selection of semen from a bull that is raised in a similar environment as you are working in.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

We’ve started a short list. We picked the type of cows we want from the existing herd and now trying to pick bulls to serve different cows to uniform the herd a bit. Idea is 5 different dairy bulls max leaving a pot in the flask for beef
View attachment 965910

Fair enough, some of these are quite different. The key question is - Do you milk record? If so, it would be quite easy to look at weaknesses in individual cows' performance traits and choose bulls of each breed to balance these. If not, you have to work on visual traits (things like udder conformation etc) unless you perhaps look at bulls that have sired your cows and just remember they are only half of the genetics of the cows. I could do this for you if it helped.

One of the problems with making genetic decisions based on what you experience on farm (high SCC or lameness etc) is that you don't know what the cause of that issue is and whether it is environmental/management or genetic. I have seen folks change the type of bulls they use almost on an annual basis.

 

[LTH]

Popping out all the time Sadly, today’s was a bull
View attachment 965901View attachment 965902View attachment 965903

Forgot you bought a bull

 

[pine_guy]

Of all the bits of paper that’s been given to me since I started this thread, I wish this one had been the first. Fantastically concise and informative. Even my herdsman who has AI and genetic experience found it very useful/interesting.

 

[RPatz87]

Has anyone ever used vr tokyo norwegian red bull on their cows. We have been using ebi for the last couple of years but find it making the heifers 1st/2nd calvers smaller

 

[upnortheast]

Has anyone ever used vr tokyo norwegian red bull on their cows. We have been using ebi for the last couple of years but find it making the heifers 1st/2nd calvers smaller

What is the thinking using Norwegian Red ?

Went for a look 20 years ago, havn`t used any since

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

What is the thinking using Norwegian Red ?

Went for a look 20 years ago, havn`t used any since

Genus really push the NR for some reason.

 

[upnortheast]

Genus really push the NR for some reason.

Well there`s a good reason not to use it

 

[Stuart1]

So this year for the first time we are going to do some AI. My headsman is AI trained and just had his refresher course. So we can buy whatever we want and not be tied to one company. The question is, having not bought semen before, where to go for it. We have spoke to semex as the rep called in of chance, and WWSire’s are coming to see us as I know the rep. What other places would people look to source from?

The heifers are mostly 3rd cross fleck and there is a little concern they are a little beefy looking, we are considering giving them one chance of sexed jersey and then a sweeper bull

The cows are a real mixed bag, Fleck is of interest as long as we go milky enough and also not to big (weight for grassing). Probably some Frisian and maybe even a bit of jersey. Finally is the beef semen always much cheaper than the dairy? Or is that just the stuff they offer to the dairy guys and there is better stuff out there? I understand the benafits to easy calving and not recking cows.

I should point out I’ve only ever used bulls and this is all new to me.

What bulls did you end up going for?

 

[dairydurham]

So this year for the first time we are going to do some AI. My headsman is AI trained and just had his refresher course. So we can buy whatever we want and not be tied to one company. The question is, having not bought semen before, where to go for it. We have spoke to semex as the rep called in of chance, and WWSire’s are coming to see us as I know the rep. What other places would people look to source from?

The heifers are mostly 3rd cross fleck and there is a little concern they are a little beefy looking, we are considering giving them one chance of sexed jersey and then a sweeper bull

The cows are a real mixed bag, Fleck is of interest as long as we go milky enough and also not to big (weight for grassing). Probably some Frisian and maybe even a bit of jersey. Finally is the beef semen always much cheaper than the dairy? Or is that just the stuff they offer to the dairy guys and there is better stuff out there? I understand the benafits to easy calving and not recking cows.

I should point out I’ve only ever used bulls and this is all new to me.

Lizzie WWS

 

[pine_guy]

Lizzie WWS

Yes, she’s moving jobs.

 

[pine_guy]

What bulls did you end up going for?

We picked a jersey, Oliver P to go on 3/4 flek heifers
Haribo, a well established flek bull on the majority of cows.
Venom, Viking red and Bookmaker P a Holstein to put a bit of dairy into a few beefy cows.
And some beef for those cows that need it
don’t start calving till April.

 

[pine_guy]

What have people got in their tanks for use late on in the service window. I.e. short gestation high fertility?

 

[Jdunn55]

What have people got in their tanks for use late on in the service window. I.e. short gestation high fertility?

Looking to buy netherall matty (hereford) from cogent this year he's at 275 gestation length which is the lowest I've seen so far, but I know LIC do a range of short gestation length bulls so might give them a ring before I buy anything

 

[Will Blackburn]

Looking to buy netherall matty (hereford) from cogent this year he's at 275 gestation length which is the lowest I've seen so far, but I know LIC do a range of short gestation length bulls so might give them a ring before I buy anything

I wouldn’t bother, the ones I had were slightly early big sods.

 

[sidjon]

Looking to buy netherall matty (hereford) from cogent this year he's at 275 gestation length which is the lowest I've seen so far, but I know LIC do a range of short gestation length bulls so might give them a ring before I buy anything

Don't bother with LIC Herefords, their pretty poor calves, as they have dairy bulls in their breeding, mostly used for Bobby calf market , we've used Netherhall bulls and got on with them well, @Beef farmer uses their bulls as sweepers.

 

[Rossymons]

Looking to buy netherall matty (hereford) from cogent this year he's at 275 gestation length which is the lowest I've seen so far, but I know LIC do a range of short gestation length bulls so might give them a ring before I buy anything

If its Netherall breeding you'll end up with some quality calves as well, not the Bobby's that the LIC straws will throw.

 

[Jdunn55]

I wouldn’t bother, the ones I had were slightly early big sods.

How big? Enough to cause problems or just on the slightly larger side? I would only be using him on cows and not heifers but obviously don't want wrecked cows thanks

 

[Wee Willy]

What have people got in their tanks for use late on in the service window. I.e. short gestation high fertility?

If you're looking conception,hard to beat Cogent triple mix BB. You only have to show them the straw and they'll be springing.