DIY ai kit

[dannewhouse]

Any good offers on for a starter setup, and what am I looking at for a refill contract?
Plastic storage box, tank, thaw (not bothered if just a thermos) ai gun sheaths gloves etc.

 

[TheRanger]

Interested to know the same

 

[dannewhouse]

Also be handy to know good semen suppliers, probably get tank filled by them, will they drop the delivery charge if they're comeing to gas tank up anyways?

 

[Ballygreenan]

I think JFC sell storage boxes, Nitrogen tank is around £400, Nitrogen refill about £140 per year, digital thaw unit £160 (essential if using sexed semen) universal pistol about £40.

 

[dairyrow]

You should get a discount on the flask if you buy the semen off them. Cogent are the cheap for top ups. They also give you free comsumables for ai. Also got a free digital thawer and universal pistol last year off them. But that might be dependant how much you buy.

 

[upnortheast]

Also be handy to know good semen suppliers

All depends on what sort of cow you want to breed. or is the priority just to get the cow in calf ?

 

[dannewhouse]

2 jobs.
Dairy farm currently letting genus ai with sexed semen + blues for beef. Currently Norwegian red onto Holstein Friesian.
At home
Breed better limousin and blue than my bulls

 

[Bald Rick]

You should get a discount on the flask if you buy the semen off them. Cogent are the cheap for top ups. They also give you free comsumables for ai. Also got a free digital thawer and universal pistol last year off them. But that might be dependant how much you buy.

Think a lot depends on amounts of semen you buy as you noted. Plus having a good relationship with your semen rep

 

[thewalrus]

I think JFC sell storage boxes, Nitrogen tank is around £400, Nitrogen refill about £140 per year, digital thaw unit £160 (essential if using sexed semen) universal pistol about £40.

The bit about the digital thaw unit bring essential- just out of interest why would you say it’s essentially for sexed semen.

 

[Ballygreenan]

The bit about the digital thaw unit bring essential- just out of interest why would you say it’s essentially for sexed semen.

To maintain a regular temperature at 37degrees C which is the recommended temperature for sexed.

 

[dairyrow]

Plus there's a timer on it. Saves counting your head

 

[Whitepeak]

I've just priced up flask top ups. Semex was by far the cheapest, and didn't require you to buy semen off them. However they only top up every 12weeks (3mths) whereas cogent, genus etc was every 8wks, that's fine for block calving sucklers but if an AYR dairy herd you might want more often. Also Cogent, Genus etc required you to order semen off them (atleast a grands worth in some cases!).
A friend however has used the local genus technician for years, and gives them a few quid every so often to 'lose' some nitrogen when they come to serve a cow

 

[thewalrus]

Plus there's a timer on it. Saves counting your head

I use the timer on my phone!

 

[thewalrus]

How much semen do you need to be buying before they throw in the flask top ups as part of the deal?

is it too much to expect gloves and sheeths to be delivered with straws at no extra cost?

 

[Sid]

No such thing as a free lunch.

 

[Rossymons]

LN isn't cheap and most companies just charge the cost of getting it into the flask. Theres no profit made on it.

Consumables are always a funny one. Do you really need a box of gloves, sheaths and lube with every order of 20 beef straws? Some farms are stocked for an AI apocalypse!

Do a decent order and you've got more weight to throw around.

 

[Rossymons]

One other thing - if you do a deal for a whole kit then demand a free pack of multi colored polos for your guns. Most kits come with all yellow polos which if you're serving 2 cows with 2 different bulls is a waste of time.

 

[Pipper]

One other thing - if you do a deal for a whole kit then demand a free pack of multi colored polos for your guns. Most kits come with all yellow polos which if you're serving 2 cows with 2 different bulls is a waste of time.

Colour the end of the plunger?
Sometimes guns come with the same colour polo from the manufacturer...

 

[Rossymons]

Colour the end of the plunger?
Sometimes guns come with the same colour polo from the manufacturer...

If they can source the kit to sell to you in the first place I'm sure they can source the different colour polos as well. It really makes a massive difference.

 

[thewalrus]

LN isn't cheap and most companies just charge the cost of getting it into the flask. Theres no profit made on it.

Consumables are always a funny one. Do you really need a box of gloves, sheaths and lube with every order of 20 beef straws? Some farms are stocked for an AI apocalypse!

Do a decent order and you've got more weight to throw around.

start of the breeding season order 80 straws from company a 80 from company b.

company a deliver 80 straws a pack of 100 gloves 2x50 sheeths
Company b delivered 80 straws and 50 sheaths.

that can’t be right.

plus I need extra gloves to keep round to calving time in case I need to help with a calving etc!