Sexed semen

[TheRanger]

Surely you will need more straws @ a lower conception rate ,or have I misread it ?

with sexed you're getting 90% replacement heifer calves per pregnancy, with conventional you're getting 50% replacement heifer calves per pregnancy

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Surely you will need more straws @ a lower conception rate ,or have I misread it ?

Probably a couple, was only a quick calculation to show the difference as I see it as I said.
Sexed is 90% hfrs in a bad year in my experience though. Massive difference between that and conventional.

I used to buy near 200 straws of conventional semen.
I'm down to 80 straws of sexed this year. My calculations based on a rolling 3yr in calve rate says I should only need 65 straws.
Then the beef sales coming out the other end really add up.

Was curious as to why someone else thought it was a more marginal call than me. Reread the post and still not sure on it.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

with sexed you're getting 90% replacement heifer calves per pregnancy, with conventional you're getting 50% replacement heifer calves per pregnancy

☝This, I should have clicked on the next page before replying

 

[mixed farm]

Probably a couple, was only a quick calculation to show the difference as I see it as I said
Sexed is 90% hfrs in a bad year in my experience though. Massive difference between that and conventional.

I used to buy near 200 straws of conventional semen.
I'm down to 80 straws of sexed this year. My calculations based on a rolling 3yr in calve rate says I should only need 65 straws.
Then the beef sales coming out the other end really add up.

Was curious as to why someone else thought it was a more marginal call than me. Reread the post and stick not sure on it.

I was taking into account the delayed pregnancies due to 20% less conception. If conception difference is 10% or less as you say then sexed does make more sense.

 

[mixed farm]

I do 2 blocks of calving, 6 weeks in the autumn and 12 in the spring. Insemination for autumn and insemination for 3 weeks in spring then beef bull. The way I look at it is the only time where a missed heat isn't much of an issue and worth the "risk/perceived risk" of sexed is the 1st 3 weeks of autumn, where you can catch them again or the 1st 10 days of spring where if they repeat it's still calving by Feb 20th.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

I say it often but looking at a kpi in isolation is tricky.

For example, Say you milk 200 cows and using my example earlier.
Now I come and sit in your kitchen and pass you an envelope with £26,000 in it and I say you can have this but you've got to serve 4 cows 21 days later than you would like.

Would you take the envelope?
It's the same thing.

 

[mixed farm]

I say it often but looking at a kpi in isolation is tricky.

For example, Say you milk 200 cows and using my example earlier.
Now I come and sit in your kitchen and pass you an envelope with £26,000 in it and I say you can have this but you've got to serve 4 cows 21 days later than you would like.

Would you take the envelope?
It's the same thing.

Where do I sign and when will you post the envelope??!!

 

[Beef farmer]

I say it often but looking at a kpi in isolation is tricky.

For example, Say you milk 200 cows and using my example earlier.
Now I come and sit in your kitchen and pass you an envelope with £26,000 in it and I say you can have this but you've got to serve 4 cows 21 days later than you would like.

Would you take the envelope?
It's the same thing.

Id give you the fecking 4 cows

 

[som farmer]

I say it often but looking at a kpi in isolation is tricky.

For example, Say you milk 200 cows and using my example earlier.
Now I come and sit in your kitchen and pass you an envelope with £26,000 in it and I say you can have this but you've got to serve 4 cows 21 days later than you would like.

Would you take the envelope?
It's the same thing.

simple, when put like that.

 

[Dave79]

Buffalo missed out 20 to 25 beef calves on his conventional example. Makes a difference. The gap is 2-3k per 100 cows and 5% more empties after 1 service with sexed. Still enough to do it, and it’s the way I’m working now, though I’m at about 55% conception to sexed.

 

[som farmer]

we are debating, sexed and beef, or all beef, young v old, i think we should rear some, the other, a flying herd.

 

[I thats it]

Interesting read, I find much greater difference in conception rates between good and bad practice in timing and handling around service, but presume that's spot on and I find huge differences between bulls used.
I won't use the quantities you guys use but find some bulls are excellent, currently using a sexed bull it's 4m from cogent and I've 11 confirmed in calf from 14 straws

 

[Wee Willy]

Interesting read, I find much greater difference in conception rates between good and bad practice in timing and handling around service, but presume that's spot on and I find huge differences between bulls used.
I won't use the quantities you guys use but find some bulls are excellent, currently using a sexed bull it's 4m from cogent and I've 11 confirmed in calf from 14 straws

No harm naming the bull if he’s working well???

 

[I thats it]

No harm naming the bull if he’s working well???

I'd get shot down on this forum, it's a dairy shorthorn! Think I'm they're only fan on here

 

[vantage]

I'd get shot down on this forum, it's a dairy shorthorn! Think I'm they're only fan on here

One of my milkers milks 700 of them on a rotary so you’re not the only fan!

 

[Rossymons]

I'd get shot down on this forum, it's a dairy shorthorn! Think I'm they're only fan on here

One of my best farms is milking some shorthorns. Lovely cattle.

 

[Spudley]

I love shorthorns, they're tough cows.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Crossbreds or pure?

 

[I thats it]

Crossbreds or pure?

They're ain't many pure ones about, but they've closed the herd book so I guess now over time The type will become more uniform.
When picking bulls I just look at the females in his pedigree and if they're regular breeders around 7000litres and decent solid then ill use them

 

[farmer JD]

I'd get shot down on this forum, it's a dairy shorthorn! Think I'm they're only fan on here

Shorthorn are hardy decent cows