Centrifuged Semen

[Liese]

Hi, In the AI post SammyD mentioned centrifuged semen in regards to getting heifer rather than bull calves and when I was asking a friend who has cattle about it she was very curious, never heard of it. Could someone point me in the right direction to research this? Thanks

[travlnusa]

Refering to Sexed Semen.

Your odds of getting the sex you want goes up, but the odds of getting cow bred go down due lower active sperm count in each sexed straw.

[pygmywombat]

Most of the big AI companies now offer sexed semen. It, if I recall correctly, gives a 90% chance of a heifer, but is a lot more expensive, needs a different insemination tool, smaller straws/less sperm, and has a lower conception rate. You should be able to find lots of info by googling sexed semen.

[Liese]

Okay, Sexed Semen! I think I'll do this research at home vs the library computers! LOL

[copesq]

Sexed semen cost me an additional $15.00. I bred a 4 year old heifer and she conceived on the first try. For someone who only has a few cows, it is a worthwhile investment.

[sammyd]

As the technology matures and more people use it the cost goes down.
15 bucks extra a pop to get a heifer is worth it.
Bull calf at auction=50-150 bucks
Heifer calf at auction=400-600 bucks
Making sure you have a replacement=priceless ;-)

[jerzeygurl]

but dont forget that we all like to eat beef now and then

[Liese]

Originally Posted by jerzeygurl

but dont forget that we all like to eat beef now and then

Well...actually no, not all.

[Liese]

Thanks everyone for the info, for those using sexed semen do you find that you have to use specific co.'s now or is it more widely available than it was on '02 (most the info I saw was dated about then). I will call my ext. agent tomorrow to see who is doing AI in my area.