Reliable Semen for Jerseys

[Ernie]

Where do y'all get quality semen for your dairy livestock for AI? I've got a Jersey heifer to be bred next year and I haven't gone through this process before. We'd always let the bull handle the logistics.

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Ernie

Where do y'all get quality semen for your dairy livestock for AI? I've got a Jersey heifer to be bred next year and I haven't gone through this process before. We'd always let the bull handle the logistics.

www.taurus-service.com
www.selectsires.com
www.crinet.com

[Ernie]

Many thanks!

[sammyd]

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/dairy/protein_ss.asp?

[JeffNY]

Dont forget Semex..


http://www.semexusa.com/semex.cgi?la...d=1227404954V1


A good company with quality bulls. The ones who seem to have better bullls is Semex and Select, ABS has some good ones.


Jeff

[sammyd]

I used to like driving by ABS to see what their sign said. Some witty saying.....Haven't been down that way for a while.
In my younger days we used Tri-State and later 21st Century but those have been bought up by others.

[Up North]

All good companies mentioned.
Ernie if you purchase supplies be sure to clarify if they will be shipped as standard or as 1/4 cc straws. Either work, but you need to purchase your breeding gun to match ... for best results .

[Welshmom]

Ernie, if you want to let them handle it, you can talk to the semen company's rep's, and ask about having an AI tech come out and do the job for you. I did this on my beef cattle, as I just had a few to breed, and I didn't have the skills or equipment to do the AI myself. It wasn't cost effective for me to do a class and/or buy a tank for 6 head of cattle.

I couldn't believe how cheap it was! For less than $20, the guy would come out and AI all my cows with whatever semen I had ordered from their company. He was very experienced and really knew what he was doing, so I figured I saved lots of time and $$ by not missing cows, getting it done right the first time, not having to invest in equipment, not getting my arm broke, etc. In order to be most efficient, I did synchro all my cattle so we could breed them all on the same trip out for him. I'm sure gas prices have raised the fees since then, but even if it were $50, it would still seem like a good deal in the long run to me.

[Ernie]

For now I'm going to have to have someone else do it. I've never done it myself and it's been 20 years or more since I watched my dad do it.

Do you think they'd be willing to do this for just one cow? I'm just across the state line from you over in Winnebago county (near Delevan). Even $50 would be a great price.

[Welshmom]

They never asked me how many cows or said there was a minimum. When I did it, I was living about 65 miles north of here, and I was using beef semen, which isn't nearly as common as dairy round these parts. I got some very, very nice calves that year. The ability to have access to such good genetics so quickly and easliy, and to not have to keep a bull around...totally worth it, imo.

Seemed like the tech guys were independant contractors, and they charged by the trip, not by the straw, so I wouldn't see why not. Only way to know would be to call some up and start asking around. A lot of vets will do it, too, but I think they charge their usual trip charge, and with AI, timing is everything. You have a few hours to get your cows bred or wait another month. We all know how busy and backed up vets can get.