AI for beginners

Cheryl aka JM · #1 07/17/10, 08:28 PM

Well~ I wasn't sure how to go about getting my girls AIed if I wanted to go that route~ but I'm finally starting to get some progress here and I thought I'd just go ahead and tell y'all about it~ so those that already know can help me out and those that don't can learn with me.

So~ An AI tech was recomended to me by another board member. I called the number I was given and got an answering machine....that sounded like a home not a business. So I left a somewhat vague message to the effect that I was looking for and AI tech and if they knew what I was talking about to please call back and if not...well then I was real sorry about the wrong number. I didn't get a call back.

I called my vet and he had a name and number for me right away. Called him and he was READY to work with me. The AI tech is concerned about our recent heat keeping my heifers from settling so we are going to do the insemination between 4 and 6am on the 29th and then I will put them in a shaded pasture for a couple days. Now this sounds simple~ but there is a bunch of preparation that needs to be done at very specific times that I was unaware of. So~ for others that don't know...

A week and a half before the insemination on July 19th between 4pm and 10pm I need to bring the girls up and give them both a 2cc shot of "GNRH" and insert a "Seeder". A "Seeder" appears to be something like a giant cow tampon filled with hormones (so no one should be touching it without gloves...especially us ladies) and according the instructions I was given it is inserted pretty much the same way too~ and it is important to make sure the string is hanging out for the removal in a week.

3 days before the insemination on July 26th at 10pm I remove the "Seeder" (pull that string) and give a 5cc shot of "Prostaglandin" (this is the "Lute" most of us have heard of~ and again with the warnings about being careful handling it)

Then on July 29th between 4am to 6am the AI tech will do the actual insemination and MAY give them both another 2cc shot of "GNRH" depending on how their heat cycle looks to him at that time.

The known costs so far are~ $22 per heifer in the medications and seeders. Will be $1 a mile for the tech to come to my home (about 20 miles) and $5 each heifer for the actual insemination. Will also have to pay for the semen we choose~ I don't know how much that will be yet. Depends on what bull we pick. Apparently he is mailing me something with information on that~ but the bull he is recommending for my dairy cross heifers is a low birth weight, heavy fleshing black Angus.

Okay~ so thats all I've got so far. I'll let everyone know how it goes after each step. Next is the seeders this Monday...I'm a bit worried the girls are not going to appreciate that!

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 07/17/10, 08:44 PM

Yay!! With seeders and all the bells and whistles and everything.
Here's hoping it takes!

willow_girl · #3 07/17/10, 08:55 PM

Sounds like you have a plan!

BTW, that "seeder" is a CIDR. It delivers supplemental progesterone. When it's removed, the subsequent drop in progesterone makes the cow come into heat. Neat, huh?

BTW, the manufacturer recommends giving the Lutalyse (Lute) shot 1 day prior to the removal of the CIDR. Might want to double-check with your AI tech and see if he feels there is an advantage to giving them the shot a little earlier.

Good luck and I hope you get 'em bred! This hot weather sure isn't helping any but maybe we'll have a cool spell by then.

cathleenc · #4 07/18/10, 08:26 AM

hey, glad to see you have a plan! and yes, it does sound pretty technical and I bet you are able to pull it off just perfectly. Please let us know the good news in a month or two - okay?

Cheryl aka JM · #5 07/18/10, 08:42 AM

Thanks!

Willow Girl~ I forgot to mention in the original post that he wants me to remove the seeder and give the shots at 10PM on the 26th. It's going to be a real adventure to as we don't have a proper barn with electricity. Gonna do it tied to the trailer with flashlights! He is counting hours to when he wants to do the insemination so I'm sure he does not want to give the lute before 10pm on the 26th, but I can ask if he wants me to remove the seeder later.

Riverdale · #6 07/18/10, 09:07 AM

Must have beed out of the loop for a while about 'seeders'.

I did AI for our dairy farm and other local farmers way back when in the late '70's and most of the '80's.

Charged $7.50/ head and $.25/mile and the farmer provided the semen.

Sounds like you got a decent price.

btw, I worked out of my home for AI, and my answering machine did not advertise I did AI, just like it soounds this person does, nothing weird about that.

Cheryl aka JM · #7 07/20/10, 02:03 PM

Did the seeders and the first shots last night. Not nearly as much trouble as I feared. We cross tied the girls to the back of a trailer, my son fed them cracked corn while my other son leaned into the girl to keep her backend reasonably still and I did the shot and the seeder. A little struggling, but not bad...the corn was definitely more interesting to them than whatever I was doing to the backend of the cow!

cathleenc · #8 07/20/10, 07:01 PM

Cheryl, this sounds so more reasonable than biting your fingernails watching the big bull across the road!

Cheryl aka JM · #9 07/28/10, 08:17 PM

Okay~ at 10pm on the 26th I pulled the seeders and gave the lute shot. The AI tech is supposed to be here at 5am tomorrow morning. He called today to confirm and to ask if the girls were acting normally. At that time they were~ he said to call him if that changed. So at 8pm tonight I collected them to put in the round pen so they would be easy to put our hands on at 5am tomorrow. Bessie is still acting like her normal sweet self. Bossie however....is definitely different now! Usually she is kind of hard to grab hold of~ and only marginally cooperative once you lure her in close with a cookie and grab her halter. Tonight she came right to me~ followed me in without any attitude about the horses being around her~ BELLOWED at me every other step all the way across the pasture~ and immediately attempted to mount Bessie when she got into the round pen. So I'm not sure if she should be this different 9 hours before we are planning to do the actual insemination.....but those drugs have definitely gotten her attention!

**gone-a-milkin** · #10 07/28/10, 10:35 PM

Whee, their first time!

<crosses fingers>
Here is hoping it takes!!

Cheryl aka JM · #11 07/29/10, 02:56 PM

Okay~ both girls were very good sports this morning. But he doesn't think Bessie responded and actually came into heat. He gave them both another GNRH shot this morning, but Bessie still isn't bellowing like Bossy was. We bred them both to a Black Angus bull:
Connealy Danny 5398, 7AN272 15150630, Adds width and Thickness in a moderate Frame, Daughters Excel for Udder Quality, Depth and Volume, Outcross Genetics for Low Birth Weight and Solid Growth

We put them in the lower shaded pasture to keep them cooler, and we did get a little rain today.

We'll see if it takes. I'm not really sure how to tell if it did....Do I have to draw blood to test a cow or do they make an EPT for cattle? I probably should have asked the man this morning but we got to talking about forage and pasture management....and I forgot to ask!

mamahen · #12 07/29/10, 03:22 PM

They do have a blood test for cows. The same company that tests goats. I can't remember the name of the company. Maybe try the goat forum?

And congrats, I hope you have 2 healthy mommas and babies.

genebo · #13 07/29/10, 04:33 PM

http://www.biotracking.com/

They make the BioPRYN pregnancy test for cattle.

Your vet can probably take care of it for you.

If you can draw blood, you can order a test kit and do it yourself. It isn't expensive.

You have to wait a while before doing it.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

Cheryl aka JM · #14 09/11/10, 08:27 AM

well I finally got the blood drawn, and sent in for pregnancy tests at biotracking.

Both are open.

So that was a big old waste of time and money and all I have to show for it is some bruises.

I called my hay guy last night. Next week he is going to come pick up my heifers and take them to his bull for some good old fashioned natural insemination. He is also going to sell me a bull calf off his pretty reasonably tempered bull for me to raise and use next year.

**gone-a-milkin** · #15 09/11/10, 08:29 AM

Bah. Well, better luck this next time.

willow_girl · #16 09/11/10, 08:59 AM

Aww! Sometimes it happens that way. It's been awfully hot, and that really wreaks havoc with the conception rate. You're not alone, trust me on this! I doubt there will be a calf born on the dairy where I work during the month of May 2010.

Callieslamb · #17 09/11/10, 09:47 PM

Sorry....experience is difficult at times. Hope the bull works out.

navygirl · #18 09/12/10, 10:47 PM

It is possible also to forego all the hormone work, etc. Both my heifers got AI'd on natural heat and both took. One of them took the first time and the other took the second time. The key for us was to get them within 24 hours or so of their exhibited heat. We focused on standing heat. And I'm sure I also had very accomplished AI techs out there. Different folks both times, but they sure knew what they were doing.
We now have a cute little calf out in the field (I originally thought it was a heifer, but am not so sure these days.... giving away my newbie status here... big time, lol).
Our next calf is due in Dec.