AI Breeding

[dbarjacres]

We recently started our herd of Dexters with purchasing one 3 yo cow with calf and two heifers, one is currently 18 mos and the other 14 mos.

I had intended on doing AI, I don't really want to keep a bull. We live in central WI so lots of AI techs around. However, I don't own my own tank for semen. I would do planned cycling on the three girls to have all three cycle at the same time for breeding ease.

Just wondering if this is the right way to go or see if I can buy a bull.

Thanks

[commonsense]

I rent space in my vet's semen tank; he is also the one who does the AI, and he picks up my straws for me too, so it's a great arrangement. All that said, we did raise a bull (from an AI sire) and have been using him to breed our cows. I also used to sync up 3-4 cows at a time for AI breeding, and once in a very great while, all of them would take. Typically, the success rate was 50-75% or so.

[G. Seddon]

If you don't want to keep a bull, then AI is the way to go, but you will need a very competent AI person. I've found that Dexters respond a bit differently to the CIDR routine but perhaps an experienced AI person can get you through this, store the semen, and do the planned breeding routine for you. Please post your results, will you?

[K-9]

At least for the time being, AI would be the way to go, because with only 3 heifers, you are increasing your costs at least 25% to accomplish something that can be done much cheaper, plus with AI you can get superior semen without paying the price for a superior bull. Now in the future if you plan on growing your herd then a bull becomes more economically viable because it cost to the operation is a smaller percentage of total herd cost and with the increased number of heifers, the cost of AI increases to where eventually the lines cross and it is cheaper to keep a bull, but get a superior bull with the characteristics you are looking for in your herd, too many people just buy a bull without considering that. Hope your calving goes well.