Heifer plus and bull plus

Help Support Steer Planet:

BCCC

BCCC

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
2,087
Location
Hillsboro, TX
We have had a few discussions on the heifer plus. I was wondering about the bull plus has any one tried it?
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
I used the heifer plus this year.  The semen handling really isn't that difficult, although I messed up the first straw I tried so if I were u I wouldn't use really expensive semen the first time.  Everything stuck the first time I bred them with it and am awaiting the results right now.  Alot of people told me I wasted my money...but I guess it's mine to waste! ;D  I'll post when I start having the heifer plus calves what my results are. 
 
zak

zak

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
582
Could kind of explain the process in your veiw. For example do you have to have an AI gun to shot the semen in the capsule? And do you need a special gun to put the semen from the capsule into the cow? Is it risky that the semen may die will putting it into the capsule? I have alot of questions about this because I will be using some expensive semen? Also when are your cows due to calve that have the heifer plus?


Zak
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
You don't use the gun to get the semen into the vial.  You cut the straw and then insert the open end into the vial.  You fluidly(don't know if this the right word) shake as if you were trying to get the air to the top of the straw when you AI normally.  let it soak into the solution and then fluidly shake it back into the straw.  It actually works well.  Then you use the AI straw like you normally would.  

We will be calving from January to the end of March.
 
zak

zak

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
582
Thoose straws are very skinny. How do you get the semen from the capsule back into the straw. Also is it risky transfer the semen around like this? Also do you thaw the semen first before you put it in the capsule?


Zak
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
Glenstory said:
http://www.advantagecattle.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3192&SearchTerms=heiferplus

http://www.advantagecattle.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2988&SearchTerms=heifer+plus

If it didn't work my angst would not be for the loss of semen or product, but the lost estrus cycle.  Without convincing research, I would not even consider this for valuable semen.
Click to expand...

Like I said before, everything stuck the first time that I used this product.  This was on eight cows.  So out of eight cows the grand total of missed estrus cycles came to zero.
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
zak said:
Thoose straws are very skinny. How do you get the semen from the capsule back into the straw. Also is it risky transfer the semen around like this? Also do you thaw the semen first before you put it in the capsule?


Zak
Click to expand...

I had the exact same concerns as you do.  Believe me when I say it just goes back into the straw.  Follow the directions.  My mom called the company that makes this and they explained the directions step by step.  I will tell you that you will be nervous every time you go through the process but everything just stuck.
 
ploughshare

ploughshare

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
589
That is good news Cattledog.  Not to be a naysayer because I would love to have a proven reliable product like this but I guess I am not willing to take the risk just yet. 
 
jbw

jbw

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
519
I have some of the Hplus and Bplus left, YOU CAN HAVE IT!!!  It did not effect the conception, It also did not work!!  I said it was my money to waste, and that I did.  I hoped it would work and it did not, the BullPlus was an even 50/50 split. My advice is buy sexed semen or hope fr the best. Good Luck!! 
 
drl

drl

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
265
You can say I wasted my money but here was my luck with it. We used about 80 doses of the stuff last summer and my results were as followed. We got about 9% more the sex we wanted than average (59%). I used both heifer and bull plus. It did not affect conception rates on my normal AI or we did use it with flushing on three cows and we did not have very many unfertilized eggs. The biggest thing it was a pain in the butt time wise since you had to really plan ahead working the cows in the chute in which order you prepared the semen since it has to incubate 15-20 minutes.
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
drl said:
You can say I wasted my money but here was my luck with it. We used about 80 doses of the stuff last summer and my results were as followed. We got about 9% more the sex we wanted than average (59%). I used both heifer and bull plus. It did not affect conception rates on my normal AI or we did use it with flushing on three cows and we did not have very many unfertilized eggs. The biggest thing it was a pain in the butt time wise since you had to really plan ahead working the cows in the chute in which order you prepared the semen since it has to incubate 15-20 minutes.
Click to expand...

If I can get 10% more heifers that will easily pay for the product.  Are you using it again this year?
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
I did try it and am still waiting the results.  Conception and fertilization was the same.
 
jbw

jbw

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
519
You can't predict results 0f 9% on 8 hd.  But if  good luck, I hope it works for you!
 
Cattledog

Cattledog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
1,116
jbw said:
You can't predict results 0f 9% on 8 hd.  But if  good luck, I hope it works for you!
Click to expand...

Well, I have a friend who used it on 30 head as well.  Would that be a big enough group for ya?
 
WFCC

WFCC

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
456
Location
Michigan
it specifically says it will increase your chance of having a heifer by 20-25 percent. there is still 25% chance you wont get a heifer.  there is no 100 % guarantee.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top