GenChoice Genex Sexed Semen

[drl]

Has anyone on here used Genex Sexed semen? I was looking at BC Lookout for heifers and a friend told me they had sexed semen on him and it is a reasonable price. What was your conception/pregnancy rates with it? Was it the same size straws or do you need a different AI gun and sleeves for it?

 

[Bulldaddy]

I have not used it yet but I beleive it is packaged in 1/4cc straws and you need a different gun than you would use for a 1/2 cc straw. 

 

[forcheyhawk]

There's a tremendous write up on this in the Simmental Register March 2010 issue.  Supposedly, the conception rate is expected at 85% of what you would normally expect AI.  Thus, if you generally get 65% conception rate when AIing then you could expect 55% with sexed semen.  Again that is directly from the Simmental Register.  I don't think they have the current issue online yet, but I would highly recommend reading it when you get a chance.

 

[husker1]

Sexed semen has not worked super well for us.....

BMR explorer...

 

[Bawndoh]

You are right about this.  You would generally expect a conception rate of 85% of what you normally get.  Some people have not seen much of a difference, however, and seem to get a regular conception rate.  You must handle this semen VERY carefully, store it on the bottom of your goblets only, and have a pro AI your cattle for you.  It is not reccomended in timed AI programs, or for flushing.  These are reccomendations, but not rules, just make note of them I guess.  Genex actually has 75% and 90% sexed semen.  The 75 of coarse was developed with the commercial cattleman in mind.

 

[WRS]

We used In Dew Time sexed semen from Genex with relatively good success on a flush...11 freezable embryos (and all resulting calves so far have been heifers).  I think it has alot to do with each individual bull's semen quality if you will be happy with the results or not.  Last spring we used 13 units of Built Right sexed semen from Accelerated Genetics and had a busted flush (17 beautiful eggs....just none of them fertilized) and 1 for 5 females stick with AI....and the one resulting pregnancy was a bull! Just an FYI, our conception rate usually runs between 85-90% on first service AI so these results were far inferior to the reported 85% of expected conception rate.

Use 2 mil. concentration sexed semen with caution and make sure you confirm that people have had success with the specific bull that you are interested in before using.

 

[kanshow]

Kristi,  How many units did you use on your flush?  I was told you need to use almost 2x on a flush.   

I'm not convinced on using sexed semen ..  if it drops your AI % by 15% and then most are only guaranteed 90 - 95% heifers...  How does that figure up cost wise??    Of course, I should remind myself that I am the one who got 2 heifers out of 50 or so AI calves in 2009. 

Now that I think about it..I wonder if some bulls just normally have more heifers or bulls.    We bred a set heifers to In Dew Time  last spring and most of the resulting calves have been heifers - I think we got maybe 2 bulls out of 20 or so.   

 

[WRS]

We used 6 on the flush with the B.R. semen... the same amount as the In Dew Time flush.  We had the embryologist open a straw and look at the B.R. semen and he said it was alive but had very poor motility.