Observations on Fall Breeding Season

[chambero]

We just finished AI'ing mature cows this weekend.  We bred 77 head.  Synchronized using GnRH, CIDRs, and Lutalyse.  We didn't get as many showing good heat as I expected, but we had some really nasty weather that may have hampered things.  Cows were in very good condition so that shouldn't have been a problem.  We had about 14 (18%) clearly in heat at 48 hours, about 3/4 of the rest were in heat at 72 hours.  I usually have more at 48 hours.  We cranked 63 through the chute on the second day in about four hours, but we had lots of people helping and a really good tech. 

What are most of you paying for AI services on a large group?  We paid $17 a head this time, which feels pretty steep for about 8 hours work.  We have finally got our facilities the way we want them and can move animals through quietly in a hurry.  It came out to over $200 an hour for him.  He was very good, but that hurt. 

I broke down and bred a bunch to Heat Wave.  Used Golden Child again and tried Jimmy the Greek for the first time.  We'll have some heifers to test next year. 

Also used Rocky Balboa, Tyson, Yellow Jacket, Picasso, and Salute on some. 

Got my first good look at our babies separated off from their mommas.  Golden Child really worked well for us.  We have some good steers and a great looking heifer calf out of him.  My best steers look to be an Almost Famous calf out of a Smithbilt cow and a red Kadabra calf that is going to be good if he stays sound on his front end (he's fine now, but I'm paranoid about Kadabras on their fronts).

We are starting to synchronize 72 head of virgin heifers this weekend.  Most of them will be AI'd to a PB Angus (Sitz Alliance son), but I'll breed a few to Tyson and Rocky Balboa.  We are just time AI'ing them.

 

[CAB]

I'll be about as anxious as you to hear about your Rocky Balboa calves. They could be good, by the pedigree, but he sure looks like a club calf pumpkin in his pic. Hope he works well for you. It will also be interesting to see how the Golden Child semen sales go this year. Shaky reports on his calves. Some very good ones though. I wish that someone could tell me how the Freenclear calves are. I don't know if there are any on the ground yet. He's the Heatwave son of the moment for me bc he's clean. BTW, your #s seemed about right for me. I get $20 to breed, but the last I heard, the ABS rep. for our area gets $6, but that a couple of years ago,& I'm sure that is tied to semen sales of coarse.

 

[OH Breeder]

May I ask what may be a stupid question? You all hire someone to AI for you or do you do it yourself? We are so small, I invested in the stuff myself and went to school. Just wondering.

 

[DLD]

That does seem pretty high on AI expense. I get $20 to do one head at a time, $15 for 2 - 4, $10 for 5 - 10, or $8 a head for 11 or more. If it's more than 10 miles away, I've lately taken to adding $0.50 a mile for fuel. That's if I sell the semen, if I don't I need to get a little more. But $17 a head for a tech that gets really good conception - say 80+ % (which is as much due to your setup work as to the tech) is a whole lot cheaper than one that get's half as much and sticks half as many...

Interesting post Chambero. We used a little Heatwave, Jakes Proud Jazz, Johnny Walker Red, Ankonian Midas and Ali this time. We went back to SS Traveler 6807 T510 on the heifers, he's still the easiest calving one we've found that can leave behind some really good females. The clean up bull (Everclear son) is already out here, still AI'ing on some at my father in law's. Our best set of fall borns at this time are out of the Everclear son anyway. There is a really nice Jazz x Fear This heifer, too. Overall, it's kind of disappointing, this is the shallowest set of fall born steer prospects we've had in many years. Looks like I'm gonna need to buy a few more than usual this time.

 

[chambero]

I can AI myself, but I'm extremely slow.  I just went to school last year. If I tried to do all of ours myself they'd be on their second heat before we finished.  We have all of our own stuff that the tech used.  We furnished everything.

I'll breed our show heifers myself when I catch them on natural heat or the random cow we want to do.

I agree on Rocky Balboa's picture, but I give almost zero credence on a picture (good or bad) of hairy baby bull.  Matt Lautner delivered semen to me and strongly suggested him to me even over the Tyson bull.  He recommended both over Hard Core.  Maybe he was just trying to unload semen, but I doubt it.  I'll know in a year!  We only bred 10 each to Rocky Balboa and Tyson.

I'm hoping a clean black bull shows up soon enough that can compete with the Heat Wave line.  I've tried bucking the trend for a couple of years now and it is costing me $ and good steers.  For all of their faults, the Heat Waves are good for what they are made for.

 

[OH Breeder]

We went back to SS Traveler 6807 T510 on the heifers, he's still the easiest calving one we've found that can leave behind some really good females.

I was wondering why more people don't use him. I had a power planet  x Traveler T510 was a great female. No trouble calving and milked good. I liked the depth of body and calving ease.

 

[ELBEE]

What are most of you paying for AI services on a large group?  We paid $17 a head this time, which feels pretty steep for about 8 hours work.  We have finally got our facilities the way we want them and can move animals through quietly in a hurry.  It came out to over $200 an hour for him.  He was very good, but that hurt. 

I think what you have to take into consideration is your facilities. You've made it possible for a tech to make $200 an hour. Probably this guy (and me) have used facilities where we're lucky if we make $20 per hour. Maybe just ask for a price break. Remind him how nice you facilities are. (Wave a wad of bal'in wire in his face)