splitting semen straws

[worthabit]

have any of you had much luck doing this? Wondered about doing this when we have two cows in heat at the same time. Thanks.

 

[kfacres]

Why not just use 2 straws and have a better chance of settling them?  I have heard of people trying to do that, with not much luck. 

 

[worthabit]

Yeah, just trying to cut costs!  Some people around here have had good luck doing this.

 

[Jacob B]

I have heard of it being done with some success during flushes, not with everyday breeding.  don't see why it wouldn't work the same I guess.

 

[tadpole]

I have a friend that runs a dairy and he does this sometimes when he is using real expensive seman.  I know the one time he bred the cow he was flushing with half a straw and used the other half on one of his better cows that was in heat that day.  The flush went ok and he settled the other cow.

 

[midway6376]

One of the guys in my area raised replacement heifers for dairy people and I think he would split one straw into 4 heifers and most of the time get 3 of them bred. But I also heard that dairy cows are very different than beef cows

 

[xxcc]

i don't know about you, but i'd make a block for the AI gun that would be like a piece from the barrel of a ball point pen, that way you put equal amounts into each cow.

 

[worthabit]

thanks for the comments.