Artificial Insemination goats

[kannm]

Hi,

I am interested in AI as it seems like an exciting way to improve herds.

Is anyone here doing AI? Do you know if there are any classes to learn how to do it?

What do you think about AI?

 

[abluechipstock]

i haven't done it but i know a lot of dairy breeders do, i'd check with the ADGA and read about it there, it would be good to get other bloodlines from different parts of the country, also helps with biosecurity of the herd

 

[Smoky73]

Lord, my husband freaks out when I do the chicken, he would nearly have a heart attack if I wanted to do the goats as well!!

 

[kannm]

Quote:
What do you mean by 'do'? Do you actually artificially inseminate your chickens or do you mean that if you wanted to AI breed your goats?

 

[gaited horse]

has anyone ever A.Ied a pig

 

[kitchwitch]

What all do you need to get into AI?
As a person who will NOT be collecting I mean. I was actually looking this up this morning and the prices seemed decent enough until I saw the nitro canisters and nearly fainted.

 

[ksacres]

Equipment:

Tank: $400 (for a good used tank, can be upwards of $800 new)
Vapor Shipper: $800 (if you plan to be transporting your own, this canister can be mailed)
AI Kit: $140 (give or take for a new kit, includes gun, speculum, sheaths, thaw jar, light, etc)
Stand: $200 (if you don't already milk on a stand)
Semen: 5/$125 (is about the average price of semen + shipping/vapor rental~if you don't have your own~)
Nitrogen: $40+/- every three month for a fill
Helper w/ experience: priceless

Sounds expensive, but when you figure the purchase cost of the bucks themselves (in some cases upwards of $2,000), feed and labor costs for his upkeep, and the fact that you can only use 1 buck so many times (if you like and keep his daughters), AI can be a reasonable thing to get into.

I have the tank, I've been slowly acquiring semen. This fall will I will be attempting the actual AI process. I have a friend that has tried several times and hasn't gotten it right yet. But I also know of quite a few herds that have great success with it. It's one of those things that's a pain in the ### until you get it right, then it seems to get a lot easier.

 

[EweSheep]

I used to learn in pre vet classes about AI in horses and it was an experience that never left me.

I agree with KAcres, its expensive but the biosecurity and rare bloodlines may be the thing to do if you want the best of best in goats.

 

[kannm]

ksacres - WOW. That is expensive, but could be worth it for the reasons EweSheep brings up.

Please post about your experiences. I am very interested in learning more about AI but do not know anyone who is doing it.


I have read that people will go in together on the equipment so that it is a lot cheaper. Maybe, as more people get interested in AI, people will be willing to house the equipment and sell storage space for others.

 

[Teach97]

Hogs are about the easiest of the animals to AI...guilts can be a little tricky but with work and practice is not bad. You don't freeze hog semen it comes fresh and must be used fairly fast as it goes bad...volume is the key with swine.

While I have never done goats, the folks I know that have done it have not had great success. I have heard about 30-40% conception rates. I ran 90% on guilts and 75% or so on junk sows (aborts and mutliple inseminations)...usually about 90% on weaned sows...dairy goats are probably different but the folks I have heard doing boer type goats are getting those low numbers...plus the straws for those animals are fairly high from what I have heard...$100 was the very low end.

The problems I have heard come from the timing of the estrus...apparently goats can be fairly finiky breeders. Also you must remember that a male goat has a special appendage that really spreads stuff around and may impact conception rates. Just a thought from a physiology standpoint.

Those are my thoughts..take it or leave it! Cattle are fairly easy. Just don't practice with brahma type cattle...those old gals get a cervix that seems two miles long and thick!