How is bull semen collected ?

GreatOaktree

I am a rare breed enthusiast. Currently there is no semen for the breeds I am trying to breed. My only option is to borrow a bull or take my cows to the bull which means transporting my cow to the bull. My herd is too small as of yet to purchase a bull and anyway I want diversity rather than a single bull. I understand that there is a rigorous testing regime for bulls before they are selected for AI purposes. However I want to collect and store a number of samples out of fear that if a herd goes down with TB we will loose the genetics. At present the Droimeann only has 25 pedigree cows and over 200 with 50% or better. Another breed, the stripped cow, has less than 10 cows and one known bull.

As far as I know I can purchase a storage bottle for a few hundred squid. It will have to be filled 3 times a year with liquid nitrogen which costs 30squid a go.

How do I go about collecting the semen ? Can I pay someone to do it ?

I will be using a professional to do the insemination but could I collect the semen myself ?

Never wrestle with pigs

The good old fashion way, ha.

These lads will collect bull semen they do embryos, flush cowsand will store them also. Very nice lads that are very good at what they do.

http://www.dunmascgenetics.ie/about-biogene-bovine-genetics/

patsy_mccabe

Could you tell us a bit about the stripped breed? Is it an Irish breed?

GreatOaktree

The Bó riabhacht or stripped cow is a native Irish breed. They are a light reddish/brown with black stripes like a tiger. Brindle would be a good description. Their numbers are to small to save but I plan on breeding as much of them as possible. Sadly only about 4 herds survive of small numbers with mixed breeding. A few dedicated breeders have single handedly kept the breed alive. I am an archaeologist and for me it is all about the heritage. The gene that gives them their stripes could be a valuable source of information regarding the history of farming in Ireland.

Mooooo

GreatOaktree wrote: »

I am a rare breed enthusiast. Currently there is no semen for the breeds I am trying to breed. My only option is to borrow a bull or take my cows to the bull which means transporting my cow to the bull. My herd is too small as of yet to purchase a bull and anyway I want diversity rather than a single bull. I understand that there is a rigorous testing regime for bulls before they are selected for AI purposes. However I want to collect and store a number of samples out of fear that if a herd goes down with TB we will loose the genetics. At present the Droimeann only has 25 pedigree cows and over 200 with 50% or better. Another breed, the stripped cow, has less than 10 cows and one known bull.

As far as I know I can purchase a storage bottle for a few hundred squid. It will have to be filled 3 times a year with liquid nitrogen which costs 30squid a go.

How do I go about collecting the semen ? Can I pay someone to do it ?

I will be using a professional to do the insemination but could I collect the semen myself ?

If you are buying a flask and given the rarity of the bulls you'll be using do NOT buy a second hand flask. Buy new and even if there is nothing in it keep the liquid N in it as if the flask has been let run dry the inner flask will expand and once it contracts again with liquid N put in again it may crack and your semen will be no good. Bought a second hand one here got 2 years out of it and had to replace it. Was lucky I noticed it emptying faster than normal so didn't lose straws but have heard stories of a few grand worth of straws lost

Rainman16

MOD SNIP. Don't post that sort of stuff here. Thanks.

jus_tin4

Could you tell me the location of the stripped cow? from goolge images its a gorgeous looking animal. well worth a look at imo

kollegeknight

Interesting. Is the gene pool not very narrow now? Fair play to you.

bogman_bass

If you collect on farm you can only use that semen on the farm of collection

carrollsno1

Very interesting would you have any pictures of thes droimeanns and bo riabhacht

Sam Kade

GreatOaktree wrote: »

I am a rare breed enthusiast. Currently there is no semen for the breeds I am trying to breed. My only option is to borrow a bull or take my cows to the bull which means transporting my cow to the bull. My herd is too small as of yet to purchase a bull and anyway I want diversity rather than a single bull. I understand that there is a rigorous testing regime for bulls before they are selected for AI purposes. However I want to collect and store a number of samples out of fear that if a herd goes down with TB we will loose the genetics. At present the Droimeann only has 25 pedigree cows and over 200 with 50% or better. Another breed, the stripped cow, has less than 10 cows and one known bull.

As far as I know I can purchase a storage bottle for a few hundred squid. It will have to be filled 3 times a year with liquid nitrogen which costs 30squid a go.

How do I go about collecting the semen ? Can I pay someone to do it ?

I will be using a professional to do the insemination but could I collect the semen myself ?

The mechanical cow

http://verycoolpics.tumblr.com/post/100206565755/collecting-bull-semen-not-my-dream-job

pedigree 6

I've heard tell of the droimeann cattle before but I never heard of the Bò Rìabhocht before. It was a new one on me.

http://www.legacytesting.com/images/Final_Thesis_Write_Up_ALL_A4.pdf

I know out in the US you can get the brindled colour by crossing blue brahams with red Hereford and I've also seen jersey crosses with a brindled colour.
But they would be different genetically.
Interesting I wish you well.

If you are going to this trouble and setting up this herd. Maybe try and put up sheep fencing along your boundaries with electric fence on top. It would be terrible if they got tb from wildlife on the farm. I don't want to put you off, anyway just have good fences.

Edit: I hope you can collect the a.i straws. But do the rare breeders not do a swap scheme amongst themselves with bulls and different bloodlines.

Nekarsulm

And native Normandy Cattle can come a gorgeous brindled colour. They are reputedly descended from the cattle the Vikings brought with them when they invaded northern France.

pedigree 6

Nekarsulm wrote: »

And native Normandy Cattle can come a gorgeous brindled colour. They are reputedly descended from the cattle the Vikings brought with them when they invaded northern France.

The dairy cattle in Iceland come in all colours but they come in a brindled colour too.

bogman_bass

Sam Kade wrote: »

The mechanical cow

http://verycoolpics.tumblr.com/post/100206565755/collecting-bull-semen-not-my-dream-job

The mechanical cow is a joke of a yoke. None of the studs in Ireland use them any more.
Teaser bull tied up and a lad with an AV in his hand

kowtow

bogman_bass wrote:

If you collect on farm you can only use that semen on the farm of collection

As an industry we should change that. We should get our expensive lobbying organisations to negotiate a dispensation for rare breeds, and while we are at it we should get icbf or the labs or even the straw suppliers themselves to store some of this material free of charge and safely. Frankly they could do a few collections or at least help out by teaching!

The AI industry and the indexing organisation make a tidy leaving from irish farmers and this is our farming heritage so they should step up!

tanko

It can be done in Scotland anyway. On the programme "this farming life" a farmer had semen collected from his Limousin bull on his farm and planned to sell straws.

Sam Kade

bogman_bass wrote: »

The mechanical cow is a joke of a yoke. None of the studs in Ireland use them any more.
Teaser bull tied up and a lad with an AV in his hand

You surely mean teaser cow unless the bull is gay?

J.O. Farmer

Sam Kade wrote: »

You surely mean teaser cow unless the bull is gay?

I believe it's a teaser bull they use in the AI stations. Them lads never see a cow so will jump for near enough anything.

ganmo

Sam Kade wrote: »

You surely mean teaser cow unless the bull is gay?

Definitely bulls. With a teaser cow there's a risk the man might miss with the av and the cow stops being a teaser.

Afaik the reason why on farm collections can only be used on that farm is due to disease transmission risks.

Mooooo

Vet uses a probe to stimulate the bull for fertility testing a sample

bogman_bass

Sam Kade wrote: »

bogman_bass wrote: »

The mechanical cow is a joke of a yoke. None of the studs in Ireland use them any more.
Teaser bull tied up and a lad with an AV in his hand

You surely mean teaser cow unless the bull is gay?

If you ever see a shed of Bulls together they will ride anything that stands still.

It's a bit like prison, they'll take whatever loving they can get

ganmo

Mooooo wrote: »

Vet uses a probe to stimulate the bull for fertility testing a sample

he shouldnt