|
Post by karenp on Mar 5, 2014 6:23:59 GMT -5
After looking into several options for getting Joy bred, the best one seems to be learn to do it myself. Does anyone have an recommendations for a brand/manufacturer for a tank. There are several on line, do any stand out as far as quality/value? Lower Delaware
|
|
|
Post by lakeportfarms on Mar 5, 2014 6:57:39 GMT -5
Karen, not to discourage you from learning, because it is a great skill to have, but if time is a factor right now do whatever you can (and there may be some people here) to find an AI tech near you. Then you can take your time to learn, assemble the equipment, tank, etc.
And down the road you can, if you have the time, start your own service doing it for others to recover the costs of the equipment!
If you can find any local 4-H organizations they will be able to give you leads on some local techs.
Tanks are fairly expensive, cost a fair bit to fill every 2-3 months ($40-60)so you have to be able to make good use of it to be practical. I'd dare say it's less expensive to keep a bull.
Edit: Some people will acquire a yearling bull, use him for one or two breedings, and then have him in the freezer by 30 months or so. Though you may not have top notch well known genetics that you can get through AI, you still likely end up with a nice little calf that is nowhere near a cull animal.
We ended up getting a tank ourselves, even though we have a bull(s), to keep some different bulls available. But we also "rent" space in the tank to some other people that basically defrays the cost of filling it with nitrogen every couple of months. I also have a place not too far away where I can take the tank while I run some other errands, rather than relying on having somebody come fill it for me on a route, which holds down the cost of filling. We have a 20 litre tank and it runs $35.00 every two months that way. We have a Millenium X20 tank, I think it was around $560.00 or so. I wouldn't suggest a used tank unless you know for sure it's in perfect condition.
|
|
|
Post by karenp on Mar 5, 2014 7:57:06 GMT -5
The vet is going to AI her the first time (or two) and is willing to teach. She does not maintain a tank unfortunately. Large animal vets in this area seem to burn out quickly and have a high turn over. I want to be prepared in case she isn't around in a few years. There are only two diaries locally. One I won't deal with for ethical reasons, the other keeps bulls and doesn't do AI.
I thought of going the yearling bull route. (The reason for the bad Dexter bull thread) Reading the post on there changed my mind,but I'm open to rethinking it. We have a small place and have to buy hay at least 6 months out of the year, that increases the cost of keeping a bull. I don't know that I would keep the tank charged year round, just during the breeding season. North American Breeders is in an area we like to visit, so we can save on shipping. I am open to any ideas or suggestions.
Lower Delaware
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Mar 5, 2014 8:16:18 GMT -5
Karenp, Our AI tech has an older model, MVE 32 tank, and it only needs to be refilled every 4-5 months. Here is a link to the current model, that is the equivalent of the MVE 32: store.sementanks.com/mvesc3632.aspxIf you plan to store some of the semen over several years, it pays to get a tank that doesn't need frequent recharging. Check around your area for sources of liquid nitrogen, because pricing varies a lot. We were paying over $100 per recharge from AIRGAS USA (and we took the tank to them), until our vet told us about Matheson (where he recharges his tank) and they only charge $30 for a refill (when we take the tank to them). Patti
|
|
|
Post by karenp on Mar 5, 2014 15:55:57 GMT -5
I left him a message waiting for a call back. Lower Delaware
|
|