# First AI



## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

I had my first experience with AI earlier this week. I took two of my does to be AI'd by a vet who specializes in reproduction in goats and cattle. 
The first doe bred was Leaning Tree MJ Hocus Pocus, a super nice dappled paint, who came from Victoria at Crossroads Boers. I'm very excited to see if she takes. 
The other doe, BJs Tequila, is a solid red out of bon joli lines. Her sire is a dappled paint and dam a paint. This would be her first kids if she takes. 
Both were bred to a black dappled buck, LLBG mr League(Camo). 
I'm kind of hoping for some sort if color out of either one, but will just be happy if I get kids. Lol. 
So now to wait 30 days to pull blood :-D


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh how exciting!!! I bet you'll get color, although I'm a bit jealous lol one day I'll get to do the AI stuff  
Question for you though. How did you find his semen? I can only find one place that sells boer semen and the only buck I like is related to my buck :/


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good luck!


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks!

Jessica- I asked Victoria about him last year and she mentioned that they might be selling straws from him. They didn't have him listed then, but on their website its showing that they are selling straws. I would email Danette/kindlehope, you can always buy the straws and keep them for future use. The nice thing about straws is that they can be stored forever.  And fortunately it's not as expensive as it is in horses.
Bosque Valley reproduction center, biogenics and able acres all have a nice selection of bucks. If it works out(probably even if doesn't) I'd like use a few different bucks(there's a list), just need some more does. 
Tell your brother he needs to get some practice in so he can help you out


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

So I can buy the semen and they store it for me? Really the only thing holding me back is the price of the tanks  so that would be awesome if they did that! 
I know! He needs to get the show on the road on getting practice lol he's supposed to help his teacher when they do some big dairy in Nevada but I was thinking and that won't be for quite awhile with the breeding season. He's going to ask his teacher on how long semen will stay good after its collected without being frozen and then just do a fast collect on my buck and put right into the doe that way it's not so expensive on learning. Lol kinda a funny process but hey if it works


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

I'm pretty sure they can, most facilities can store it. But I can't remember where he's stored at, or if she has her own tank. I would email and ask her. If not you can probably find someone to get it shipped down to and stored near by(that's what I did) I'd love to have a tank but cost and up keep isn't in the budget now either :/ 

That's a good idea. It'll be interesting to see what he says. I don't know why it wouldn't work, they do something similar with dogs.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ugh I didn't even think about the up keep of those tanks. I'm just sitting here looking at $500+ for the tanks lol I'm hoping when it comes time my parents will go in with me since the whole reason my brother is doing this is for our cattle. 
Hopefully we can collect on my buck and just be the little man. I'm just not sure what all we need to buy to get the semen in the straw and what all that is going to cost. I know a lady, she's a family friend of ours and her and her partner were going to collect on their buck and have it froze so maybe I'll ask her. Not sure I'll get a answer since I asked if I could come help them AI last year and never got invited so maybe everything they do is a secret and they don't want to share how to do things. 
But sorry for hijacking this I am so very excited for you and have my fingers crossed in a month the blood tests come back positive  I'm gonna have to watch this like a hawk!


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

That's exciting!! Can't wait to hear the results!!


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks 

No worries Jessica, Its fun talking to other goat people. 
I don't think the upkeep is too bad, but I suppose different areas may cost more. I've heard cows are pretty simple. It would be nice to share a tank with your parents.
Maybe ask your friend again, they may have just forgot. 

I will definitely post the results!


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## Allison (Dec 22, 2015)

I'm curious how much it cost for the AI total? You don't have to answer,
... I'm just curious! So did the vet store it? Or did you have the equipment and tanks and just had him do it?
I'm thinking someone could invest in the equipment and tanks and do it for people and make a lot of money! Since not everyone wants to invest the huge start up cost for just a couple of goats!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Haha that's funny you just asked about price because Ive got a question to kinda go with that. Brother came to visit for a week so he's got me on a roll looking up more stuff  what combo of meds/hormones what not did you use to bring your girls in heat? It seems like there is 100 different ways, and he brought his book and there is 50 just for the cows lol but so far it seems like the most common way is by inserting the CIDR then giving a shot of PG600. If your girls are bred I'm using whatever you did lol
But I actually was looking up stuff on figuring out how much this would cost and if I go with the CIDR and PG it's going to cost a pretty Penney each attempt
Not counting the tank, the kit to AI and the applicator gin for the CIDR this is what I have
Semen $70 per straw
Shipping (assuming it's $90 for 5 straws and fee is the same every where) $24 per straw
CIDR $5.50 (per doe)
PG600 $8.20 (per doe) 
So that's $107.70 per attempt lol that added up really fast! I was going to say hey I'll just pay for it and learn on mine, now I'm not so sure lol


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh! And if I collect on my buck to just put in a doe the semen is alive (if kept at body temp) for 3 hours!


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## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

Hey Allison,
They stored it all there. She is a vet that specializes in reproduction and has a business that stores, collects and does everything with it, as well as embryos. Its pretty cool to see it all. I wouldn't mind working there lol. 
It's 45 a doe for transcervical and 75 for laparoscopic.
I went with transcervical, even though the success rate isnt as good. With the laproscopic its a surgery and I didn't really want to put them under. 
So for each doe it was 75 for the straw + 45 for the AI= 120. The storage for a year is 45 for however many straws you want. Plus gas(which is fairly cheap right now)as its a good drive from here. It is a very interesting business for sure. Im sure she does well being by Texas A&M too. Lol. Lots of livestock people out there.

Lol, I was typing at the same time Jessica. Yes we used the CIDR and PG injection. She supplied them, i forgot to add that on. They were 15 for each doe. It does really add up. But I dont have to keep a buck yet.  Although i do hope to finally get one this year.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Awesome! Thank you. Yes you don't have to have a buck and you have like 30+ to choose from lol once I got my one buck I of course realized how many of his line (dappled $ dude) are in my area! So I'm thinking this will also be a great way to bring have new lines for a buck for myself as well. I just need to get more 100% does, darn I have to goat shop lol


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## Allison (Dec 22, 2015)

So around 150 for everything... That's not too bad... Especially if your getting great guailty offspring! 

A stud free for an average ND buck where I live is 100$ so for 150$ to have the pick of some high quality bucks... That's pretty good! And you don't have to tote them back and forth, risk exposing the doe to illness from a farm. 
I defiantly see the benefit of it. Especially for those of you that show and sell babies for top dollar. 

from my very basic research it seems that AI is way more common in the Boer world then the dairy.. Do you know why that is?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Look into the semen for the nigis they might be way less money for the semen. For fun I looked at Nubian semen on one web site and I just sat there stunned on how much cheaper their semen was! But then again they might be as much or more then boers lol but maybe you will luck out.


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## NWIndianaBoers (Mar 18, 2013)

Costs I've dealt with in my experience
Cidr- $5-6. Buying the 20 pack from online
PG600- $40 for a 5 dose pig bottle. That is 25 cc which is more like 10 goats doses and what you don't use at first mixing can be pulled into individual syringes, then frozen and used as needed making it $4 a dose
Semen- $100 a straw is pretty much standard for the top bucks
Shipping- I'm in Northern Indiana so shipping from Texas/Oklahoma area is more like $120-130
Cost of Service- Lap AI done at the vet is $70 per doe

The first year I did it I didn't have a tank and had the semen shipped straight to their facility. He stored it for free and it was there ready to be used when I did mine.

I made the decision to collect my own bucks and do flushes etc so it became necessary to get my own tank. 
Semen tank- $550 one time purchase should last a good 20+ years
Yearly Maint.- Refill Nitrogen- $200 This includes a guy coming to my house and refilling the tank every 2 months. 

So my costs per doe that 1st year was
$10 Cidr & PG
$70 Vet Fee
$100 Semen
$15 per straw shipping. I ordered 8 
So $195 each doe. Well worth it when it works haha

Having my own tank and having a couple good bucks with semen to offer as trade I've been able to go that route the last couple years and not had any of the semen/shipping costs. For example I took my tank with me to Naile in November and sold some semen to one person and traded with another. 

As for cost of semen of boers vs dairy and nigis etc it is directly related to stud value and value of offspring. Not many dairy bucks that you can buy that have kids selling for 2-5k and up. That chance at a 2k kid from that great boer buck is what makes a straw easily worth it and why some don't even make it available since they want to control the market on their own bucks progeny.


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