# AI in goats?



## Moocowman123 (Feb 12, 2013)

I don't really want to buy another buck for my new does I am going to get. I want them to be bred to a fullblood boer buck, so I can register the kids. I also want good blood lines. So, I would like to know about AI in goats. Do the goats have to be in heat to do this? Can you do it on your own without training? Is it worth it ? Is it a worthwhile project? I also want my does to kid around the same time. THanks in advance!:lol:​


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do a search, there are some good threads on here about AI.


----------



## agilitymaster01 (Sep 25, 2013)

My friend has a 100% success rate for AIing goats. We just AI'd 4 of ours to a couple of different bucks from the Biogenetics website. I ordered 8 straws and the total was $428 and some change. I don't know many places you could go to buy (technically) 8 different bucks (let alone bucks with good lines, and conformation) for that price. I cannot wait to see what the kid/s look like that we bred to 2TNL Go Dog Go.  We bred them all on the 28th of January. It didn't take just to long to AI 4 goats...Maybe 2.5 hours tops. 

We got lutalyse from our vet and gave the recommended dose of 2cc then 11 days give 2cc more, and then in 80 hours they can be AI'd. (be sure to count the 80 hours correctly from the time you want to AI backwards)

It was quite the learning experience, and if these does throw nice kids, and they are indeed bred, I will definitely do it again.


----------



## thelilmacd (Feb 12, 2014)

Yes, the doe has to be in heat in order for the artificial insemination to settle. It's very tricky even though. I seriously suggest going to a more experienced breeder to do your first insemination. They can walk you through it and come in for a save if needed, or they can do it for you, explaining everything as they do it.
Worth. If you have good semen with great bloodlines and your doe takes it's completely worth it! But it is very hard to get your does to settle! Good LuckQ


----------



## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

One thing, I noticed that no one seems to have mentioned is how expensive AI can be..

One of the pros of AI is that yes, it does open a lot of doors in terms of what you can breed the goats to.

_But_, AI can require a lot of trail an error and a lot of money. This is a really good and recent thread about someone asking about AI. It may not be worth it unless you have a lot of does to breed, or you have a super fabulous buck you absolutely have to, want to breed to.

Just food for thought. I'm one of those people that I really want to get into it, but it's a pretty big leap to get there.


----------



## Moocowman123 (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks for the help guys. Hey agilitymaster01, did you buy the kit on bio genics website? or did you even buy a kit at all?


----------



## Moocowman123 (Feb 12, 2013)

Also do you think it would be worth doing it on unregistered does? I have some 50% that i might do to. I am hoping that if i do decide to do this, to sell the kids at the SWM meat goat production sale. The 50% kids there were bringing 400$, and their sires werent even very popular. But I saw some straws on bio genics for 25$ a piece, would that be the way to go on the unregistered does? He looked great and had good body structure.
http://www.biogenicsltd.com/b449.html tell me what you think of him. Also i dont want to spend 100$ on a straw on my first one incase i do something wrong.


----------



## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

If you can find a CSS company near you, a lot of them offer AI courses in addition to doing it for you. The expenses will be killer, though. You very may well put more than $400 into getting those 50% kids and that's not including purchasing the basic equipment (tank, AI equipment, experience/classes). A decent tank will run you upwards of $600, the really good ones are over $1000. You can "rent" space at a CSS facility, but that can be even more expensive, especially if you don't use every straw when you intend to and have to leave them for next season. Occasionally you can buy straws from the company (you can from where I work), but that's often a crapshoot as to what and when they will have anything in.


----------



## agilitymaster01 (Sep 25, 2013)

My friend has all of the equipment, but she got it all off of the biogenetics website. I am considering buying my own equipment if I am going to do some aiing every year. Yes, if you have to buy everything it is expensive to start but in the end it might pay off. Having to buy so many bucks or take your does to a buck, vs just ordering a straw for a fraction of the price to own the buck. This could be argues both ways, and probably are great pros and cons. It is really up to you. If you know other goat people that would also be interested in doing ai, you could purchase the equipment and go ai for them, or have them pay to house their semen, etc.


----------



## Moocowman123 (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks guys, I think I am going to try to find a course to go to and decide from there. Also I don't know if anyone can do this, but can you buy a decent buck and extract semen from him and sell it your self? I have seen people that do it by hand (as in when the buck jumps on a doe, you put a cup thing in front of the doe) But is there equipment or a way to do that?


----------

