When considering artificial insemination, many producers look at the extra labour and expense of the semen but don’t consider the dollar savings or genetic gain they should achieve.
These gains are more apparent in the dairy industry where rigorous testing is done on all artificially inseminated bulls. This column will outline the pros and cons of AI and the differences between the dairy and beef sectors.
Extra labour for heat detection and breeding and the cost of semen are the two significant expenses for artificially inseminating cattle. Semen is significantly cheaper in the dairy industry because more doses are sold.
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Junior sires are inexpensive because the dairy industry wants expected progeny difference data collected on them. Synchronization programs have drug costs but save money on labour. As well, a successful program will result in a tighter calving interval.
The other set-up cost is purchasing a tank and equipment, as well as ongoing costs of buying liquid nitrogen.
With natural breeding, herd bulls have to be fed all year. They have to be vaccinated and treated for parasites and their semen must be evaluated. Hoof and other veterinary care is required. Bulls that fight each other may cause large repair costs to fences and gates and can potentially injure each other.
It’s important to give bulls lots of space to exercise and hide from each other. Insemination allows beef producers to breed more cows with less bulls. The extra savings may allow them to spend more money on better natural bulls since fewer are required.
A few dairies keep a bull that they use only on problem breeders. Be careful. Most serious injuries inflicted on cattle producers are caused by mature bulls.
Beef bulls are becoming more docile through natural selection, but fighting bulls don’t even notice their handlers.
If venereal diseases such as vibriosis, leptospirosis and trichomoniasis are a problem in your area, insemination is one way to minimize their spread.
Fortunately, Canada does not have nearly the incidence of venereal diseases that is found in the United States. Also, buying virgin bulls from purebred breeders virtually eliminates the possibility of bringing in most venereal diseases. The semen used in AI is treated with an antibiotic and antimycotic to eliminate disease transmission.
Genetic gain and diversity can be significant if AI sires are carefully selected and EPDs are followed. This is really why producers artificially inseminate – to improve their herds. Whether it is milk yield and longevity in the dairy herds or daily rate of gain and carcass quality in the beef breed, improvement is paramount.
Be careful. Young herd sires’ EPDs will not be as accurate because they have had no natural calves yet and their EPDs are based only on the dam and sire.
Work in the dairy industry finds a three percent higher conception rate with proven sires versus junior sires. I don’t know if the same holds true in the beef industry.
In the dairy industry, conception rates were two percent higher with AI than natural breeding. With AI, the semen is put right up into the body of the uterus and if heat detection is accurate, higher conception rates should be the result.
Attention to detail is critical so ensure cleanliness and thaw semen according to the stud’s recommendations. A common recommendation is a 35 C water bath for 40 seconds and then straight into the cow.
The biggest mistake made in the purebred beef industry is to rely too heavily on AI. Producers should breed for only one or two cycles and then use a clean-up bull; otherwise the calving interval might get too spread out.
On-farm semen collection can be done with high-quality herd sires but the semen is available only for on-farm use. It acts like an insurance policy in case something happens to the bull when naturally breeding. Long after the bull has died its genetics may still be accessed through AI.
Roy Lewis is a veterinarian practising in Westlock, Alta.
