Hi!

[Alaskan]

have you thought about joining BYC?

I am a member of them too.

 

[DexterHank]

I am a member of them too.

what's your member name?

 

[farmerjan]

Welcome to BYH. If you go up on your name at the top right and go down to account details and then down to location, and put in Kansas, it will show on your avatar and then when anyone answers or comments you will know where they are from and if it is a specific question about something, the answer can be tailored to your area. What works in Kansas might not work in Texas... or Alaska...
Are you breeding your Dexters AI? Do you milk them or just use them as cows to raise their own calves? Nice to have someone from your area, not too many from that part of the country...

 

[DexterHank]

Are you breeding your Dexters AI?

Still wondering if I should do AI or just buy a bull.

Do you milk them or just use them as cows to raise their own calves?

I have only had them for not even a year and May's baby I let her just take care of him, not sure about what I will do in the future.

 

[farmerjan]

Don't waste the money on a bull that will only be "working " for maybe 60 days... 2 cows??? Feed is constantly going up, and even if you have "free grass" you can better use that for feeding another cow or a steer for the freezer....or something else.....Unless you cannot find an AI technician closeby. If there is someone available, get in touch with them NOW... tell them what you have, what you want to breed them to. Some of the bull studs do not carry some of the "lesser known breeds" and will have to see about getting the semen. You may be required to pay for a 1/2 cane which is 10 straws (?)... You need to get at least enough to figure 2 breedings in case the first one doesn't take. If the semen has to be acquired from another breed assoc or bull stud, then they need TIME to get it.... many try to get a combined shipping of stuff... it costs ALOT to get a shippers tank of semen shipped.... and the AI tech has to get the semen transferred to his tank with liquid nitrogen within a couple days... the stuff they use in shipping tanks is not the standard liquid nitrogen... and it has a life of about a week or so... Hence the asking about it NOW, so they can maybe get it on a shipment with other stuff....

If there is not a tech closeby that is willing to work with you, then buy a YOUNG bull that you can use... get them confirmed preg... then either sell him or find someone that you can "share him with" or lease him out to... OR.... put him in the freezer... If he is not too old (under 3 or 4), he should not be tough... you can make alot of hamburger, stew meat, roasts that you slow cook in liquid, to use up the more likely to be tougher meat... filets, most NY strips, other types of steaks usually are not very tough... even sirloins are often pretty decent.
The steaks that come from the very "high up" muscles... along the back bones, get the least amount of "exercise" and therefore are usually more tender...

 

[Baymule]

Very good advice!

 

[DexterHank]

Don't waste the money on a bull that will only be "working " for maybe 60 days... 2 cows??? Feed is constantly going up, and even if you have "free grass" you can better use that for feeding another cow or a steer for the freezer....or something else.....Unless you cannot find an AI technician closeby. If there is someone available, get in touch with them NOW... tell them what you have, what you want to breed them to. Some of the bull studs do not carry some of the "lesser known breeds" and will have to see about getting the semen. You may be required to pay for a 1/2 cane which is 10 straws (?)... You need to get at least enough to figure 2 breedings in case the first one doesn't take. If the semen has to be acquired from another breed assoc or bull stud, then they need TIME to get it.... many try to get a combined shipping of stuff... it costs ALOT to get a shippers tank of semen shipped.... and the AI tech has to get the semen transferred to his tank with liquid nitrogen within a couple days... the stuff they use in shipping tanks is not the standard liquid nitrogen... and it has a life of about a week or so... Hence the asking about it NOW, so they can maybe get it on a shipment with other stuff....

If there is not a tech closeby that is willing to work with you, then buy a YOUNG bull that you can use... get them confirmed preg... then either sell him or find someone that you can "share him with" or lease him out to... OR.... put him in the freezer... If he is not too old (under 3 or 4), he should not be tough... you can make alot of hamburger, stew meat, roasts that you slow cook in liquid, to use up the more likely to be tougher meat... filets, most NY strips, other types of steaks usually are not very tough... even sirloins are often pretty decent.
The steaks that come from the very "high up" muscles... along the back bones, get the least amount of "exercise" and therefore are usually more tender...

A friend's friend that we bought this cows from does fall calving and we want to do spring calving so he is going to let us borrow his bull this summer! YAY!

 

[Alaskan]

A friend's friend that we bought this cows from does fall calving and we want to do spring calving so he is going to let us borrow his bull this summer! YAY!

Excellent!

 

[farmerjan]

A friend's friend that we bought this cows from does fall calving and we want to do spring calving so he is going to let us borrow his bull this summer! YAY!

That works perfect... good for you.