Does anyone have experience w/ AI ? I am not setup to own a buck and after finding out the buck I was going to use to breed my doe tested POSITIVE for CAE I am not sure I want to use other peoples bucks. I really wish I could own my own but it is not really possible right now. Is AI expensive? From my understanding it looks like you have to have quite a bit of equipment that can get quite costly. I only have two does to breed and I am just trying to explore my options. I have seen how AI is becoming more and more popular and I would love to learn more about it. It is a great way yo get some great genetics in your herd I feel.
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The lady I got one of my goats from owes me a breeding because she was supposed to be bred when I got her, but isn't. I think I will try to get her to her farm a week before her pregnancy and leave her for a week after so we don't miss her heat cycle and see if she takes. The only problem, like you said, is it is about 2 hours one way there and if it didn't take it would be a "big bummer". Wish me luck! And thanks for your information. You have a nice herd of goats and I hope to be able to purchase from you one day, soon!
Thanks Deborah, I know that disease can be passed from AI too but I feel like there is a less of a chance with it.
I am in The Dalles, Oregon, about 80 miles east of Portland. Why do you ask? I don't know if AI is right for me, it sounds quite costly and breeding normally it easier. The lady I got my goat from is willing to work with me but she is not that close to me. I think the bottom line is I need to find a way to get a buck LOL.
I just did a lot of research into this because I really want to do it in my herd. I wrote to Superior Semen works and they did not answer but, but Biogenics did and their customer service is excellent.
It is definitely not cheap, depending on whether you can rent space in someone else's tank or buy your own, you are looking at approx 500-1000 unless you find a good one used. I don't think buying used is advisable unless you have someone who can inspect the tank for you and be sure it is sound.
Biogenics quoted me a shipping fee of $150 (which is incurred mostly from renting the dry shipper) to get the semen to me. Since they recommend inseminating every 12 hours you'll need at least two straws to try for one animal but at those shipping rates you'd want to buy a lot at once I think.
Other AI equip, gun, light, speculum ect I think will run you about $100. They sell stands for this with side rails ect to restrain the doe. They do not like it, I've watched videos of it.
Then Deborah mentioned the CAE thing and I began researching and realized that many of the bucks advertised through these companies are not tested for CAE or Johnes. In cattle, Johnes is easily transmissable via semen even through AI. I couldn't find any research to back that up with goats but as a whole it put me off. If I were going to spend what would be at least $1000 trying to bring in great genetics I need more assurance that I am also not bringing in nasty diseases.
Right now I have given up on the idea...but I will let you guys know if I ever try it
This is another semen source:
http://www.biogenicsltd.com/index.html
And I should mention that goats can get CAE through AI. I posted a couple of studies on here a week or two ago that address that specific issue. One used semen from a negative buck and added the virus to the straw, and the other study used a CAE positive buck. In both scenarios, the does got CAE.
I have not used AI but attended a lecture on it once. I'm not sure if anyone on here has done it, but if you contact Superior Semenworks, they can give you information:
http://www.superiorsemenworks.com/
They also have an online catalog that lists the bucks they have on ice.