Questions about taking Artifical Insemenation courses

[irishtx23]

Hello all,
We would to like to improve the quality of our Irish Dexter herd and will be using AI on three cows shortly. We have a local veterinary who we can work with but wondered what suggestions others might share about taking the course and learning to do it myself. We foresee doing AI several times over the next few years and thinking that a $1000 to $1200 investment might be financially a wise decision. We also have Curly Mustangs and have frozen our horses semen as we are trying to preserve their lines for the future. So, we do have a bank that we pay for his storage and we may also be able to do AI for future horses.
Any thoughts and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
We are sharing a few photos of our Irish Dexters. We adore this breed and are proud to be part of Legacy Breeders.
Angie Gaines
Kaufman, TX

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[dexterfarm]

Sorry I cant be much help with the AI question. I dont have any experience with it. I have heard that some others have had issues getting AI to take. I suspect they are not getting the timing right.

[genebo]

Pay close attention when you take the course and hope you get a good instructor.

Success rates vary widely among AI technicians, with some achieving as little as 40% success, while others, like Dr. Pete Fulper in Gretna, VA, have success in 98%.

www.southsidelargeanimalclinic.com/

You might emulate some other Dexter owners who have become adept at AI and keep a variety of quality Dexter semen on hand. They are able to serve small owners efficiently.

[irishtx23]

Thank you both for your reply....still checking into it but have found a local vet to help in the meantime.

[wvdexters]

I think this is a great idea irish. AI can open up so many possibilities, especially if you already rent tank space for the horses. I know one of the biggest problems we had when we used it in the past was the timing. Getting the vet/tech here, because sometimes they just weren't available.

Sometimes local dairy's will have someone who can help you until you are ready. They can be a lot less expensive too.