Bull or A.I. ????

[Ryesdexters]

Please advise.
We only have 4 Dexters, 3 have given birth over last 3 weeks and 1 is due any day.
As we are new to keeping cattle we really don't know the best route in getting them pregnant again.
We like the idea of AI as we only have 4 but I've heard it's pricey. A bull is the other option but will he be ok only being run with 4 girls?
Please advise which route is best and if you can recommend a bull or AI service near Sudbury, Suffolk.

Thank you in advance.

[Rob R]

I have used AI in the past and still do occasionally, but predominately use bulls now because they just get on with it while I'm busy doing other things.

A bull will be fine with four females, and a good bull can also be costly (our bulls cost £30 per week, so that's £45 per cow if you have him for four cows over six weeks, plus the cost of collecting/delivering the bull). On the other hand a bull is a lot easier - he does all the heat detection & insemination without you even thinking about it and they return less to a bull. On the other hand you don't have the choice of different bulls, alive or dead, from around the world, and if you're building up numbers and wanting to retain females in the herd, AI avoids the issue of having to separate fathers from daughters. Also there is less of a disease risk of not bringing a bull into contact with your stock. Of course there are only a limited number of AI bulls available, so the gene pool available by AI is a lot narrower.

With AI you have to be watching cows for the signs, handling them on the day while your inseminators comes to do the job. I always found that they came bulling at the most inconvenient times when using AI. Bulls are unknown quantities, though, so if you have other people's stock nearby and not the best fences in the world, using AI avoids upsetting neighbours. You may want to consider the cow's natural behaviour though, which she misses out on if using AI.

[davidw]

As Rob says, cows come into heat at all sorts of inconvenient times. Unfortunately that tends to make AI quite difficult to manage for those of us who are not full time stockmen. The problem is that cows can be in heat for as short a period as 6 hours, so by the time the cow has been recognised as being in heat and the AI technician arrives its all too easy to miss the opportunity.

[Ryesdexters]

Fantastic. I really appreciate the advice. Bull it is then.
Now the only other problem is there is no red bulls anywhere near us being advertised on the cattle for sale section.
I'd prefer to hire really as we are new to this and like all other animals we've got into we've realised "take it slowly and learn to walk before you run"!!!
Can anyone recommend a bull within reasonable traveling distance from Sudbury, Suffolk?

Davidw and Rob R thank you very much

[SteveM]

As your cattle have recently calved or are due shortly you will possibly be looking for a bull in the new year, when a lot of people have cattle housed, have seen bulls for hire advertised where at that time of year as the owner would have to feed them they are available at a reduced hire rate.

[Ryesdexters]

Sounds good I'll keep my eyes peeled.
Thanks for the info

[jem]

Hi Ryesdexters,

I am secretary of the East Anglian Dexter Group. If you PM me with your contact details (email address and phone number) I can contact our members and see if anybody has a bull suitable for you. Are you loking for a short or non-short?

Julie

[Ryesdexters]

Hi Jem.
Thanks very much that would be great. My wife wand I have been discussing the matter and thought that if we run them in June/July with a red non short bull then we will have spring calves.

When I bought our 4 girls in August they were due in sep/oct , 1 still hasn't given birth yet. Its getting wet and cold here so next time round, spring/summer babies would be preferred.

Thanks again and I'll PM you

[Broomcroft]

Obvious really but you do need to plan carefully when moving calving away from annual. Biggest problem is that it's hard to bring calving forward as most will not get in calf again until a couple of months after the last was born, some will though.

And when you're trying to put calving back, like you are (and I did, changed from all year round to spring calving) heifer calves still on the cow are a problem because they'll probably get served at just a few months old. Especially if there aren't many cows to keep the bull occupied.

They can be put in calf very young. I had two put in calf at 5 months and heard of younger. You can get your vet to treat them to make them abort a couple of weeks after the bulls comes out (assuming he's been in for 6-9 weeks), but you have to think of whether you mind them being served n the first place.

Maybe AI has an advantage in this respect?

[JohnnyP]

As a novice with only 3 heifers (and a steer), we chose AI this year. Next year, we won't.

First attempt, consisting of five visits to the crush (pessary, prostaglandin jab, pessary removal, 2 inseminations), produced 1 possibly pregnant and 2 definite returns.

Second attempt on the 2 returns, based on close observation (since they'd already been sync'd) and only two visits to the crush (2 inseminations), produced 1 possibly pregnant and 1 definite return.

Our vet will be coming to scan in a couple of weeks, but we're expecting, at best, 2 out of 3.

The encouraging thing is that the heifers became calmer as they got used to the process, and are now easier to handle than before.