Sexed semen?

[cowman]

CSWILSON: Maybe you can answer this question?
Back in the late eighties my old AI instructor talked a lot about two things: One was embryos in a straw and the other was sexed semen? About ten years ago I read an article where they said they had a fairly simple process, using centrifugal force, that could seperate female and male semen?
I just wonder if anything has been happening in this regard?
Now obviously if they came up with an affordable system, this could be a real boon to the cattle industry? Just think...you take your best cows, breed them to the maternal breed of your choice and voila...you have your replacements? You take the other 85%, breed them terminal of your choice and voila...you have all steers that fit the marketplace! Right there you add a lot more bucks in the old wallet!
I wonder too, how the development of a viable sexed semen system would affect the marketplace and the cattle industry? Would it basically be the end of the purebred industry...as we know it?

[grassfarmer]

Don't know about sexed semen Cowman but I'm starting to think we have some. Imported some back in 2003 and to date have had 14 calves off it - all male! Not so great when it's females we want.

[WRAPper]

http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/articlePDF/0103abb_AIAdvance.pdf#search='sexed%20semen%20for% 20cattle'

[cowman]

Grassfarmer:Last two days: 15 calves...12 heifers, three bulls! What is with that? My old man used to say it was the darned water around here? He had six girls, one boy!

[cswilson]

It's availablre right now in the dairy business but isn't viable on a large scale yet for commercial beef A.I. Cowman have I got A Horned Hereford bull for you to A.I. too-he's on his way to Alta to get collected-I've looked a long time to find a Hereford bull to breed Angus heifers too and I finally found one. Super mother and nice balanced performance.

[15444]

cswilson, what's the name of the bull?

[cswilson]

His name is F-R 552 Lad 20P. I bought him from Murray and Cam Fraser at their sale in Brooks a week or so ago. I used him A"I last year as did Fraser's and he's calving great-I got dibs on the baldie heifer calves at Fraser's already lol.

[cowman]

Well my hereford days are over and that is just a fact. Still appreciate looking at a good one but not into getting a heavy discount at the auction mart.
I am sure for some people they can work, but I sell commodity beef and if the cattle buyers say No hereford then I supply them what they want. Simple economics.

[cowman]

in this area you would be hard pressed to find a hereford bull, and most straight hereford cows are as rare as a dodo bird for the reason you stated cowman.

Economics dictate making as many dollars as possible and that means either black cattle or crossbred. In fact most blacks are crossbred as well, very few straight Angus herds here anymore.

[cswilson]

Ahhh ya dinna ken make a wee baldie cow without using a gude hairfurd bull now can ye. Alot of my A'I customers are going back to Hereford on their straight black cattle to get some hybrid vigour-these new age black angus aren't as shiny as some would have you think. Those baldie steers rock the grid pretty good too.

[cswilson]

ah cwilson, just put a jolt of limo into those black baldies, and then you can talk carcass !!!

[grassfarmer]

Simple economics Cowman, but are they too simple? You seem to advocate breeding the animal that makes the top price in the sale ring even if that changes every year. That's only one small part of the economic picture though - you don't mention cost of production the only part the producer can partly control. If Belgian Blues were in great demand next year but you needed to do 25% C-sections and they only weigh 400lbs as weaned calves would you still breed them?

Emrald1, "Economics dictate making as many dollars as possible and that means either black cattle or crossbred." Same question - is that gross or net $$s you are talking?

[cswilson]

Emerald been there done that on the Limo thing-there's over 50,000 mother cows up in our area and I doubt there's a dozen Limo bulls run up here.

[cowman]

grassfarmer: Well within reason? Obviously you go with what works?
Personally I don't see a lot of difference between breeds anymore in regards to feed consumption? An 1800 lb. Angus cow probably eats as much as an angus crossbred cow of a similar weight? Those big horsey genetics of Char and Simmental are pretty well all gone? And actually some of these Hereford and Angus genetics are just as big...if not bigger!
Bottom line goats probably make more sense than cattle...but who wants goats! Suddenly you are in a whole other ball game!
I'm not running down Herefords. The fact is the feedlot buyer just doesn't want them and won't pay for them. I just can't afford to take a 5 cent discount on that calf? And I know that is how it is! I "transitioned" for quite a few years you know? Took those big good AI straight bred Hereford steers in and regularily took a discount over my crossbred steers. Cows were all the same, feed was the same...but because they were Hereford...regularily got $50 less per calf! Doesn't take too long to figure it out?

[cowman]

cwilson, your area may not have many limo bulls but the limo bull sales in Sask. have been extremely successful this year so someone must use them !!!!