Sexed Semen

Hmmmmmmmm....



I guess I am a touch worried as it seems that the consensus to use sexed semen is primarily based on the fact that those that have preserves could get more bucks, therefore cutting overhead! I understand that 100%. However, what now does our industry do with all of the shooter bucks that are not being sold this year? While costs are being cut for those who own the preserves, the folks that have raised the shooters for those ranches in the past will now struggle to pay their feed bills.



I worry what the Amish community would feel about this topic? I have talked to many who feel that embryo transfers, invetro fertilization and cloning will force them into having to leave our industry and we all know they account for about 60% of us, last I knew. That is why NADeFA has took a stand against some of those issues.



Now, I am not saying that I am against sexed semen as this is the first I have ever heard of it. My initial thoughts are worrisome though about the end market a lot of us use to survive and that is the shooters we sell.



On the other hand.... I know there are a lot of folks who do get too many doe fawns that they struggle to get rid of, but having more bucks that can't be sold might not be the answer.



I know David doesn't NEED to buy shooters each season but still does to help keep the deer industry moving. In fact, this year he sold some of his own instead of moving them to his hunt area so that he could buy a few from others as he would have had too many back there.



I am NOT saying anyone is wrong for doing what is best financially for their programs, I totally understand everyone wanting to cut over-head trust me. But what then do we do with all of the individuals who are left with shooters and nowhere to go with them because all of the preserves are producing their own????



And then we touch on this whole issue of the PRESERVES asking for all of our help to help keep them alive and going..... how do we do that when we are struggling to keep our heads above water?



This post is in no way intended to offend anyone or cause hard feelings here, I just wish to participate in a friendly open discussion because maybe I don't 'get it'. Maybe it is a good thing, I am just struglling trying to see how.

Those are good points Wild Rivers. Maybe there won't be a whole lot of people even using it.



By costly endeavor, do you mean the straws are more expensive or there is more involved in the AI sexed semen process and it is more expensive?



Now I learned another thing.... there is only one preserve I know of that doesn't raise deer in breeding pens. But I know there are a lot more out there than I know of. I guess I just figured most of them raised deer in breeding pens too. Well, all of them that I know of do anyway.



When you mention other industries have done it for years, do you think Denny has a point with what it has done to the cattle industry?



Well, it still makes me nervous but maybe it shouldn't.

If I have this right, the technology came from the USDA and was sold to the one single company. That company now has the sole rights to the process.

Maybe some misuse of power on that deal?

I am going to have to agree with holly, if we think the shooter buck industry is flooded right now just wait til we start raising 90% bucks... We are going to have to stop and look what drives this industry. Everyone wants to grow that bucks that everyone wants and we shoot our mistakes. We can utilize everything we grow and as long as we let mother nature do its part we can keep the supply and demand at an adequate level.. Can you imagine the shooter buck number almost doubling ? That means every preserve will have to double its business to keep everyone in business and that isn't going to happen. We can't recruit new hunters fast enough !!!

I feel really bad for all the deer breeder that can not sell their animals this year. I really do. I know that in order to make ends meet that they will have to cut back maybe feed for their animals, cut cost here maybe there maybe no more AIs only live breeding. No more new blood in there herds maybe there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But maybe there is. I have heard that there are about 3500 deer breeders in the USA with each farm averaging about +or- 60 head or so. I can say because i want to that if you got into deer farming only to make money....and had no other means to get rid of your deer than to sell them and that if you are not able to sell they right now that you are not planing to make more this Breeding season..... I wonder how many of you are willing to do that..... I will bet not one will. So lets all blame someone or something some else is doing.. we know that all ways makes us feel better......

Rainer said:

I feel really bad for all the deer breeder that can not sell their animals this year. I really do. I know that in order to make ends meet that they will have to cut back maybe feed for their animals, cut cost here maybe there maybe no more AIs only live breeding. No more new blood in there herds maybe there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But maybe there is. I have heard that there are about 3500 deer breeders in the USA with each farm averaging about +or- 60 head or so. I can say because i want to that if you got into deer farming only to make money....and had no other means to get rid of your deer than to sell them and that if you are not able to sell they right now that you are not planing to make more this Breeding season..... I wonder how many of you are willing to do that..... I will bet not one will. So lets all blame someone or something some else is doing.. we know that all ways makes us feel better......

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Haha Yea I'd be curious to hear who's taking the year off from breeding...

Wild Rivers Whitetails said:

I think we are the first deerfarmer to offer sexed semen for sale and we'll see how it goes. Like I said, we are trying this for the first time and it will have to be worth it to continue. We are only planning on selling a couple straws to cover our expenses and use the rest to see if it actually lives up to its billing. Advances come whether we want them or not - just like AI. We had the opportunity to try this and will see how it turns out. May be much ado about nothing - we'll see.

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So what kind of guarantee comes with this semen? Why would someone pay good money to be a part of an experiment? Just curious...

Sexing whitetail semen is still in the experimental stages and very expensive. As far as I know there have only been a handful of does bred to sexed semen prior to this year. Our reasoning again is to produce bucks for our own ranches. We do not want the hassle of selling does every year in a very flooded "doe market". If we produce 20-25% more bucks with sexed semen, which is what I predict will be our success rate at first, we can get by with less does on the feed bill. If we have success with sexed semen we will not carry the same amount of females as we do now. Instead we will keep enough doe to produce the desired amount of bucks for our hunting program. The end result is the same amount of bucks with less doe, which means less feed and more profit! In my opinion this will make us less of a competitor with other breeders since we will not have to sell as many doe.

So far so good with the sexed semen. Having a lot better success than I had originally anticipated. Still have a few does to fawn out of the first AI of sexed semen and about to start round 2 with second sexed semen AI. I have noticed mostly single births probably due to low concentration of sperm cells but have had one set of triplets and a few twins. We did have one female that was supposed to be male.

Ross said:

So far so good with the sexed semen. Having a lot better success than I had originally anticipated. Still have a few does to fawn out of the first AI of sexed semen and about to start round 2 with second sexed semen AI. I have noticed mostly single births probably due to low concentration of sperm cells but have had one set of triplets and a few twins. We did have one female that was supposed to be male.

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Ross thanks for the updates on sexed semen, Gary Wild Rivers any updates you can share? This could help us who have hunting ranches if it works.



Scott

Ross, how many does and conception rate. Singles versus doubles would be great to see if this thing is feasible financially? Thanks for the info in advance.



Alex

I will have an accurate conception rate when I get DNA results back. So far it looks like 40-50% conception rate but might be higher since we are still having a few fawns out of the first AI attempt. The biggest cost will be drawing semen on your buck and how many straws he gives since it is a flat fee on sorting ($5,000). We had 2 bucks give 60-70 male 60-70 female and 50+- conventional. We had one buck give 10 male and 12 female not so good. We will consider it a success if we can produce 25% more bucks. Right now we are at 70% bucks but that is including conventional AI as well. I'm about to check pens now to see how many more we have this morning. We AI'd a second group to sexed semen on December 17 and they are about due anytime.

AMEN Dennypell !!!! Living it, and you are CORRECT!!! Predictions are that bull calves will soon be bringing more $$ than heifer calves.