What is your farms purpose for A/I ?

I am just curious what everyone's goal is with their A/I programs.


1. Introduction of new bloodlines to avoid breeding their herd to closely?


2. Introduction of a specific antler characteristic/look?


3. You currently don't have a buck on the farm that meets your standard for use as a breeder?


4. You are breeding with the latest "hot item" in an effort to sell offspring in the high end breeder market?


 


One reason for my inquiry is I hear of folks doing A/I on their farms and their sole outlet is selling stocker bucks to preserves. They have no intention of selling offspring and in fact don't even offer adult does that are being replaced by the offspring. They just eat their females.


I am just wondering how the cost of semen, drugs, CIDR's and the A/I process are justified if the sole purpose is to sell stocker bucks.


Of course to each their own and I am not judging. Just hoping to gain some insight is all.


Thanks,


Roger

Clearview Whitetails914631398724925



 


Roger the ONLY reason I AI is to introduce different genetics




Thanks Coby

Four Seasons Whitetails914681398733751



When i can buy $100 straws and make 200 inch 2 yr olds and 250 inch 3 yr olds, I am all about preserve bucks. 




Mike, my question for you is why spend the money on semen and drugs and the A/I process at all if your only producing stockers? It would seem to me that your spending more than you need to. You could just hold back a buck to use as a breeder and save on costs.


Again just asking out of curiosity is all. I am wondering if folks are so used to doing A/I every year now that they just keep doing it even though the cost is not outweighed by the return. This is of course assuming that a person has a buck that truly makes breeder status and throws good sons.

Whitetail Sanctuary914721398738761



Well I've done the 4. Bred with the "Hottest".....That did't last or pay all that well in the long run! In fact probably crippled my program by doing so!


                              3. I have 2 bucks I'm proud to breed with in Rawhide and Twisted Tea


                              


So all that is left for me to use A/I for is:


 


 


                            2. Continue to A/I with bucks who have 6x or better " True Frame" with 29"+ beams 


                            1. A/I to add a few lines that I LIKE and on does who will produce................Regaurdless of the "Popularity of Pedigree" 


 


 


 


The Preserves are what MY focus is for production of Quality Bucks! I still have my 1st doe fawn born on my farm.........Pedigree well she won't EVER make an Auction she's John David/Thunder/Hurricanes Dam but Never has she produced a 2 yr old LESS than 230" + and 24"+ wide.....................But wouldn't get a Bid at Auction if I spent $7,500+ for Semen. LOL


 


In fact this will be the LAST year I will A/I........................Not a lot of future in it and the unstable attitude of the MDC in Mo.


 


Just to show folks alittle about chasing the semen market......................I had a straw of Maxbo Ranger and Hardcore when it was at it's peak..................I was offered $50,000 for those 2 straws..................Turned it down had to chase the "crowd"


The $16,000 I spent to buy the Maxbo Ranger semen could have bought a deer I knew about and could have easily bought him before the Bell Family did his name was Thunder Strike! 


 


Yep so much for chasing the "crowd"




Wayne, Sorry the breeder market didn't work out for you. I myself did well with it, however I didn't just breed the hottest items either. I still stuck to lines AND crosses I knew produced. So I didn't have deer that were only good on paper, they had the racks to back them up as well. Also you have to keep the dollars and cents in check. I had a straw of Max back in the day that I had bought for $1200 and after a while I sold it for I think it was $18,000. You should have taken the money and run on those Ranger and Hardcore straws.


 


I like your idea of using A/I to introduce a "look" to your herd such as the 6x6 frames.


Also adding a line that you don't have yet works well with A/I.


 


Yes you need to keep that John David daughter. She makes you money and to sell her would not give you a decent return. Over the years I sold several does like that myself. That would be one area where my program was hurt by the "breeder" market. I had sold many does that after leaving my farm, their sons at my place or other places were huge. Avalanche does for us were ROCK STARS. So was a doe out of Mr Awesome which is going way back in time.


 


I notice there is a lot of hatred for the breeder market from some. No doubt it comes from spending hard earned money and not seeing a return. Some of that comes from poor choices and some from poor timing. There was a time when the breeder market was solid and profitable, however you still had to make good buying and selling choices.


I always tried to help those who invested in my program. I would like to think they all appreciated the efforts I made to keep them happy and successful in their farms. It was frustrating to listen to some guys talk about their plans and in my mind I knew they were on the wrong track. Yet I couldn't do anything to change their minds.


 


Anyway, I appreciate the insight about how each of you are using A/I in your programs. I can't say it enough, this was just out of curiosity I ask these questions. It is a slow time of year yet with no fawns on the ground and thought some discussion might be fun.


I sure hope this FRICKEN SNOW falling right now stops! Yes I said snow. On April 29th. UGH !!!!


Thanks,


Roger

Four Seasons Whitetails914911398780295



Being fairly new in the bizz i am kinda feeling the waters and growing more does to get my numbers up around 100 animals. I have sons growing from Tea,Romeo,Bigfoot,Gold Bucky Boy and a host of others. I breed my own deer so there is no charge there really and in my second year of breeding i decided because i love width is to breed with bucks over 30 inches inside on a group of does with my future plan of only having does with 30 inch parents top and bottom. I got taken a time or two at the auction my first year so after that i no longer really care about pedigree.  I have 3 herds in one really. Some will be live bred, some aied to good wide bucks and some to 30 inch plus bucks.


So i guess after i bred my first doe to a $100 straw and cleared 5 grand at sale time i figured i could not lose. If i do that x 15-20 bucks a year..Im Golden.


 


But you are right and i did breed 2 of those yearlings heavy last fall and by the looks of things will be glad i did.  I like breeding my deer and i have been blessed to get some great deals on some top semen so i guess the future will continued to be mixed and matched.




So really at this point your not just producing just stockers, your building a look into your herd that you might not otherwise be able to build into it with the current available on the farm breeders. That's cool, good luck and thanks for the insight.