FAR LEFT Daniel (left) with his
father, A ndrew M acey.
LEFT Andrew keeps an AI shed
close to the heifers specifically for
sexed semen.
RIGHT Daniel Macey with David
Wilcox of Cogent and the results of
using sexed semen.
inseminations, and, finally, a
“Just because you use sexed semen doesn’t mean you can be complacent
Hereford sweeper. about calving. A little bit of help at the right time is better than the misery
“A two-week-old Angus cross of not being there.”
bull will make around £160 at And then there’s the cost of rearing replacements which has to
the market and a heifer will go be compared with the alternative route of buying them in. “I don’t
for about £120”, says Andrew. underestimate the cost of rearing a heifer”, says Andrew. “The cost on
“Compare that with £30 to £50 this farm to get them into the milking herd at two years is £800 to £900,
for a Holstein bull if you’re lucky including semen and all rearing costs, so immediately you can see there’s
and there’s the first few hundred another £1,000 to £1,200 saving at today’s replacement prices. It would
pounds extra in your pocket.” break my heart to pay £2,000 for a heifer.”
But there are other advantages But despite Andrew’s enthusiasm for the technology, he recognises its
to sexed semen according to pitfalls, citing lower conception rates in particular as a widely held concern.
Andrew, who also has calving “Conception rate in the heifers is marginally lower than with conventional
ease high on his list. semen”, he recognises, “but I don’t consider that to be a problem.”
“With no big bull calves being In fact, during his years at the previous farm, an annual average conception
born, we don’t have any calving rate to first service of over 60 percent was the norm with sexed semen on
troubles in the heifers at all”, heifers, which was largely attributed to Andrew’s fastidious attention to
he says. “Mind you, we are on detail and over 30 years’ experience of DIY AI. He was one of the pioneers
the ball with it. We have CCTV of DIY in the 1970s, ignoring widespread industry pressure to stick with the
in the calving yard and they are technician service.
inspected at least every three He outlines the essentials of the procedure, citing attention to detail, speed
hours day and night. and a stress-free environment as keys to its success.
THE JOURNAL APRIL 2009 63
e2-09 Stapleoak sexed semen.indd 3 01/04/2009 08:03:14
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