We use a company here in where we live in France called Elva Novia as we wouldn’t know where to start with AI, they look after the hole process and deal with the very precious straws with the good stuff in it from a Dexter pedigree bull.
All we just have to watch out for some key signs and the give them a call, I tend to leave this to Judith, sexiest i know but us males know nothing about all that complicated stuff.
The big sign is if she is being mounted then its to the personal end of things to watch for the signs, you have around 18 hours to get the AI guys/girls in so make sure you have her where you can either lock her in headlock or as we have done a food bucket, a rope and my fingers, yes my fingers and thumb.
So you have her nicely eating in the stall with either a head collar or rope around her neck, great all calm and happy, this is when the finger come in, the AI person gets the straws etc ready to inseminate and you make sure the rope is secure, then you put your thumb in one nostril and your fingers in her other nostril and pinch hard, and like magic as long as you keep hold she will behave herself and the AI person can get to work.
We have done this twice in 2021 and Hawthorn was the only one to give birth to our first new calf called Willow who arrive into the world on the 28/11/2021, Hawthorn was Inseminated on the 19/2/2021, so she gave birth 282 days after Insemination, the normal time is 9 months 274 days and we have been told that cows normally can add up to 18 days on top of the 274 day.
So don’t be worried like we where, i mean checking all the time after the 274 day like anxious parents, i thought children where bad but i think we must have over done it a little, the new calf was born 8 days over in the end, trust in nature and it will take its course, Dexters should deliver without any problem and they are very good mummies remember that’s why we decided to have them in the first place.
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