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Summer Love: A.I. for the cows

29 Jun

 

Cows waiting in the Elephant Corrals

Cows waiting in the Elephant Corrals

Not all of our cows find Mr. Right Bull in their forest pastures in the summer months. Some of them meet Mr. Artificial Inseminator just before they trek to the National Forest grazing permits. After studying the bull catalogs and deciding on the future fathers of many of next year’s calves, Eamon orders semen and sets the wheels in motion.The process is complicated, but the day arrives, and the AI crew  arrives, and the chosen cows are ready to conceive. This allows us to use better quality bulls than we can afford to buy, and means that we don’t need to keep as many live bulls on hand throughout the year. The bulls aren’t too disappointed though. They go to the Forest with the cows, and breed those who didn’t conceive or are in the natural breeding group.

The AI techs prepare the semen

The AI techs prepare the semen

This is romantic? No bull!

This is romantic? No bull!

McCoy and Eamon working the chute

McCoy and Eamon working the chute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family labor:  Georgia, Jim, Rhen and Jeff

Family labor: Georgia, Jim, Rhen and Jeff

McCoy and Megan bringing up the cows

McCoy and Megan bringing up the cows

The bull team

The bull team

Ready to ride

Ready to ride

 

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