There are numerous reasons why you as a farmer may wish to use AI:
1. The primary focus of our business is helping deer farmers achieve killable weights more quickly and efficiently.
2. Genetic gain is permanent and cumulative. Improving your herd will positively impact on future generations regardless of future breeding strategies.
3. Using the AI service will provide immediate access to the top sire stags available within the industry. These are animals that may otherwise be unaffordable or unavailable.
4. Using a team of AI stags instead of buying one or two expensive animals expands the gene pool and increases the reliability of the Breeding Value.
5. Investing in expensive stags almost invariably involves plans for repeated use over several years which leads to inbreeding as the farmer tries to recoup the original investment. Inbreeding has negative effects on fertility, growth rates and general soundness.
6. The genetic merit of any stag is constant. Repeated use of one stag over several years slows genetic progress whereas the AI stag team BV increases every year and will be directly reflected in the annual genetic gain in the commercial herd.
7. Artificial Insemination limits the risk of disease transmission. Although the nature of deer farming will ensure that most hinds are naturally mated, a closed herd can still access the best genes through AI to breed replacement hinds, and retain the best of the male progeny for natural service. In this fashion, no animal need be introduced from outside and thus the risk of disease can be reduced.
8. Mating to AI can condense the calving period, bring forward mean calving date and increase weaning weights.
There are numerous reasons why you as a farmer may wish to use AI:
| Copyright 2010 Deer Improvement