Getting Started with Goat Artificial Insemination

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Arguably the fastest way to improve your herd,

Artificial insemination is becoming more and more popular. As you gain more experience with raising & breeding goats, you’ll soon learn that a quality buck can make all the difference in improving your herd. For me, I found it frustrating to find a buck with the right genetics for my girls. Some bucks are great at improving udders, but can loosing shoulders. Some improve dairy strength, but are rather inconsistent with what they throw.

On top of that, unproven bucklings are typically our only options since all the quality proven adult bucks are being hoarded by their breeders (no shade, I would absolutely do the same!)

Artificial insemination can be a fantastic solution to all your buck problems, and while it doesn’t boast a 100% success rate, if you study up enough on the method, you’re sure to have some success in your herd. In this article, I’ll list where I got all of my supplies along with all my favorite videos & resources when it comes to artificial insemination.

Is the cost worth it?

A top quality buckling can cost you anywhere from $1000-$2000, depending on the genetics, and yet, it’s still a gamble. You don’t know what the buck throws, if he favors his dam or his sire’s genetics, what his daughters will look like, and if he’ll develop any structural problems later in life. On top of that, you’ll need to feed him year-round, adding between $300-$1000 of hay to your bill per year depending on where you live.

Add the fact that you’ll likely need to purchase a new buckling every year to improve your genetics, you’re looking at $1300-$3000 per year just owning a buck.

When it comes to artificial insemination, yes the startup costs can be high, but half of it is a one-time cost. And if you’re committed to learning, the potential genetics you’ll bring are more than worth it. It’s true that AI doesn’t not have a 100% of a success rate (most breeders have 60-75% of a success), but that makes the reward so much better!

Getting started with Goat Artificial Insemination

Step 1) Gather all of your supplies

Semen Tank ($750-$900) – I opted for the XC20 semen tank package from www.SemenTanks.com because it came with a personalize cover, extra canes, inventory packet, & a measuring stick. It was also the most affordable and had a larger capacity, holding up to 660 straws. Everybody tells me once you get started you’ll regret not being able to store more straws so I found this one to be the perfect solution. The only thing I dislike is the neck opening. It’s rather narrow, so to get a straw from the tank, you do have to raise the canister higher into the neck, which means you have to work very fast to avoid thawing out any other straws. FYI, a straw that thaws and re-freezes runs the risk of developing non-progressive motility, where the sperm swim only in small circles (bit of a problem when you need them to swim upstream to the egg haha)
(optional) Rolling cart or Rolling base ($300-$400) – I want one of these so badly but it’s totally optional. When you have to take your tank in to be filled, it can help with rolling it to the car, but you’ll still have to lift and load it. My husband opts to carry it everywhere for me:)
Tank light ($15) – Just a simple clip on one like this will do. It’s definitely a necessity as you’ll need to work fast when taking out straws. I purchased mine from Amazon for $15 instead of the $65 one on SemenTanks.com.
Metal measuring stick ($20) – These are included in packages and are used to measure how much liquid nitrogen you have left in your tank. Usually when you get down to 7-8 cm it’s time to re-fill.
Inventory packet ($25) – At first I thought these packets were silly, but it’s honestly really good to have a hard copy of what is in your tank. It also attaches nicely to the handle with a wrap around magnet. It comes in the packages as well.
Extra canes & goblets ($45) – Canes are the metal contraptions that hold straws. Goblets are colored tubes that go around them if you want to divide into colors as your tank gets more filled up. Comes with a SemenTank.com package, but can also be purchased separately here.
Endoscope with camera & light ($30) – This is the one I purchased, and it works really well, but we still can’t figure out how to attach it to the speculum so it have to hold onto it while I inseminate.
Speculums – ($10-$15) There are plastic versions and glass versions, and I was told to start with the glass ones which have worked really well for me. The creator of these is another goat breeder here in Arizona and they are very sturdy (link here). She sells a smaller version for Nigerians. I have heard of people liking the plastic ones better, and some people swear by the glass, so I couldn’t tell you which was better but I’m sure they are both good, it’s just preference.
Non-spermicidal lube ($5) – Biogenics has a good one at a good price.
8-inch vaginal swabs – ($10) – These are really helpful for wiping away mucus so you can see the opening of the cervix
Stainless Steel AI gun ($45) – Take my advice and don’t dive into the different types of guns, it will make you insane haha. Just trust me that the Biogenics Hi-Bred gun is the best, is super easy to use, and that’s all you need to know.
Blue Sheaths ($9) – These individually wrapped blue sheaths are a MUST. You’ll need to use the sheath to cover your gun, but you’ll also use the plastic it’s individually wrapped in to cover your whole gun setup before you stick it in your pants to keep warm as you’re walking out to the barn. (FYI, the semen straw is first inserted into the gun, then these sheaths go over it, securing everything into place)
Straw cutter ($8) – A straw cutter is a big time necessity. Scissors will crimp the end of the straw and make a mess. Just get the straw cutter.
Thermos & thermometer ($55) – I’m so glad I bought this last minute. There are some people that say armpit-thaw works better than the thermos, but AI studies have shown that water bath thaws are more consistent with their thawing. Idk, maybe after years of AI’ing I’ll too become an armpit girly, but for now, I like the scientific reliability of thawing at the perfect temperature. (one thing to remember, you have to be sure to flick the straw and wipe it down before you put it in the water bath, otherwise it could “pop a plug” and your semen is ruined)
Semen ($30-$80 per straw) – This is where it gets fun! You can head to Blue Mountain Genetics (the most well-known semen collector & distributor) Brandon drives a route around the US every year where you can pick up your semen or get your buck collected.
Nitrogen Re-fills ($30-$80) – Re-filling your tank is something you’ll need to do every 3-4 months depending on your type of tank. Usually you can take it to any welding supply store, but you can also try contacting www.SelectSires.com to find a supplier near you.

FINAL STARTUP COSTS:

Because I opted for packages, it ended up costing me a little over $1,000 in supplies to get started. Then I spent another $1,000 on my first order of semen from 4 different bucks. I plan on attempting AI every breeding season from here on out and I’m excited to keep using my hard earned supplies and knowledge.

Step 2) Studying up on How to Artificially Inseminate

Artificial Insemination Videos:

Video 1 – Introduction – Why AI?
Video 2 – Reproductive Anatomy and Semen Handling
Video 3 – Synchronizing the Timing of Artificial Insemination
Video 4 – Managing your Does and Bucks
Video 5 – Choosing a Sire Part 1 – Selection Criteria and Methods
Video 6 – Choosing a Sire Part 2 – Genetic Evaluations Available in the US
Video 7 – Choosing a Sire Part 3 – Other Performance Evaluations
Video 8 – Choosing a Sire Part 4 – What’s in Our Future – Genomics
Video 9 – The Mechanics of Goat AI
Video 10 – Equipment Basics for Goat AI
Video 11 – An Introduction to Buck Collection
Video 12 – Goat Artificial Insemination (by Little Nix’s Alpines)
Video 13 – Loading an AI gun
Video 14 – Nigerian Dwarf Artificial Insemination (this is my detailed video)

Artificial Insemination PDFs & Images:

Artificial Insemination Procedure by Rebekah Clarke
Mucus & Ovulation Study
The Cervix & Transcervical passage
Mucus Timing Chart
Ideal Mucus photo (boxy stretch instead of stringy stretch)
Ideal Cervix photo (cervix is wet & shiny with a little bit of white streaks)
DaNelle’s Artificial Insemination Method (I created this document from all my discussions with breeders and research from online)

Continuing your Artificial Insemination Journey

I hope this helps anyone looking to get started with AI. It think it’s a fun & exciting way to open up your herd to new genetics! Be sure to join the following AI Facebook Groups to see how other breeders are faring!