How to order semen, for U.S. buyers.

May 16, 2017

in Articles

How to order semen, for United States buyers.

Prices below

Buyers in other countries please contact bellefourche@aol.com for information.

This information is specific to purchasing semen from our website, but the process is pretty much the same all over the United States. In most cases, U.S. Dexter breeders ship semen orders directly to their A.I. technician or veterinarian. If they have their own liquid nitrogen tank, they usually ship directly to their farm. The semen is frozen and comes in individual doses, called straws.

Semen is purchased from the seller.  Once the order/payment is made, the seller will release the straws into your name at the lab.  You will then contact the lab to arrange shipping.

The lab will charge a fee for filling a shipping tank with liquid nitrogen, and renting you the tank. Most charge $35.

The lab will arrange shipping, typically with UPS. The shipping charges include delivery to your destination, pick-up of the tank from your doorstep, and return of the tank back to the lab. Normally, the UPS charge for this entire service is around $100 for any zip code, except HI and AK.  If you choose to ship another method, want insurance, or need rush delivery, the shipping cost may be higher.

If you ship from one lab to another lab, like Genex or Hawkeye, and you are not in a hurry, you can sometimes avoid the UPS charge, because labs have tanks going back and forth between them and you might be able to wait for your straws to hitch a ride.  If your A.I. technician works through one of these big labs, this may be an option.  (In Canada, this is very common; in the U.S., we do not have the same network of technicians.)

We do not have a minimum order, but nobody ever ships just one straw. You do not want to repeat the time and expense of shipping semen, if your cow doesn’t conceive the first time. As a general rule, people ship 2 straws per cow; or even try to create a little library of straws , especially if there is a selection of bulls available in the same shipment. Storage with an A.I. technician is typically free, or just pennies per straw, so extra straws can be saved for subsequent years.

Here are our prices, per straw.  There is no minimum, but there is a 10% discount on ten or more straws, and you can mix bulls to make the ten straw package.  

Belle Fourche Guido (Sexed straws, sorted for female calves) $160

Mrald Amadeus (Sexed straws, sorted for female calves)  $160

Belle Fourche Mr. Right $150 (very low quantity)

Mrald Absolutely Perfect $90 (Canada only)

Belle Fourche Rousseau $90

Belle Fourche Mon Coco $80

Mrald Overture $80

Hillview Red Wing $65

Serenity Oak Farm Taco $100. Very low quantity, contact us before making the order.

Unregistered, small, red, homozygous polled Dexter bull.
$25. (Calves will not be eligible for registration so these straws are for use on grade Dexter cows, or cross breeding projects.)

 

To pay by check or money order:

Gabriella Nanci, 1200 Highway 74 S,  Suite 6-301, Peachtree City, GA 30269

There is no volume discount on very low quantity bulls.

To pay by Paypal:

Go to paypal.me/BelleFourche.

For wire transfer instructions, please send us an email. 

 

 

23 comments on “How to order semen, for U.S. buyers.

  1. Elena K Campbell on said:

    Thank you. I’ll get 5 Mr Right and 5 Lasair for the 10% discount. If you have that outfit’s contact info handy where you kept your cattle on the front range, will you please forward? Thank you very much for your time and assistance. Elena C.

  2. Levi Saurey on said:

    I’m interested in purchasing some straws on a couple of your bulls how fast do they ship? Have you had any trouble with shipping in the past?

    • Gabriella on said:

      With orders paid on Paypal, we can usually forward the straw release form to the lab the same day, and you can call the lab and arrange shipping immediately after the release has been sent. The lab can ship the same day or the next day, depending what time you call them. The lab we use is one of the largest in the country and our buyers have reported no issues with their shipping or handling system.

  3. I am looking at your unregister semen for a jersey/ dexter cross and I would like to know what the shipping rate is. I am sure the answer is somewhere, but I am just overlooking it.

    • Gabriella on said:

      Regular shipping is about $100 to any zipcode, and this includes returning the tank to the lab. The lab charges a handling fee of $35 to fill a special shipper tank with liquid nitrogen, transfer the straws, and loan you the tank. Please do not include these fees when you pay us for the straws. After we release the straws into your name at the lab, you can call the lab and pay them directly for shipping and handling.

  4. J. Pohl on said:

    Do you have an AI technician you could recommend in GA. We live in central GA and are new to Dexters. Thank you.

    • Gabriella on said:

      I would contact ABS Global at (608)846-3721 and Select Sires at (614) 873-4683. Between the two, they should have a representative in your area.

    • Stephanie on said:

      J. Pohl, we are in .central ga also and getting reading for our first Dexter AI with a technician from Wrightsville. We live east of Macon. Any chance we could connect?

  5. Lesa Varnell on said:

    I need to order 2-3 straws of semen. I don’t need them until mid July. Can I have them held until then ?

  6. Jessie on said:

    Does Taco produce small calves? I’m looking for my heifer who would be calving for the first time. Thanks!

    • Gabriella on said:

      I have not heard of one calving problem with a Taco calf, and he does not have the heaviness in the shoulders that is associated with that. However, we are currently out of Taco straws so he will not be available unless we arrange for more straws to be shipped from Washington to our lab, since the facility in Washington will not handle straw sales. I think there are about 50 straws left.

  7. Joseph Semakula on said:

    How to I go about it if I want to buy some straws from you and take them with me to Africa, Uganda in particular I have a dry nitrogen shipper tank

    • Gabriella on said:

      The shipping will need to be arranged by our certified lab, who will prepare the documents and submit to both your federal government and ours for approval. I would be surprised if you could use your own shipper tank. If you want to pursue this, please email bellefourche@aol.com and we can explore specific regulations from your country.

  8. Kimberly Jepsen on said:

    Do you sell sexed semen? If so, how much extra is it?

    • Gabriella on said:

      Yes, but it is difficult to produce, and also more difficult for the breeder to use. Please email us for more information.

  9. Denise on said:

    In research stage for first Dexters and trying to decide if want/need my own bull…. Question is: when ordering multiple straws, can semen be used on multiple cows or used and saved to use on other cows later? The question really is to ask if the semen is issued to a specific cow or how registry works when using one shipment on say 3 cows..?

    • Gabriella on said:

      Various types of breeding certificates are used in other breeds, but that has not been common practice with North American Dexters. When you purchase straws from us, the straws are yours to use on whatever cow you choose, and can be stored indefinitely before use. We do not charge an additional fee to register a resulting calf from the straws.

  10. Ginny Peabody on said:

    Do you still have straws available from your small unregistered red bull? I’m a new Dexter owner and my animals are unregistered. Can you tell me if you consider him to be from a good milking line or a beef line? Thanks!

  11. Debbie Smith on said:

    Thank you for your prompt processing of my order! Much appreciated.

  12. Sadie on said:

    Would like semen. Please tell me about sexed semen. I have a registered 2yr old Heifer ready to breed. I would prefer a female calf.

  13. Nick Plante on said:

    Hi,
    I would like to purchase 10 straws of semen from a stocky beefer polled Dexter line to cross breed with some dairy cows. My intent is to shorten up the dairy young stock we raise for beef, Can you recommend a good bull? Please provide the cost to include shipping to Morrisville Vermont 05661.
    Thanks, Nick

    • Gabriella on said:

      We have straws from a red Dexter bull who is not registered in the U.S. but is from our stock. The straws are $25 each and we have had a number of people use the straws on Jerseys with good results. He is also homozygous polled, so all calves will be polled. Shipping and tank rental/fill will probably be about $140, total. Let me know if this interests you. Thank you. Gabriella

  14. Holly Golden on said:

    Good morning Gabriella! I am going to be placing an order for 2 straws from your wonderful bull Mraid Amadeus. I have read the article you wrote on what to expect and do. I will go through the pay pal application that is listed. I was not sure if the pay pal would give me a place to write which bull I was purchasing straw from. We are excited & look forward to results from your wonderful bull!. I will wait to hear from you via email or you can text me if need be. (229)228-1682 Thank you! Holly Golden

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