Thanks for your comments Andrea.

Semen costs anywhere between $10 and $500 per straw - depending on availability and perceived worth (much of which is marketing hype). The most I've paid is $150, but I own some worth more. Embryos range in price from $200 to well over $1000 each. They are implanted into recipient cows and they represent the most progress you can make in one generation - an elite mum mated to an elite dad. With AI, you have the elite dad, but depending on your cow, the results will vary.

I am constantly talking to my cattle and I certainly did attract their attention while taking their photos! Photographing cattle is quite an art - you must show them from their best angle - generally side on or slightly from behind (to show off their conformation, length, depth and muscling).

We don't have any workers here except John - he does virtually everything and I help where I can. We are very small time when it comes to farming - almost a hobby rather than a business. We have 25 breeders and make 100 rolls of hay per year. Other real farmers have hundreds of breeders and make thousands of rolls of hay/silage. We do it because we love it, and it's just as well because we don't make money out of it. Luckily, John is incredibly versatile and builds houses to put the food on the table!