Collection Days: Shaffer's Goldrush collects semen every Monday and Thursday. However, semen can be shipped out Monday through Friday. Saturday delivery is available in some locations. All cancellations MUST be made by 9:00 a.m. (Indiana time) on date of collection.

Shipping: All orders shipped UPS Next Day Air unless another carrier is requested. C.O.D. shipments are charged an additional $8.50 per shipment. Orders shipped on Friday for Saturday delivery are charged an additional $14.00 per shipment.

Pricing: All semen in regular season is priced as marked in our current catalog or on this website. In our off-season (May 15-Aug. 20 and Nov. 15-Feb. 28), semen will be reduced. Check this website or our flyers for current pricing. Volume and commercial semen contracts are available.

Over Run Pricing: When semen collected exceeds received orders, we offer over run discounts. We will start over run pricing at 12:30 PM (IN time). Over run semen may not be pre-booked or sold before 12:30 pm. Over run semen will be sold on a first-come, first served basis.
To guarantee you get the particular boar you are interested in, we recommend booking your choice several weeks in advance. All boars regularly $100 or more, over run price is $60 per dose. Boars regularly priced less than $100, over run price is $35 per dose.

Breeding Certificate: Breeding certificates are available on all purebred boars for $20.00 each. Please have breeding date and service sire information available when you call for breeding certificates.

Breeding Supplies: To reduce YOUR shipping expenses, we encourage you to have your breeding rods shipped prior to your semen order.

***SPECIAL OFFER: 50 breeding rods and one tube of lube for $25.00! Shipped UPS Ground.

Payment Options: All semen must be pre-paid. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover accepted. C.O.D. orders available upon request.

Semen Handling: Rotate gently at least once a day. NEVER SHAKE! Always use a portable cooler with gel packs (that are the same temperature as semen) when taking semen from cooler to breeding area. This protects semen from cooling down or heating up.

Storage of Semen: It is best to use a regular semen cooler, but other ways are acceptable. It is recommended to have a Hi-Low thermometer inside the cooler to monitor temperature variation. Semen should be stored at 62°-64° F. More damage will be done if the temperature of the semen varies up and down, than if the temperature is at a constant reading higher or lower than the desired temperature.

Breeding Cleanliness: All breeding instruments need to be kept clean. The female's vulva needs to be clean so as not to introduce dirt and bacteria into the reproductive tract. You can carry paper towels with you to wipe the vulva off.

Heat Detection: Good heat detection will allow you to identify animals that are either coming into heat or going out of heat. This is extremely important when deciding the optimal time for insemination. Signs of pre-esterus may include: bar biting, increased chanting, climbing crates or fence, riding other females in the pen, reddening and swelling of the vulva. Swelling of the vulva is often misunderstood. It is more difficult to observe in sows and usually occurs in gilts a few days prior to esterus. The swelling may actually go down when esterus occurs. Also remember that a female will not stand in the receptive position for an unlimited amount of time. She may tire after a few minutes and not respond to a boar even though she is in standing heat. Signs of female in esterus include: decreased swelling of the vulva, goes into locked position and pricks up ears when back pressure applied, appetite decreases, secretes sticky mucus, slightly elevated temperature. If at all possible, you need to heat check females twice a day. If the twice daily schedule is not possible, then heat detection should be done in the morning so you may observe changes of the female during the day.

When Do I Breed?: With proper heat detection, you will be able to anticipate when to breed more accurately. Also having an actual boar to use during breeding is a big plus. A general note of when to breed in sows is 12 hours after standing heat and again 24 hours later. In gilts, due to a shorter heat cycle, breed a few hours after standing esterus and again 18-24 hours later. Since the length of esterus varies in each female, these are general rules. For optimal results in conception and litter size, you should attempt to inseminate within 0-24 hours of ovulation.

When inserting rod, rotate gently counter clockwise until it locks in the cervix. Place semen tube into catheter and with gentle pressure start semen flow. Continue the gentle pressure as the female's contractions draw up the semen. When the tube is about empty do not push a lot of air through the spirette or you will fill the cervix with air and push the semen back out. Turn the catheter clockwise to remove it.