The price of liquid nitrogen.

[Hilltop]

Just wondering what everyone is paying to have tanks filled these days. We have not seen a bill for a few years now so not sure of the cost.
We were going to the city today so thought I would take the spare and fill it so we can spread semen between the two tanks again so it is easier to work with when we start AI'in.
So..........I call a number and ask if they have N2 and if they will fill a semen tank. He says yes. Good! Right?
We get there and fill it and I went in to pay and he said $132.00, and ...................I said WHAT?  :'( He repeats himself again and I asked if he was kidding and he said no it is 6 bucks a litre. Somehow I managed to not tell him to take it and shove it where, well you get the point and I just said I am not paying that much. He went on to say that is what it will cost so I said lets go dump out the tank and he can have the N2 back. I could tell he was a impressed as me and I said once again I am not paying that much and lets go dump the tank. He then gets the calculater and says he can do it for 72.00. I then said I am not paying $132.00 but will give him the 72 even though it was still a RIP OFF. I payed and said "Thanks a lot" and got a dirty look but thought what a rip off and why I am not getting a thank you! ? : lol

Has it gone up that much and I am so far behind I think I am first? :-\

 

[vcsf]

I have two tanks (a 34HC and an old 18XT) that I keep filled on a contract with the local ABS/Genex rep the bill for this year paid in advance was $300 each plus $100 mileage for him to drive just over a half mile out of his way when he goes to fill with nitrogen.  I definitely feel like it is a bit of a rip off but this way I don't have to worry about it much and to me that is worth a lot.

 

[Bertch]

when I was in the city and got my nitrogen from a welding supply store it would cost 65 bucks to fill my 20 liter tank. Now I get it from the local college for 25 bucks. The key is getting nitrogen from either a semen distributor or a medical supplier. I currently get mine from the latter.

 

[cbcr]

I have 2 tanks and I took them to Genex outside of Springfield, MO to get them filled.  Cost me $45 for both.  But that is about half what it would cost for them to come to the farm.

Called a couple of LN suppliers, and if I had taken them in it would have been from $120 to $150 to get them both filled. 

I sure miss the good ol' days when it used to only cost $6 to get a tank filled!

 

[JSchroeder]

$30 to top off about 20 liters at the local welding supply.  I make sure he understands I'm willing to pay more because I don't see how it's worth his time do do it that cheap.

 

[justintime]

Gary, I think you must have the  same guy filling your tanks as I have. He comes to the farm and fills all my tanks and I can't remember the last time I got a bill from him. I'm thinking it has to be at least 8 years.. maybe more like 10 or 12. Every time I see him filling the tanks, I ask him how much I owe him, and he says he will get a bill ready and send it out, but so far I have never seen one. I have 6 tanks that are filled regularly and another couple that are filled in the spring so I have nitogen here to fill dry shippers, so I may owe the guy my farm by now. In the past two years I have given him 3 cheques for $500 and asked him again if  he could let me know what I owe him. I have no idea what he is charging and I have no idea what he lives on, as he never gets his invoices made out!  
When a friend of mine died, his wife told me she wanted to give me his semen tank and all the semen in it, for my help in dispersing the cows, and for keeping part of the cows and heifers for a year. The problem is  this guy (who fills my tanks)  has my deceased friends tank. I have offered to pay any charges owing on this tank and he says he will figure it out, but again I have not seen a bill. Meanwhile, another 2+ years have gone by, and I still don't have the tank. I saw him a few days ago, and I asked him again, and he said he would do an inventory and let me know what is owing... still nothing.

 

[linnettejane]

i was just quoted $50 per fill up for a medium size tank that gets filled 4 times a year, from an abs rep

 

[cowgirl864]

I guess i'm really lucky, we only pay 20$ a tank for my xc20/20's

 

[Freddy]

The semen companies get a discount from different supply companies in your area ,there was quite a mark up ,nitrogen has been raising and is higher.. In this area some of the dealers will fill your tank for free if you buy nitrogen from them and if you order your semen at the same time they make a trip it works to benifit you both ...Cost of gas is the big thing not the nitrogen,and when you live in those highly populated area's there going to stick it to you more I think ...Talking small herds , semen orders in this country might be anywhere from  50 head to 2000 head ....  There always tell me that it is hard on your jugs to let them go dry and refill them, its better to maintain them if you want your jug to last ...Back here some dealers keep the jug most of the year so it is handy to fill and then deliver when needed and pick up when through ....

 

[kdoublet]

I pay by the pound.  They weigh each tank before and after the LN fill and I pay $.93/lb.  I have to take my tanks to them, but they are only a few miles away.  1 liter of LN = 1.782 lbs.

 

[Cowboy]

We are lucky here in SW Neb, as I live only about 30 miles from Neb Bull Service, where almost all the bulls are collected in this part of the world. I take my tanks there sometimes several times a month depending on how busy we are freezing embryos. A XC Millenium 2000, when less than 1/3 full, will cost me about 15 dollars to fill.

My ABS rep comes here every 60 days as well, and I keep an old tank around just for N2 for the lab and to pour into my other tanks if needed. I can have that thing completely dry and warm and  it is 35 dollars to fill it, and he will top off the others too for free if they aren't too low. Good guys, good service.

Used to be about 20 years ago a 20 dollar fill up on my old HUGE -- 35 day tank --- was too much I thought, how things have changed. All kidding aside, your 132 dollar fill up is a flat rip off -- don't care how many times the N2 changed hands, it NOT worth it. I guess it does pay to be a HICK from the back woods, at least people out here still know value and cost -- versus a one time rip off -- it is called SERVICE, the more you give the more you get back- as it should be!

Good luck every one -- Terry

 

[OH Breeder]

ABS rep fills mine
$50 for three tanks a fill about 4-5 times a year

 

[flacowman]

My select sires rep fills my SS tanks for 10 and other tanks for 15, all of mine hold well for 3 months including the 20 year old SS tank, the first we actually owned

 

[Till-Hill]

Between our dairy and my beef cows and custom A.I. jobs that I buy semen for I have never paid for liquid nitrogen. Maybe sometimes I don't get quite as good of a deal on the semen it self but I hope I do when I always buy no less than 5 units of a bull to make it easy on them for not splitting a cane up. And  no matter who stops they fill my tanks. ABS, Accelerated, Semex, Select Sires, Genex........But we also buy $15,000 worth of semen plus supplies and what not.

Buy in quanity (5-10 of each bull) and split it  with a friend or someone close and put your tanks in the off season somewhere easy to fill and as many tanks as you can get rounded up of other peoples and I know you will be able to lower you nitrogen costs. Just an idea.

 

[firesweepranch]

OK, so I feel REALLY lucky! Our ABS rep fills mine for free! Never received a bill. And he comes out and fills it without me needing to ask, he just has us on a schedule. Fills three times a year, if I remember correctly!