Equine-Reproduction.com Bulletin Board: Improving the quality of transported semen

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Equine-Reproduction.com Bulletin Board

Improving the quality of transported semen

Equine-Reproduction.com Bulletin Board » Transported Semen » Improving the quality of transported semen

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Anonymous
Posted From: 165.142.249.81

Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 09:07 am:

I'm hoping this message will help other frustrated stud managers. I've transported semen for five stud seasons with a 50% in foal strike rate. My own test of holding semen in containers for 48 hours, resulted in poor quality.
But yet good enough to get a mare in foal.
I've closely looked at hygiene (washing of stallion before collecting,)temps of extender before mixing semen, A.V lubricants.. the list goes on. I have been pulling my hair out until I finally worked out the problem.
I was pre- heating the extender to around 35 deg
(To allowing for the temp of collection to drop by the time I mix the semen into it.)
I was pre-heating the extender by placing the plastic bottle in boiling water until it reached the required temp. Then I was placing the bottle of extender in the incubator ( which was running at 35 deg) For some reason the boiling water on the plastic bottle reacted and when I mixed the semen in with the extender , more than 3/4's of the semen would die.
I have changed the procedure now by Placing the bottle of extender in warm water (35 deg) or in the incubator. This takes a fair while for the extender to reach the right temp, but my transported semen tests are now fantastic.
I'm sure someone else out there is making the same mistakes Good Luck

Jos
Posted From: 4.243.242.19

Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 10:24 pm:

I would suspect that if you were heating the extender by exposing it to boiling water then you were causing damage to the milk content and antibiotics in the extender, and that was what was causing your poor results.

We keep some of the small bottles of sterile water (for the extender) in the incubator all the time. Then when we need extender, we can simply add the powder portion (which is stored in the 'fridge) to the already warmed water, pop it all back in the incubator for a short while to bring it back up to temperature (the cold powder cools the water a little), and then *bingo* we're in business! :-)

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