I sell frozen semen and have clients who are insistant on the motility labs. When I try to tell them that each ejaculate can be very different in terms of motility and that I am hesitant to put forth findings for one batch that may not necessarily cover the batch they have they become quite annoyed and want to know why. How do you recommend that I explain to them the facts re: frozen semen without scaring them off using frozen semen. Any help will be appreciated
Hi Dantina, I am a breeding manager and I have mixed feelings about frozen semen myself. For quite a while we had a good run going with frozen semen conceptions, but I have run into some difficulties that really make me question using frozen semen. The convenience of having frozen semen available at any time is great. The stallion can be showing or training and he does not have to disrupt that schedule. You can have semen on hand for whenever the mare is ready...no worries about delay in shipping or whether the stallion is being collected that day. If the stallion should perish, his bloodlines can continue with the use of frozen semen. (rules vary between breed registries) On the flip side however, you have to have a far more skilled veterinarian (or breeding manager, whichever the case may be) to manage the mare and handle the frozen semen. There are increased costs that go along as well.
I guess that didn't really help did it?! When I discuss frozen semen with clients, I try and just lay out all the facts that I know. They need to know that a stallion's environment weighs on each collection...training, showing, stress, time of year can alter his fertility. Each collection, even cooled, is different from the next. How a collection freezes can be different from one time to the next. Then of course you can go into the different techniques used can have different results.
Potential clients need to know that when semen is frozen, the person doing the freezing evaluates the collection each time. The amount of semen put into each straw is calculated based on that evaluation, the estimated thawed progressive motility (average 30-40%) and the final breeding dose needing to be a minimum of 500 million progressively motile sperm. In my experience, I estimate that I get more than 500 million pms per dose.
Another important factor I discuss is that just because a stallion has a good track record with cooled semen and the test thaws look good, does not equate to successful breedings with frozen semen. Different mare respond differently to frozen semen.
Gads, I'm a bit too tired to make much sense!! Just tell them the facts...let them make an informed decision, help them make a pro and con list for using frozen semen. It ma or may not be right for their situation.
Good luck, good night!
Sara
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