AndyPandy
Well-Known Member
Last week, I received a call from a man who wanted to ask me about handling semen after collection. He told me that they had been having no luck with artificial insemination, and that all the sperm they had been sending out had 0-10% motility after only a few hours. "What am I doing wrong!?" he asked.
I asked him what he did when collecting the semen. He told me that they collected using an AV into a room temperature bottle, then added 35degreesC extender, then put it straight into a pre-cooled shipper.
Generally, a good rule of thumb is that sperm cells will only put up with one chill-and-warm cycle. I.e. you can cool it once, and then warm it up by putting it into the mare. But heating and recooling is not recommended. Also, sperm cells must be cooled fairly slowly, so sticking them straight into a cold shipper is a bit harsh on the poor buggers.
I explained how he could improve his protocol, and he seemed pleased. He then informed me that he was going to be freezing semen, and was surprised when I told him he could not just stick extended semen into his kitchen-type freezer...
Do you know what the best bit is? Today, I found out that this man is on the BEVA register of "experienced" AI Vets. What on EARTH is going on!?
I asked him what he did when collecting the semen. He told me that they collected using an AV into a room temperature bottle, then added 35degreesC extender, then put it straight into a pre-cooled shipper.
Generally, a good rule of thumb is that sperm cells will only put up with one chill-and-warm cycle. I.e. you can cool it once, and then warm it up by putting it into the mare. But heating and recooling is not recommended. Also, sperm cells must be cooled fairly slowly, so sticking them straight into a cold shipper is a bit harsh on the poor buggers.
I explained how he could improve his protocol, and he seemed pleased. He then informed me that he was going to be freezing semen, and was surprised when I told him he could not just stick extended semen into his kitchen-type freezer...
Do you know what the best bit is? Today, I found out that this man is on the BEVA register of "experienced" AI Vets. What on EARTH is going on!?
