Semen

[VanC]

Couple of questions for you AI folks.

Let's say you have a bull you want collected for your own use only. Could you have it diluted less than the normal amount? Would that increase conception rates?

 

[certherfbeef]

Couple of questions for you AI folks.

Let's say you have a bull you want collected for your own use only. Could you have it diluted less than the normal amount? Would that increase conception rates?

Why would you want to dilute it? That would decrease conception rates

 

[Proverbs 12:10]

Couple of questions for you AI folks.

Let's say you have a bull you want collected for your own use only. Could you have it diluted less than the normal amount? Would that increase conception rates?

Why would you want to do the bull's work for him? Are you needing to breed a lot more cows than the bull can service or are you planning on running the semen thru the sexed semen guys? Either way you don't want to dilute the semen...you can get a lot of shots out of each collection because the straw doesn't use near as much semen as the bull produces on one shot.

 

[VanC]

Why would you want to do the bull's work for him? Are you needing to breed a lot more cows than the bull can service or are you planning on running the semen thru the sexed semen guys?

It's a hypothetical question. Let's assume you want to breed 100 cows in a short breeding season to this bull. You AI them to him and then turn him out with them to clean up.

Either way you don't want to dilute the semen...you can get a lot of shots out of each collection because the straw doesn't use near as much semen as the bull produces on one shot.

What you've just described is known as "diluting" or "extending" the semen. You can get hundreds of cows bred from one ejaculation. Plus they put things in the dilution solution that protects the sperm during freezing and extends the life of the sperm. It's very common and has been done for many years.

 

[dun]

Semen is diluted to a s[ecific level for a reason. I don;t recall what the number of live motile sperm are, but cut below that amount and conception sufffers. I suppose you could cut it less and maybe get better conception.

dun

 

[MikeC]

Couple of questions for you AI folks.

Let's say you have a bull you want collected for your own use only. Could you have it diluted less than the normal amount? Would that increase conception rates?

Why would you want to dilute it? That would decrease conception rates

It's always diluted. Antibiotics and Extenders are added.

If the extenders are not added the freezing process will render the sperm useless when thawed.

In other words.........their "tails will break off". :lol:

 

[dun]

In other words.........their "tails will break off". :lol:

More then the tails falling off is the problem of the ice crystals rupturing the head. Saw a demonstration of that back in the 70s, poor little sperms leaked all of their juice out.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I think what you are asking is can you have MORE sperm put into a straw than what most companies do. YES. ABS puts 5-8 million in each straw (last I heard) My guy that collects Macho puts a MINIMUM of 30 million in each straw. Genex tested a few of my straws, and they had 42 million.
Each collection produces a varied number of cc's of sperm. So, depending on the age of the bull, ejaculation, and how much it is "cut", you may get anywhere from 100-500 (or more or less). We have gotten 370 units out of one collection with the straws being "stuffed".
More sperm = higher conception possibilities - but if the cow isn't right, you will still not get her bred no matter how many "wigglies" you put in her. :shock:

 

[Victoria]

I think what you are asking is can you have MORE sperm put into a straw than what most companies do. YES. ABS puts 5-8 million in each straw (last I heard) My guy that collects Macho puts a MINIMUM of 30 million in each straw. Genex tested a few of my straws, and they had 42 million.
Each collection produces a varied number of cc's of sperm. So, depending on the age of the bull, ejaculation, and how much it is "cut", you may get anywhere from 100-500 (or more or less). We have gotten 370 units out of one collection with the straws being "stuffed".
More sperm = higher conception possibilities - but if the cow isn't right, you will still not get her bred no matter how many "wigglies" you put in her. :shock:

Thanks for the information Jeanne. I've been wondering about this.

 

[VanC]

I think what you are asking is can you have MORE sperm put into a straw than what most companies do. YES. ABS puts 5-8 million in each straw (last I heard) My guy that collects Macho puts a MINIMUM of 30 million in each straw. Genex tested a few of my straws, and they had 42 million.
Each collection produces a varied number of cc's of sperm. So, depending on the age of the bull, ejaculation, and how much it is "cut", you may get anywhere from 100-500 (or more or less). We have gotten 370 units out of one collection with the straws being "stuffed".
More sperm = higher conception possibilities - but if the cow isn't right, you will still not get her bred no matter how many "wigglies" you put in her. :shock:

Thanks, Jeanne. That's exactly what I was asking. I was kind of surprised at the first two answers to this thread. You have cleared things up for me.