Thawing semen question

[Alan]

I AI'ed two cows a couple of days ago. We had both cows caught up in a 60' working pen leading to a squeeze chute. Since I had both caught up and one in the alley, I put two straws of semen in the water at 95 degrees. While I AI'ed the first cow the second decided to go under the panels back with some cows in a small holding area, it took 5 maybe 7 minutes, 10 at the most to get her caught up and AI'ed. In that period of time is the semen still good setting in 95 degree water? I should say I was lucky that I felt the gun go through all 3 holes in the cervex, I'm sure it was a good AI, just not sure about the condition of the semen after all the excitment was over and I had time to think about it.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[KNERSIE]

Alan,

I am quite sure there would still be enough live semen to get the job done. AFter I have seen how many dairy people AI and still get cows bred, it made me think that everything isn't as critical as the semen studs make it out to be.

Something similar happened to me a few years ago and after that experience I have decided that it isn't all that much trouble to thaw straws one at a time.

AI can be a humbling experience, sooner or later you will get one where you can't get the gun through the cervix no matter how long you try, sometimes they will even settle and other times they will not when everything felt perfect.

That being said, nothing makes me more proud than to see how the calves of well planned matings turn out as good or better than expected.

 

[novatech]

Should be OK, A good trick is to put it your arm pit while waiting or doing other things.

 

[hillsdown]

You have a 30 second to 15 minutes maximum while in the thaw unit however knowing how the instructors stress everything during an AI course you probably have 20 minutes especially if you are using an electric thaw unit instead of just the plain thermos ones.Also if semen is to be thawed for a longer period of use,ice water thaw.I don't thaw more than one straw at a time anymore because something will always go wrong when you are on a tight schedule.Aslo even if you have the cows secured you could be working on one for half an hour before finally getting through the cervix.

 

[Northern Rancher]

When I'm breeding big batches-100plus at once-I thaw 5 straws at a time-I can usually average about 40 head an hour pretty easy if somebody is loading guns and bringing cattle up for me. i wouldn't take a half hour to try and thread a cow unless she was the only to do that day-you'd kind of play yourself out for the ones ahead of you in a big bunch. Sometimes things don't go by the book and they still catch ok for sure lol.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The life span of thawed semen is extremely variable - depending on the bull quality and the type/amount of "food extender" used.
I didn't realize there could be so much difference. A friend used to collect stallions. He said one stud had to have the semen placed in the mare immediately, and another one he could set the semen on the counter & it would be good for days!!
Also, when bulls are collected & semen frozen, they test the "life span" of the semen after collection. Macho's semen (our bull) still had 70% live viable sperm after 5 hours thawed. I NEVER knew that was possible. But, as said, varies from bull to bull.