7 Steps in Collecting, Processing, and Shipping Semen

1. There are a number of different styles of AV’s used to collect semen. The use of a plastic throwaway liner helps in maintaining a sanitary environment for the semen while it is being collected. A critical factor is the water temperature used in the AV when collecting. Having the collection bottle protected with an insulated cover to insure precise temperature control of the semen is very important. The use of an in-line strainer insures the best product to start with for processing for shipment.
   
2. After collection, check the volume of strained semen.
   
3. A counter will quickly give you an accurate count of sperm per cc of strained semen.
   
4. Check the sample with a microscope and determine the percent of progressive motile sperm. This count is important to determine the number of usable sperm needed to make up the shipment.
   
5. You need to calculate the number of viable sperm to determine the shipping quantity. Each shipment of semen should contain one billion progressive motile sperm.
   
6. The semen must be “extended” to safeguard the product for shipment. If the semen is to be shipped, an extender with an antibiotic should be used. Most raw semen should be mixed at the rate of three parts extender to one part semen. Older stallions may require a greater than three to one ratio of extender to semen for best shipment.
   
7. Semen should be cooled slowly for the first six hours. This is accomplished by placing it in an equatainer, as it is designed to cool the semen from 37 degrees centigrade to 4 degrees centigrade over a period of six hours. Generally, shipments can be made overnight and delivered by 10 AM the next morning. The equatainer will give you a good temperature control for 48 hours or more. Do not open the container until the veterinarian is ready to breed the mare. There should be a report included with the semen shipment that gives the stallion’s name, the number of sperm per cc of strained semen, the percent of progressive motile sperm in the sample, the extender used, and the total number of sperm in the shipment. The shipper should always retain a sample of the collection and review it in 24 hours. This way he has an indication of the quality of the semen that was shipped. ***Communication between the collector and the veterinarian inseminating the mare is encouraged.

For More Information Contact:

Jenson American Shires
9110 P-35, Blair, NE 68008
Tel: (402) 426-3198
FAX:
Internet: ClarkJenson@huntel.net