Semen quality & evaluation Flashcards
objectives of artificial insemination (AI)
- Genetic improvement of livestock
- disease control mechanism
- Possible to increase fertility
- decrease breeding expense
semen collection
- rectal massage
- electroejaculation
- artificial vagina (AV) method
artificial vagina method (AV)
- consists of a large rubber tube lined with a
water holding jacket - A receptacle for collecting the semen is attached to the end of
the tube
temperature for AV method
113 F bull, ram, sire
ejaculate characteristics for stallion, bull, boar, and ram
quick overview
components of semen
- water
- protein
- substrates
- sperm
- inorganic salts
initial semen evaluation
- motility
- concetration
- volume
- color
- viability
- morphology
semen color and volume
color:
- white to cream color (good)
- yellow (urine present)
- clear or thin appearance (few sperm)
volume:
- weight 1mL = 1 gm
motility evaluation
visual estimation: 5%
total motility = all the moving sperm
progressive motility = sperm moving ina forward direction
fluorescent sperm viability assay
red = dead
green = viable
morphology
variety of sample preparations:
- stain vs no stain
- wet mount vs dry or fixed
- magnification of observation
insemination process
- load the cow into the chute
- thawing the semen
- loading in the AI rod
- locating the cervix
- cleaning the vulva
- cleaning the vulva
- inserting the rod
- depositing the semen
- removing the rod
- massaging the tract
why is important to evaluate semen quality?
- breeding soundness evaluation of male
- semen processing for storage
- ensure semen viability before AI
how does volume of semen increase?
- increase in age and size of the animal
- general reproductive health
- vigor and frequency of service
- teasing bulls practice to increase the volume of semen
decreased volume of semen =
- Young or old males
- reproductive/general illness
- males used excessively
- incomplete or failure to ejaculate
- Bilateral seminal vesiculitis
