Advantages of Artificial Insemination

Artificial Insemination in cattle has huge advantages in disease control and access to a pool of high-quality genetics. Reproductive diseases are a big concern for affecting semen quality and successful pregnancies in cattle. 6 diseases the bulls are tested for before collection are Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Leptospirosis, Trichomoniasis, Campylobacteriosis, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus. Vaccinations do exist for some of these reproductive diseases, but the best bet for elimination is testing for the diseases and preventing their spread by eliminating infected animals from the herd.

BUCKS, BULLS AND RAMS COLLECTION SERVICES OFFERED

At Virginia Herd Health Management Services, PC, we collect and freeze semen on BULLS, BUCKS AND RAMS. We do this in house or can, if a bull, ship the chilled, extended semen to Hawkeye Breeders in Adel Iowa for freezing.

  • Semen can be collected and frozen-or- Collected, extended and used as fresh chilled semen.
  • VHHMS uses various extenders depending on which works best for the male being collected.
  • VHHMS can store the frozen semen. There is a monthly fee and a handling charge as well.
  • Once collected the semen needs to gradually cool, over a 12 hour period to @ 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit or 3-5 degrees Celsius.
  • VHHmS orders in pre-printed straws for proper identification prior to collection. The straws can be 1/2cc or 1/4cc in volume.
  • The most important part of successful cryopreservation is pre-freeze motility and morphology.
    We want to see >80% both motility and morphology at collectionTo help optimize semen freezing we suggest having the male collected 7 days prior to freeze collection to clean out the male reproductive system so the sperm is fresh the day of freezing.