Description
Artificial Insemination (AI) is now becoming more and more popular. Stallion owners are requiring semen to be shipped, inseminated and quality tested. Coincident with this increase there is a tremendous disparity in success rates. Some of this can be attributed to differences in the inherent fertility of the mares and stallions or in the ability of the semen from certain stallions to survive the rigors of processing. However, much of it may be a result of differences in handling and processing of the semen. Stallion semen can be either preserved for 12-72 hours in its liquid state or for many years if frozen and preserved in liquid nitrogen. Prior to offering a stallion for AI, it is important to determine the stallion’s sperm ability to tolerate the cooling and/or freezing realizing that appropriate semen handling is critical and can have a significant effect on the results.
Stallion handling and semen collection and artificial insemination requires a high level of skill in order to attain good results and in safety.
Learning Objectives
- How to handle stallions for effective and safe semen collection
- How to prepare the artificial vagina
- How to evaluate the semen sample
- How to package the semen sample
- How to prepare the mare for insemination
- How to maximise pregnancy rates using AI
