Be careful to use either a hemostat or tweezers to pick up the straws to avoid direct contact with skin. Wearing gloves would be even better. Staff photos.

• Hemostats (for use instead of tweezers)
• Disposable sheath protector tubes, to minimize contamination

“Keep these items in a dust-free and dry space. Be sure to clean and disinfect the items in the A.I. kit both before and after using. Clean the items with warm water and soap to make sure all residue is rinsed off. Then, disinfect using chlorohydrins. Beware that disinfectants can be spermicidal, so producers should rinse well so they don’t affect the fertility of the semen sample,” cautions Hawkins.

In addition to items in an A.I. kit, producers may want to consider their options for timed A.I. or heat detection, of which there are many options on the market today, like Lutalyse, CIDRs and Kamar patches, to name just a few.

“They all do different things,” Hawkins says. “When producers are making protocols for their operation, they may use them all or maybe just use a few. They can always call our technical service veterinary team at Valley Vet Supply to help talk through the options; we can ask questions and help guide them toward options that make the most sense for their operation. Producers also can speak with their herd health veterinarian.”

Best practices for storage tanks, straws and A.I. techniques

Handling the storage tank

• Frozen semen should be kept in a liquid nitrogen tank. The storage tanks have a handle with a cup; that’s where the semen straws are kept. Always ensure skin never comes in direct contact with the inside of the tank or contents within it. Use an oven glove or an insulated leather glove, and use either a hemostat or tweezers to pick up the straws to avoid direct contact with skin.
  
  
• Be as quick as possible. Having good organization will help producers avoid keeping the tank open too long (risking damage to the sperm). A good way to avoid this issue is by knowing their inventory and having different compartments for the different bulls.
  
  
• Maintain a proper temperature in the tank, which is -184ºF. Also, maintain 3 inches of liquid nitrogen on the bottom of the tank. The best way to monitor the level of liquid nitrogen is by using a wooden yardstick. If the tank ever loses its seal, producers will notice some frost. This will indicate it’s not maintaining proper temperature inside, and if the semen doesn’t stay at that perfect temperature, it will lose fertility.

Thawing the straws

• Improperly thawing the semen will decrease the fertility in the sperm. Warm water thawing is industry-standard, and cattlemen can do that by using either a commercial thawing unit, like a water bath, or an insulated thermos.
  
  
• The industry-standard temperature is 90ºF to 95ºF water; thaw the straw for 40 seconds. Use a thermometer and a timer. Different semen suppliers may have different recommendations for thawing; follow their recommendations.
  
  
• Thaw straws individually. Cows need to be inseminated within 15 minutes from thawing. A best practice is to thaw a straw after the cow is caught, then inseminate her.
  
  
• After thawing, don’t allow the straws to cool off at all. Keep the straw in a shirt pocket to stay at that core body temperature. If the sperm are cold-shocked, it will affect sperm motility or even kill them. Also, keep in mind: UV sunlight is harmful, too.

Pointers on proper A.I. technique

Sanitation is important during insemination. Cleaning the cow thoroughly with water and towels, without disinfectant, is the safest procedure. Staff photos.

• Sanitation is significantly important during insemination to avoid carrying any bacteria into the uterus, which could cause infection. Using paper towels, wipe off any feces near the lips of the vulva and inside the visible vaginal wall before inseminating. Avoid using any disinfectants; those can be spermicidal.
  
  
• During insemination, the easiest way to minimize contamination and advance the straw is with some help from the producer’s arm that is in rectally. Put some downward pressure on that arm to spread apart the lips of the vulva. When inserting the straw, go at an upward angle of about 30 degrees.
  
  
• When advancing the straw and there is any resistance, using the hand that’s in rectally, take the cervix and push it in forward to straighten out the vagina.
  
  
• Getting the straw through the cervix can take some practice, but there are some ways to make it easier. It’s common to experience some difficulty here because there is a pouch all the way around the cervix called the fornix; it’s easy to get stuck in this blind pouch. When advancing the straw, make sure to be in the middle of the cervix. And rather than pushing the straw through the cervix, hold the straw firmly and then with the hand that is rectal, grasp the cervix and pull the cervix over the straw.
  
  
• The last point is to avoid going too deep into the uterus. If the straw gets into one of the horns of the uterus, instead of staying in the body, there is risk of unsuccessfully inseminating that cow because they ovulate from only one side. So if she is inseminated from the wrong side on accident, the sperm simply will not get to the right side in which she is ovulating.

Hawkins recommends, “For those who may be newer to A.I., keep this article handy for pointers and reminders. If you’re interested in beginning an A.I. program in your herd, we suggest to first speak with your veterinarian to help identify a bovine artificial insemination training course that would be right for you or to connect with a trained specialist.”  

PHOTO 1:

PHOTO 2: Be careful to use either a hemostat or tweezers to pick up the straws to avoid direct contact with skin. Wearing gloves would be even better.

PHOTO 3:

• Aimee Robinson

• Content Manager
• Valley Vet Supply
• Email Aimee Robinson