Lecture 22: Artificial Insemination
Reading
History of Artificial Insemination
- Arab Chieftains
- Stole semen to breed mares
- Leeuwenhook - 1677
- Used microscope to see sperm
- Spallenzani - 1780
- Sperm could fertilize
- Cooling and freezing inactivated sperm and upon warming sperm
were reactivated
- Ivanov (Russia) - 1900
- Developed methods as we know today
- Most work was with horses but did some cattle and pig work
- Denmark - 1933
- First US AI Cooperative - 1937
- First US dairy cooperative in New Jersey
- Dairy cooperatives increase in numbers - 1940’s and
1950’s
- Dairy cooperatives merge and form large companies that dominate
cattle AI industry - 1960’s to present
- All turkey’s bred AI - 1960’s to present
- Expansion of swine AI - 1990’s
- Expansion of horse AI - 1990’s
Objectives of Artificial Insemination
- Genetic improvement of livestock
- Disease control mechanism
- Possible to increase fertility
- Decrease breeding expense
Current Status of US Industry
- Dairy Cattle
- 7 million (50%) - in Denmark, Japan, 90-100%
- Beef Cattle
- Swine
- Turkey
- Horses
Advantages of AI
- Genetic Improvement
- Wide spread use and availability of genetically superior
sires
- 1 bull can breed 500,000 cows in a lifetime
- After death, semen can be used
- Oldest frozen semen 40 - 45 years old
- Rapid proof of sire
- Progeny testing examines offspring for desired traits
- With natural mating would only have 100’s of offspring
- Availability of sires
- Danger of bull (male) removed
- Disease reduction
- Crossbreeding
- Can try without buying sire
- Improved management
- Economics
- Cost of very good sire reduced because extend semen
- Cost to maintain sire’s reduced as don’t need as
many to breed all the females
Disadvantages
- Estrus detection must be good
- Trained inseminator
- Bull semen the best, other species not as good
- Use of poor male may increase if not tested well
- Technology to store cooled or frozen semen
Insemination of the Female
- Detection of estrus
- No need to review this material
- Time of insemination
- Cattle (2X daily heat detection)
- 12 hours after observed in standing heat (AM - PM rule)
- Inseminate on the day of estrus
- Swine (2X daily heat detection)
- Sow - 24 and 36 hours after first seen in estrus
- Gilt - 12 and 24 hours after first seen in estrus
- Sheep
- 12 to 18 hours after first seen in estrus
- Horses
- Every second day beginning on day 3 of heat
- Breed when reach 40 - 45 mm follicle
- Breed 24 hours after HCG injection
- HCG given when a >35 mm follicle is present
- Ovulation is 36 to 40 hours after HCG
- Dogs
- Bitches ovulate around day 10 after they enter proestrus (discharge) or about 1 - 2 days of estrus.
- Ovulation can be detected by:
- LH assay (peak LH value + one day)
- Progesterone assay (>5 ng/ml)
- Cytology of vaginal smear (>50% cornified cells)
- Remember oocytes in the canine are ovulated as 1° oocytes and must mature in the oviduct to a 2° oocyte before fertilization.
- Fresh or cooled semen, inseminate 2 days after ovulation detected and again 48 - 72 hr latter.
- Frozen semen, inseminate on day 5 - 7 after ovulation
- Uterine insemination better than cervical
- Insemination protocol
Factors Effecting Conception Rate
- How is conception rate measured?
- Non-return rate
- Rectal palpation
- Ultrasound
- Time of insemination
- If after ovulation then get aging of oocytes
- # of sperm inseminated
- Fertility of males
- Skill of inseminator
Use and Success of Artificial Insemination
|
Semen |
|
|
| Species |
Liquid |
Frozen |
Preg. Rate |
Major Problems |
| Dairy Cattle |
OK |
OK |
60-70 |
OK, need good heat detection |
| Beef Cattle |
OK |
OK |
55-65 |
Range area large: poor heat
detection |
| Sheep |
OK |
Fair |
50-65 |
Large range; low value of ewe |
| Swine |
OK |
Fair |
40-75 |
Estrus detection |
| Horses |
OK |
Fair |
30-60 |
Timing insemination, breed
restrictions |
| Turkey |
OK |
Poor |
90 |
None |
| Humans |
OK |
Fair |
5-30 |
Donors; infertility; time |
| Dogs |
OK |
Fair - Good |
30-90 |
Frozen must be done IntraUterine |
Review Quizzes