Insemination

Did you know that in the dairy industry, artificial insemination has been commercially available for more than 65 years? Many farmers are using this technique very effectively as well by swine producers. The numbers show that in dairy breeding, about two-thirds are artificially inseminated and with swine, it’s about 75%. But why are only 10 percent of beef breeders using this technique? There’s a number of reasons, some of which include improper training, being unaware of the technique, or simply not having the right tools. At All Vet Supply, we have a wide range of tools to get you started. So let’s take a look at some of the benefits.

Benefits of using artificial insemination:

● artificial insemination makes it easy to breed animals that are in different locations.

● it also minimizes the risk to the female animal by keeping her separated from the male.

● artificial insemination also allows you to easily introduce new genetic material into your established group of animals for better diversity and a reduced risk of birth defects.

● the ability to use sires with a superior genetic profile, using the best bulls of the breed.

● improving production traits in cattle operation and getting a better breed over time.

● the ability to mate specific sires to individual cows and tailor your breeding procedures.

● reducing the number of herd bulls needed in cattle operation, since herd bulls sometimes can be a danger to have around.

● increased genetics for replacement heifers.

● frozen semen can be stored and used long after the donor or sire is dead. It also allows for the use of semen from an injured sire that is unable to breed naturally.

● takes longer to introduce new genetics.

● shorter calving season.

● offspring derived from the insemination process can be worth more money.

● if you are also doing the process combined with estrous synchronization, a shorter calving season can be achieved, resulting in a more consistent, uniform calf crop.

While there are the above listed benefits, there are some risks that you should know about when using artificial insemination for livestock breeding.

Disease One of the biggest risks when using artificial insemination is the possibility of your animals becoming infected with a disease. The disease is also spread nationally and internationally and can greatly impact the efficiency of your AI process. Inseminating livestock is an invasion into the volatile and delicate uterine environment that is very conducive to growing bacteria. Bacteria on human staff could be transferred to the inseminating gun during the loading procedure, besides any bacteria that is coming from the animals themselves.

Pregnancy This is not unique to the artificial insemination process, but there are many outcomes besides a normal birth that can happen when breeding livestock. There are many factors that affect the pregnancy term including stress, diet, health of the mother or surrogate, biological factors, and environment. Stress impacts the animal most likely in the pre-implantation phase, which is before the embryo attaches to the uterine lining. It is important to ensure that the artificial insemination process is comfortable and as easy as possible for the receiving female to mitigate these risks.

Heat Signs Less a risk and more of a consideration is the heat detection efficiency (rate). This is defined as the percentage of eligible cows that are actually seen or detected in heat. This is important because what producers are looking for is a group of cows that are most likely to display estrus in the next 24 days. It’s a good way to gauge if your artificial insemination process will be efficient, profitable, and productive for all involved.

Training Because you want to get the most from this process, it is important that you are using trained personnel. Professional technicians are more successful at artificial insemination than inexperienced owners or managers. Inseminators should attend frequent AI courses in order to improve their skills and techniques. Selection of a qualified inseminator is an important element in the success of the artificial insemination program and will maximize the benefits listed above. While the insemination process is simple to understand, it does require considerable manipulative skill, so training is a consideration for this process.

At All Vet Supply, we want your facility and animals to have the best artificial insemination process necessary so we carry both collection and injection devices designed to streamline the process while minimizing the trauma to the animal.

Our collection of insemination tools includes products at a variety of price points. Whatever your needs and budget are, you’ll find the best tools to propagate your livestock at All Vet Supply. Our high-quality insemination products are preferred by breeders throughout the country because of their reputation for superior performance.

Breeding livestock can be difficult, but with the right tools, the odds of success greatly increase. Choose All Vet Supply for superior brand name insemination products you can trust.