ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION ▶▶▶
From stud to sows – how to truck semen?
Transporting pig semen doses from boar stud to breeding farm is much more than just simple delivery. Temperature differences as well as vibrations are just two factors that can affect semen quality during the journey. Let’s follow semen dosages as they travel from AI centre to farm – what can happen and what needs to be looked out for?
BY JOAQUIN MIGUEL, FERNANDO DE MERGELINA, NOELIA MENDOZA, PEDRO SOL- ER AND RAQUEL AUSEJO, MAGAPOR, SPAIN
B 1
efore the onset of this imaginary journey it’s good to introduce a few vital aspects of semen transport. The most important of them is temperature. The optimum temperature range for preservation of se- men doses is 15–19ºC. Under those conditions, the semen’s lifespan is maximal and the sperm cell’s viability is preserved for a longer period, because its metabolic activity is de- creased at basal levels without altering the integrity of its membrane and various organelles. So before anything else, it’s essential to keep the temperature constant throughout transport as well as in the farm’s storage unit, avoiding
temperature fluctuations as much as possible (see Figure 1). Another aspect to keep in mind is thermal inertia. This means that liquids like semen doses are often unlikely to rap- idly change temperature. In practice, this means that when the transport begins in hot conditions, storage units for con- servation will be unable to sufficiently cool the doses. Ther- mal inertia can, however, also be an advantage when doses have reached the desired temperature prior to being trans- ported – irrespective of whether the semen is delivered un- der controlled conditions or by courier. Thirdly, during transport, semen doses are going to be sub- mitted to stress factors, including potential temperature variations as well as physical vibrations. That can result in er- rors (see also Figure 2). Finally, transportation involves three parties – a boar stud, a farm and an (external) transporter. All have different roles to play and different interests in the process. Maintaining a good balance between the three is important (see Figure 3).
1. The start of a semen transport There are a range of things to keep in mind when starting a semen transport. The following set of recommendations is aimed at achieving dose transport under controlled temperatures.
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Neatly stored in a container, the semen is ready to go.
Vibration might be a problem during transport from stud to sow.
24 ▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 5, 2020
PHOTO: MAGAPOR
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
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