New Breeding Frozen Semen – Opportunities for Chilled Semen Working Dogs Dr John F Newell B.V.Sc., Director – Consultant at Central West Canine Breeding
Canine Frozen Semen technologies have advanced over the past two decades and now provide market opportunities and the assurance that the semen of your valuable breed lines can be preserved indefinitely for future use or on-sale. Both the Greyhound Industry and the Show Dog world have embraced frozen semen breeding as the preferred breeding method for more than 10 years. Instead of using the entire ejaculate, as occurs with natural mating, semen collected and processed according to strict protocols usually yields 3 to 6 breeding units per ejaculate. There is no compromise to litter size or the health and vigor of the puppies.
The Advantages of Frozen Semen · Breed to a sire when he is no longer capable of doing so · Breed more than one bitch to the same sire on the same day · Breed more than one bitch to the same sire in different locations on the same day · Prove sire before he retires to stud · Utilizes known semen quality – maximizes conception rates
Greyhound race times have reduced since the widespread use of frozen semen – only the strongest, most vigorous and anatomically normal sperm survive the freezing process. Breeders now have access to the top genetics from around the world which has also improved the gene pool.
· Provides less stress for aging sires – thereby prolonging reproductive life
Frozen semen allows us to better manage our sires. Quality collections can be stored at times of highest fertility during the cooler months of the year for use when high temperature stress may affect semen quality The majority of bitches cycle at this time of year when the sire is less capable of “keeping up with the demand”.
· Achieve more than one breeding from one collection
Once semen has been collected and processed for freezing, according to strict protocols, it may be stored indefinitely in liquid nitrogen at minus1960C. We have achieved a successful conception from 23-yearold semen and produced healthy pups. Frozen semen provides unlimited options for line breeding. Frozen semen may be relocated around Australia or even sent Internationally provided the collection has been prepared and blood tests completed according to the requirements of the importing country. By taking full control of the semen processing, we know there is 100 million normal living motile sperm per inseminate dose. If we are preparing a bitch for implant at Central West Canine Breeding (CWCB), we monitor the rise in progesterone levels by blood test as well as vaginal cytology smears to track the season to the optimum time to breed. [We will discuss Progesterone Testing & Vaginal Cytology – When to Breed -in a subsequent article]. Semen may then be inserted by surgical implant or trans-cervical insemination (TCI). Conception rates average 90% at CWCB.
· Less time and travel cost for the bitch · Provides affordable insurance against loss of stud dog reproductive services
· Exert positive control of reproductive diseases · Preservation of the sire’s gene pool after death · Allows pre-purchase of breeding units facilitating a planned breeding program · Provides easy access to the sire of your choice · Allows affordable access to overseas sires and semen export to new markets · Provides access to a wider gene pool encapsulating hybrid vigor · Avoids trauma and mating injury with post coital haemorrhage · Allows better sire management with less demands in summer when bitch demands are high · Avoids sire – bitch behaviour incompatibility. Sometimes the bitch will not accept the male and vice versa
