Equine Reproductive Services
Artificial Insemination:
We provide equine artificial insemination services with cooled semen. Breeding mares with cooled semen requires that all parties involved (mare owners, stallion manager and veterinarians) need to coordinate semen shipments with the mare's ovulation before shipping semen.
Some potential items to consider:
- Cost of stallion collection
- Cost of preparing semen for shipment, number of collections provided per breeding, the cost of shipping by air and how shipping containers must be returned
- Days of the week stallion is collected
- Times when stallion is unavailable
- Days notice stallion manager needs before semen shipment
- Latest time one can call to obtain semen
- Longevity of semen
- First cycle conception rate of the stallion
- Method of transport used
- Number of times mare can be bred if she does not conceive (is the contract limited to 1, 2, or 3 yrs.)
First cycle conception rates tend to be slightly lower with shipped semen than with natural breeding. Cooled semen opens up increased opportunities for available stallions, decreases some risks, and eliminates transport of mare’s to the stallion’s breeding facility. AI does require more intense breeding management and veterinary costs are higher. Mares need to be examined regularly and bred within 24 hrs. of ovulation. Ovulation can be influenced by using HCG, although response can be variable between mares.
Ultrasound:
Reproductive ultrasound for breeding evaluation as well as insemination timing can increase the likelihood of pregnancy in your brood mares. Pregnancy diagnosis can be performed at or around 18 days post insemination giving sufficient time to reorder semen if needed. |
