Artificial insemination of animals: methods, techniques, results

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many farms today practice the method of artificial insemination of animals - cattle, small cattle, pigs, etc. This technology has a number of undeniable advantages. In this case, several methods of artificial insemination can be used on farms.

Historical background

Man started to use the technology of artificial insemination of females quite a long time ago. For example, historians know that once the sperm of Arabian stallions was collected in sponges and transported to other countries to fertilize local mares.

Also, peasants in ancient times put a sponge in the vagina of horses before covering them with males. Then such material was pulled out and moved into the vagina of another horse. Thus, several foals could be obtained from one horse.

The roots of artificial insemination of animals go, thus, into antiquity. However, this technique began to be widely used in farms of various specializations only at the end of the 19th century. The founder of this new technology is considered to be V. P. Vrassky, who first used it at that time on fish and scientifically.substantiated artificial insemination.

Key Benefits

The advantages of using artificial insemination in farms include, first of all, the absence of the need to maintain and feed a large number of male producers.

Another indisputable advantage of this method is the possibility of improving the breeding qualities of the herd at low cost. Instead of expensive pedigreed male sires, farms using this technology buy their much cheaper sperm. This significantly reduces the cost of breeding thoroughbred horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc.

They sell breeding material from farms that specialize in growing producers with excellent breed qualities. Such farms are also usually profitable and make a good profit on the sale of sperm from thoroughbred producers.

Also, the advantages of artificial insemination of animals include:

• improvement of the veterinary situation on the farm (male and female do not directly contact, and therefore cannot transmit various kinds of diseases to each other);
• possibility of more orderly farming (planning the birth of calves with artificial insemination is easier);
• one-time birth of offspring.

Disadvantages of artificial insemination

There are practically no downsides to this herd replenishment technology. The only thing is that such a technique can be used mainly only in fairly large farms. Ownersbackyards, for example, may not have the necessary skills to properly and efficiently perform artificial insemination.

In large and medium-sized farms, the need to arrange, equip and sterilize special rooms for inseminating animals is also considered to be a disadvantage of using this technology.

The essence of the procedure

They call artificial insemination the fertilization of females of farm animals, birds and fish by introducing sperm obtained in advance from male donors into the reproductive system. In some cases, such material may be harvested directly on the farm. Also, as already mentioned, sperm can come to the farm from complexes that grow selected breeding bulls.

In any case, the semen of breeding males is stored and transported in special sealed containers. When transporting and using such material, it is important to maintain its sterility in terms of various pathogens.

Types of artificial insemination

There are many varieties of agricultural animals grown on modern farms. It can be cattle, small cattle, chickens, ducks, rabbits, sables, minks, sturgeons, etc. At the same time, the structure of the reproductive system and the fertilization mechanism itself in different species of agricultural animals, poultry and fish may be different. Accordingly, several methods of artificial insemination have been developed to date.

The main methods of fertilization of females without the direct participation of the male in modern farmscurrently used two:

• intragenital;
• intra-abdominal.

In the latter case, the sperm is injected directly into the female's abdominal cavity (through a puncture in the abdominal wall). With the intragenital method, the seed enters the reproductive system of the animal. It is this technology that is most often used in various kinds of farms at the moment. The intragenial technique, in turn, can be:

• uterine;
• cervical;
• oviduct.

Sperm collection and preparation

Of course, such material for successful fertilization of females should be of the highest quality. Sperm is collected from breeding males by masturbation using most often an artificial vagina. Further, such material is either used immediately, or subjected to cryopreservation for storage or transportation.

Immediately before fertilization of females, the semen collected from males is subjected to laboratory tests to assess the quality. If during the storage of sperm the established technologies were not violated and it remained sufficiently viable, at the next stage it is liquefied by incubation at a temperature of 37 ° C for half an hour. After that, the material is subjected to cleaning. Then the concentrate thus obtained, consisting of functional spermatozoa, is diluted with a special nutrient medium.

Purification of the semen of breeding animals is done:

• from seminal fluid;
• leukocytes, immune, epithelial and other foreign cells;
• defective spermatozoa;
• inactive, dead and dying spermatozoa;
• bacteria and viruses.

Insemination timing

Of course, in order to get the appropriate effect in the form of pregnancy, sperm should be injected into the uterus during their hunting period. Estrus in animals is characterized primarily by swelling and redness of the mucous membrane of the vestibule of the vagina, as well as outflow from the genital slit. The queens at this time become restless and begin to demand a male.

This is how cows, rabbits, pigs, goats and sheep behave during sexual hunting. In birds, the sexual cycles are not clearly expressed. Therefore, they can be artificially inseminated at any time.

Preparation of females

Before insemination, animals are subjected to thorough sanitization. Washing the uterus before carrying out the procedure of artificial insemination is not supposed to be done from a bucket, but using a hose. It is not allowed to use one rag for all animals.

In addition to washing before insemination, the genital organs of the uterus are treated with a 0.002% solution of furacilin. At the same time, Esmarch's mug or its analogue is used for washing.

Of course, before insemination, the female must be examined by a veterinarian. Future queens are checked first of all for the presence of diseases of the external and internal genital organs. He althy animals are treated, and then they are massaged on the body and cervix for 1-2 minutes. This procedure helps to increase the tone of the uterus and, accordingly, increases the likelihood of success.fertilization.

Antiseptics

Produce artificial insemination using special tools. The choice of specific devices for the fertilization of the female depends on:

• from the type of farm animal or bird;
• of the insemination method used.

In any case, before the procedure, all the devices necessary for it are thoroughly disinfected. In order to disinfect instruments intended for artificial insemination, it is necessary to use special means. Antiseptic liquids, for example, are not allowed for this purpose. The fact is that such substances, unfortunately, are capable of killing spermatozoa. The same applies to medical alcohol 70%. Unfortunately, water is also quite detrimental to spermatozoa.

According to the rules, 96% rectified alcohol made from vegetable raw materials is supposed to be used for disinfection of instruments used in artificial insemination. Among other things, the table of the operator performing the test and insemination procedure must be covered with medical oilcloth or glass. This is necessary in order to prevent the occurrence of various kinds of chemical reactions and, as a result, the death of spermatozoa.

How artificial insemination of cows is carried out

On farms, this procedure is carried out in accordance with the instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. For artificial insemination of cows in our country, they usually usecervical technique. In this case, the procedure can be carried out according to four main technologies:

• rectocervical;
• visocervical (vaginal);
• manocervical;
• epicervical.

In the first case, a syringe or pipettes with seminal material is inserted into the animal's vagina. In this case, movements are controlled through the rectum. It is this method that is currently the most common on farms. The main advantage of this heifer insemination technology is that the animals do not need to be driven into the arena. This technique is implemented directly in the stall.

In this case, the instrument is inserted along the upper fornix of the vagina. Next, the uterus is captured by hand in the intestine. The cervix is put on the instrument, and the catheter is advanced 6-8 cm deep. Semen is injected. At the final stage, the instrument is gently pulled out.

Insemination of MRS

Goats and sheep on farms are also inseminated by the cervical method (most often visocervical). When performing the procedure in this case, a special vaginal mirror and semi-automatic syringes are used. At one time, the uterus is injected with 0.05 ml. The syringe in this case is placed through the mirror into the cervical canal, and then the seed is injected.

Pig treatment

Such animals, after detecting their hunting, are transferred to the arena and placed on the machines. Further, for the females to calm down, wait about 30 minutes. Then the genitals of each animal are treated. Anatomical structure of the genitalsystem of pigs is such that visual control or fixation of the neck during insemination is not required. The semen of such animals is injected directly into the uterus.

Procedure for rabbits

When artificial insemination of such animals, a special cover is first put on the gun. Next, an ampoule with sperm is attached to the instrument. The gun prepared in this way is inserted into the female's vagina to a depth of 10 cm to the cervix or a little more.

A feature of rabbits is that they ovulate due to excitement directly during intercourse itself. Therefore, before the artificial insemination procedure, females of such animals are usually given special stimulant drugs.

Another feature of artificial insemination of rabbits is that only an experienced specialist should carry out this procedure. In this case, you need to work with the tool very carefully. Otherwise, you can damage the organs of the internal reproductive system of the rabbit.

Horse treatment

In horse breeding for insemination of horses in private farms, ancient technology using a sponge is often used. This method of fertilization is currently considered the simplest. When using this technology, the sponge is first sterilized. Next, it is gently inserted into the mare's vagina. After that, natural mating of horses is allowed.

At the final stage, the sponge is carefully removed from the female genital tract. The sperm is squeezed out of her and then used forinsemination of horses in the herd.

This method is only good for small farms. At stud farms, artificial insemination is performed using more advanced methods.

On large horse farms, the urethral method is most often used for insemination of queens. In this case, an artificial vagina is used to collect the material, which is a metal cylinder about 13 cm long. The collected sperm is then injected into the mares using a catheter and a medical syringe.

Artificial insemination technique for chickens

As already mentioned, various kinds of poultry are allowed to be artificially inseminated at any time. In order to get sperm from a rooster, they catch him, put him on the table and begin to “squeeze”, stroking his back from neck to tail and squeezing his cloaca to the beat. Thus, from one male, you can get several milliliters of sperm in a test tube.

Caught chicken for insemination is first placed on the pillow. Next, the tail is lifted with one hand, and the stomach is slightly compressed with the other so that the oviduct comes out. A sampler is then inserted into the egg hole and semen is injected. The eggs subsequently obtained from the chicken are sent for incubation to breed thoroughbred chickens.

How fish are artificially inseminated

In this case, I use special methods that are not similar to the technology of insemination of farm animals and birds. In our country, when breeding fish, in most cases they use the so-called dry method developed by Vrassky. ATin this case:

• a female ready for spawning is placed on a damp cloth with her belly up;
• wipe it with a dry cloth;
• rag together with the female is clamped between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand;
• with the index finger of the right hand, squeezing eggs from the abdomen of the female;
• put out the squeezed caviar in a dry box.

Further, in exactly the same way, the sperm is squeezed out of the male. At the final stage, the material obtained from fish is mixed. In this case, 1 drop is used for 5 g of caviar. Stirring during artificial insemination in this case is recommended to be done with a soft brush or, for example, a bird's feather. In order not to damage the material, a little water (1-2 drops) is added to the mass of caviar and sperm. Then everything is kneaded again for 2-3 minutes. After that, water is drained from the mass. At the final stage, the fertilized eggs are placed for incubation.

The results of artificial insemination

Work on the insemination of fish, poultry or animals on the farm must be properly organized. As practice shows, the best results in farms for artificial insemination are usually achieved by the most experienced workers. For example, on farms that specialize in cattle breeding, inseminators with up to 5 years of experience typically achieve results of 84 calves per 100 cows; with an experience of 5 to 10 years - 87 calves per 100 queens; over 10 years - 89 calves per 100 cows.

Results atartificial insemination of cattle, sheep and chickens also directly depend on the experience of the employees performing the procedure and the accuracy of their compliance with all required technologies.