"I want to get my bucks sperm frozen. But why do I have to have it tested for quality before and after its frozen?"
Signed: Goat Breeder
"Buck sperm loses fertility potential as it goes through the harsh process of cryopreservation. To ensure maximum success a certain threshold of quality must be met before freezing. After cryopreservation it is important to analyze the sperm so the exact quality being inseminated is known. This will indicate the probability of success!"
Signed: The Expert
Fill out this form to ask us a question.
Fun question Curious Breeder. And the answer is field work versus lab work!
When doing a BSE (breeding soundness exam) your veterinarian must examine the sperm in a microscope in conditions that are less than ideal. And generally he/she is just looking for a pass or fail criteria.
We go 3 steps beyond the field. We bring the samples into our laboratory then assess motility using a computer assisted sperm analyzer – a fancy name for a machine that tells us so much more than a visual motility. We also analyze for those factors that can’t be seen visually…the DNA, the membrane, the acrosome and the fluidity of the membrane. We can’t see these things but they all impact fertility!
And you know, if we identify a problem, there are steps that you might be able to take to improve fertility!
Well, Ms. Mind the answer is a little harsh. Animals in the wild obviously don’t have the benefit of veterinarian care and they are also naturally selected for reproductive ease. A female that doesn’t have reproductive fitness in the wild doesn’t pass on her genetics. Thus, only animals that can reproduce with ease will contribute to the next generation resulting in a population of fit animals. Depending on the species you are referencing, many have evolved mechanisms that increases the likelihood of producing offspring such as multiple rounds of the estrus cycle during the breeding season allowing them mating opportunities with a variety of different males. The problem we see in our domestics is that we take away the natural selection and traits of interest become our focus. This is not true for all domestic animals but dogs and horses are a great example of this.
Fill out this form to ask us a question.
Fun question Curious Breeder. And the answer is field work versus lab work!
When doing a BSE (breeding soundness exam) your veterinarian must examine the sperm in a microscope in conditions that are less than ideal. And generally he/she is just looking for a pass or fail criteria.
We go 3 steps beyond the field. We bring the samples into our laboratory then assess motility using a computer assisted sperm analyzer – a fancy name for a machine that tells us so much more than a visual motility. We also analyze for those factors that can’t be seen visually…the DNA, the membrane, the acrosome and the fluidity of the membrane. We can’t see these things but they all impact fertility!
And you know, if we identify a problem, there are steps that you might be able to take to improve fertility!
Well, Ms. Mind the answer is a little harsh. Animals in the wild obviously don’t have the benefit of veterinarian care and they are also naturally selected for reproductive ease. A female that doesn’t have reproductive fitness in the wild doesn’t pass on her genetics. Thus, only animals that can reproduce with ease will contribute to the next generation resulting in a population of fit animals. Depending on the species you are referencing, many have evolved mechanisms that increases the likelihood of producing offspring such as multiple rounds of the estrus cycle during the breeding season allowing them mating opportunities with a variety of different males. The problem we see in our domestics is that we take away the natural selection and traits of interest become our focus. This is not true for all domestic animals but dogs and horses are a great example of this.
