AI Part 2

In my last blog, I talked a little and found some info on the history of AI and how it works. Now, for the weird stuff! How it's collected and and stored! It's kinda interesting to me to see how far we've com along in advancing our animal industry!!!!

Now the Collecting and storing art of AI is tricky for me to understand, and I've watched videos and learned about it in class, so I've found a website that has some good information about it. If you'd like to learn more see the works cited for more info.

One obvious factor which determines degree of success of AI is the quality of the semen used. Much has been learned about factors affecting semen quality and methods of evaluation and means of maintaining quality through lengthy storage. The commercial AI industry has a tremendous responsibility to sell only high quality semen. Unquestionably, they are fulfilling this obligation.

Collection of Semen

Several methods of obtaining semen have been developed. The artificial vagina method is most widely used today for the collection of bull semen. The bull is allowed to mount a teaser cow and ejaculates when the penis is directed into the artificial vagina. The artificial vagina consists of a firm cylindrical tube with a thin-walled rubber lining. The jacket formed is filled with warm water. A rubber funnel connected to a collection receptacle is attached to one end of the cylinder. When the jacket is properly filled and the artificial vagina lubricated and properly applied, this method of semen collection is highly successful.

Cleanliness must be practiced to avoid contamination and deterioration of semen quality. Proper and careful treatment of the bull is essential to bring about adequate precollection stimulation which will increase quantity and quality of semen obtained.

Obviously the collection of semen from a bull is a specialized skill and should be attempted only by those with the proper equipment, training and experience. Adequate facilities for controlling the bull and teaser animal must be maintained so that danger of injury to personnel as well as the animals is minimized.

Semen Extension

The main reason for extending (diluting) semen is to increase the number of females serviced from one ejaculation. A normal ejaculate from a dairy bull will contain 5 to 10 billion sperm which can be used to inseminate 300 to 1000 cows if fully extended.

There are several good semen extenders. Those made from egg yolk or pasteurized, homogenized milk are two of the most widely used. A good extender not only adds volume to the ejaculate but favors sperm survival and longevity. Dilution rate depends on quality of the ejaculate--number of sperm cells, percent alive and mobility. As few as 12 million sperm per insemination have given good conception rates.

Penicillin and streptomycin are added to semen extenders. These antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth and reduce danger of spreading diseases such as vibriosis.

Semen Storage

The discovery that bull semen could be successfully frozen and stored for indefinite periods has revolutionized AI in cattle. In 1949, British scientists discovered that addition of glycerol to the semen extender improved resistance of sperm to freezing. Glycerol acts to remove water from the sperm cell prior to freezing and prevents the formation of cellular ice crystals which would damage the sperm. There are two methods of freezing and storing semen: dry ice and alcohol (-100 degrees F) and liquid nitrogen (-320 degrees F). Liquid nitrogen is preferred because there is no evidence of fertility deterioration with age. Fertility gradually declines in semen stored in dry ice-alcohol.

Frozen semen can be stored indefinitely if proper temperature is maintained. A recent report told of a calf born from frozen semen stored for 16 years. Fresh, liquid semen can be successfully stored for 1 to 4 days at 40 degrees F.

Semen is usually stored in glass ampules. Other methods appear promising, particularly the French-straw. Several AI organizations have gone to this method exclusively.

Artificial coloring is frequently added to semen extenders in order to distinguish one breed from another. Complete identification of the bull is required on each individual semen container.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK!!! I"M GOING TO PUT TOGETHER A POST OF QUESTIONS WITH SOME 

ANSWERS!! SO PLEASE ASK! :) 

Works cited :http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ds089

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Advantages_and_disadvantages_of_artificial_insemination_in_animal

Artificial Insemination Part 1

 Today, I've found some interesting things about AI... Yes, it's kinda weird and all the stuff, but you get used to it.   

Artificial insemination (AI) is a process by which sperm are collected from the male, processed, stored and artificially introduced into the female reproductive tract for the purpose of conception. AI has become one of the most important techniques ever devised for the genetic improvement of farm animals. It has been most widely used for breeding dairy cattle and has made bulls of high genetic merit available to all.

HISTORY OF AI

The history of AI is interesting. Old Arabian documents dated around 1322 A.D. indicate that an Arab chieftain wanted to mate his prize mare to an outstanding stallion owned by an enemy. He introduced a wand of cotton into the mare's reproductive tract, then used it to sexually excite the stallion causing him to ejaculate. The semen was introduced into the mare resulting in conception.

Anthony van Leeuwenhook, inventor of the microscope, first observed human spermatozoa under magnification. This finding led to further research. Spallanzani is usually considered the inventor of AI. His scientific reports of 1780 indicate successful use of AI in dogs.

In 1899, Ivanoff of Russia pioneered AI research in birds, horses, cattle and sheep. He was apparently the first to successfully inseminate cattle artificially. Mass breeding of cows via AI was first accomplished in Russia, where 19,800 cows were bred in 1931. Denmark was first to establish an AI cooperative association in 1936. E.J. Perry of New Jersey visited the AI facilities in Denmark and established the first United States AI cooperative in 1938 at the New Jersey State College of Agriculture.

The AI industry has grown tremendously in the United States since its beginning. In 1970, USDA reported that 7,344,420 dairy females were bred artificially, 46% of the female dairy cattle population.

Now that you have learned a little about AI, you are probably wondering... what are the good things, and what are the bad things? Well... Let me tell ya!

Advantages:

- You can use semen from a dead animal that has had semen stored.

-The semen can be used in thousands of females a year, rather than a lower number in the "mating season"

Disadvantages:

- it's not a job that you can learn by doing it over, and messing up. A trained professional should come in and do it for you.

-if the semen is not stored properly it will go bad.

-you usually only get s 60%70% contraception rate. depending on the animal

Overall AI has become a big part of the animal industry. You usually see a lot of it in cattle.  It’s helped the animal population grow and become larger. I hope when I get to do my internship with the vet that I’ll be able to see how this is done in real life!!!  I also want to get into how they store the semen and stuff like that. Which I will cover in my next blog!!!

Works cited :http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ds089

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Advantages_and_disadvantages_of_artificial_insemination_in_animal

  

Fun Facts!

This week I've decided to look up some fun animal facts to share with you!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I know they aren't really "large animals"... but who knows sometime that vet may have to work on a small animal!  But, I thought it would be fun to do something different this week. Enjoy! 


*There are a few animals with some facts and then a Quiz. If you want to know more, see the works cited to find the URL and you can have even more fun animal facts! :) 


Dogs:

• -In total there is said to be around 400 million dogs in the world.
• -The average life span for a dog is around 10 to 14 years.
• -Dogs have formed such a strong bond as pets, workers and companions to humans that they have earned the nickname "man's best friend"

Cats:

• Cats conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 13 to14 hours a day.
• A group of cats is called a clowder, a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen while young cats are called kittens.
• Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see at light levels six times lower than what a human needs in order to see.
• Cats have flexible bodies and teeth adapted for hunting small animals such as mice and rats.

• Cats are one of, if not the most, popular pet in the world.
• There are over 500 million domestic cats in the world.

  
  
  Squirrels
  
• Squirrels are rodents.
• There are around 280 different species of squirrel.
• Most squirrels are small and have big eyes and bushy tails.
• Their large eyes help them skilfully climb trees and avoid predators.
• Squirrels eat mostly nuts, fruits and seeds.
• Squirrels are born blind
• Flying squirrels can’t fly like birds but they can glide between trees.

Below is a quiz for you to take to see how well you know animals. Yes, I know not all the information is above, but this is to test your knowledge! Have Fun!!! 

1. What food makes up nearly all (around 99%) of a Giant Panda’s diet?

2. True or false? Mice live for up to 10 years.

3. What is the name of the phobia that involves an abnormal fear of spiders?

4. What is the largest type of ‘big cat’ in the world?

5. True or false? Crocodiles have no sweat glands so they use their mouths to release heat.

6. Eagles are very good at spotting potential prey from a long distance, why?

7. What are female elephants called?

8. True or false? Owls can turn their heads completely backwards, allowing a 360 degree view.

9. Bees are found on every continent of earth except for one, which is it?

10. True or false? Cats spend an average of 13 to 14 hours a day sleeping.

11. What is the fastest land animal in the world?

12. A ‘doe’ is what kind of animal?

13. True or false? Cougar’s are herbivores.

14. Groups of lions are known as what?

15. Is a dolphin a mammal?

16. What is the largest land animal in the world?

17. True of false? Snakes have slimy skin.

18. What is the only continent on earth where Giraffes live in the wild?

19. How many pairs of wings does a bee have?

20. What type of animal is the largest primate in the world?

21. Is a shark a fish or a mammal?

22. What is the most recognizable feature of a hedgehog’s appearance?

23. True or false? Owls are far-sighted, meaning that anything within a few inches of their eyes can’t be seen properly.

24. What is the name of an adult female horse?

25. What are baby goats called?

26. What is the tallest animal in the world?

27. True or false? Rabbits are born blind.

28. What is the most recognizable physical feature of the male lion?

29. How many legs does a spider have?

30. The crocodile species is believed to have been around for how long? 2 million years or 200 million years?

Animal Quiz Answers

1. Bamboo

2. False - Captive mice live for up to 2 and a half years while wild mice only live for an average of around 4 months.

3. Arachnophobia

4. The tiger, weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

5. True - They often sleep with their mouth open to cool down.

6. Because they have excellent eyesight.

7. Cows

8. False - Their field of view is about 270 degrees.

9. Antarctica

10. True

11. The cheetah (it can reach speeds of up to 120kph – 75mph).

12. A female deer.

13. False - They are carnivores.

14. Prides

15. Yes

16. The elephant - The largest on record weighed around 12,000 kilograms! (26,000 lb).

17. False - Snakeskin is smooth and dry.

18. Africa

19. 2

20. The Gorilla

21. A fish

22. Their spines of spiky hair.

23. True

24. A mare

25. Kids

26. The giraffe - The average height is around 5 metres (16ft) and the tallest on record stood nearly 6 metres (20 ft) tall.

27. True

28. Its mane

29. 8

30. 200 million years

Works Cited: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/

How to Tell When a Cow Is Ready to Calf?

How do you know when a Cow is ready to have it's baby? There are many steps involved and it usually takes a lot of time!!!!


Step 1:  Look at the cows udder bag. Right before they are ready to give birth, the cows might have swelling and tightening in the udders. 


Step 2:  Look at the cows Vulva (located behind the cow, you will need to step behind the cow)  Just before the cow gives birth her water sac will be sagging and you will be able to see it bounce when she walks.


Step 3: Watch her very carefully. If she is separating herself from the others, is restless, and keeps lying down and standing up, she is close to having that calf. Every cow is different, so watch for other signs of distress. 


Step 4:  Watch for anything unusual. "If you have a pregnant cow that has suddenly started acting weird, it may be best to separate her and prepare for the calving process."  




When helping the cow give birth:


Wash from your shoulder down. You WILL probably be using your whole are to help out.  You will need to get some shoulder gloves, they come in handy!  Then you will need to put some lube one the gloves and reach  into the cow. ( You will need to go in trough the birth canal (vagina)  not the anus, so you can see where and how the calf is positioned.).

Here are the positions and what you should do: 


-backward positions:  DO NOT try to twist the calf around.  Put on a calving chain or s good rope. Then pull out the calf as much and as fast as you can.  You should only do that if the back(hind) feet are present. 


For breach positions (where the calf is arriving tail-first), you will need to bring the hind legs up so that they are positioned in the birth canal. To do this, push the calf forward into the uterus as much as you can. Next, push the flexed hock outward (or away from the calf), and swing the flexed fetlock (of the foot) back inward. Keep the fetlock and hock joints tightly flexed and bring the fetlock joint and foot over the pelvic brim (which is towards you) into the birth canal. Repeat with the other leg. Then put the chains or rope on and start pulling.  


For head-back or head-down positions, push the calf back into the uterine cavity, cup your hand around the calf's nose and with the other holding the calf stable, bring the head to the normal position. If you can't quite reach the head, you can hook your fingers in the corner of the calf's mouth to bring it part way around. Then you can do the rest as explained previously to bring the head around.


For fore-leg-back positions, push the calf back into the uterus, grasp the upper leg and pull it forward enough to bring the knee forward. Then flex the knee tightly and pull it forward. With the knee now tightly flexed, cup the hoof with your hand and gently but firmly bring it up to normal position.


For bent-toe or caught-elbow positions, you will need to push the calf back to reposition the foot or elbow. For the bent toe, pushing the calf back may help correct the malpresentation itself. For the caught-elbow, when you have pushed the calf back into the uterus, grab the leg that is more back than the other and pull it forward. Once corrected, the calf should come easily.


If the calf is in normal position or in a position where you can pull from, put a set of calving chains or a rope (not twine, as twine is often too thin and too sharp to be used on a calf) on the front legs of the calf. Use a double half-hitch knot to put the chains on: one loop on the fetlock, the other just below the knee. Pull out and down when the cow is straining, and rest when the cow is not straining. If you have a calf-puller handy, use that too, though be careful of how quick you pull the calf out, as you could easily cause more damage if not handled correctly.

• The calf puller should have the U-shaped part braced against the rear of the cow, with the chain attached to this part up behind the base of the cow's tail, with the calving chains that are attached to the legs of the calf, and the leaver to ratchet the calf out upwards. Tighten up the tension on the chains. Once you have reached tension, ratchet slowly, and work with the cow's contractions. Once you have made more tension to ease the calf out, move the puller down then back up, then increase the tension again. Repeat until you no longer need the puller (which is when the calf is half-out), then quickly unhook the chains from the puller and do the rest by hand

Once the calf is out, you must try to get it breathing right away. Clean out the calf's nose with your fingers to get all the amniotic fluid out. Tickle it's nose with a clean piece of straw or hay, put some water in its ears to make it shake its head, or if necessary, you may have to perform artificial respiration to get the calf going. A calf should start to breath within 30 to 60 seconds after birth


Once the calf has given signs that it is breathing and alive, carry or drag it to a pen with clean straw, then let the new momma cow out to be with her young.

8

Leave the cow and her newborn calf alone for a while to allow the cow to mother-up to the calf, clean the calf off, and urge him to start nursing. Make sure there is some hay and water for the cow to keep her happy while she gets to know her new youngster.




Written instructions are very hard to interpret sometimes, so I've found a video to help. 

2. How to Help a Cow Give Birth - WikiHow." WikiHow - The How-to Manual That You Can Edit. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.wikihow.com/Help-a-Cow-Give-Birth>.
3. "How to Tell When a Cow Is Ready to Calf?" How to Tell When a Cow Is Ready to Calf?Web. 4 Oct. 2011. <(http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/how-to-tell-when-a-cow-is-ready-to-calf/ff927101-fda1-657e-e9ba-eb02542926e8 )>.