Frozen Semen?

[Epona Stable Belgium]

I just started talking about Frozen semen...

Who sales the frozen semen of his stallion for artificial insimination?

Are you pro or contra for this?

If you already sold semen, what was the procedure???

Thanks for letting me post this

 

[Matt73]

I'm all for frozen semen lol. Depending on the stallion, the survival rate of the sperm isn't the greatest so many people, if they can, prefer cooled semen. I don't think many mini people go this route because it's pretty expensive; the sperm and procedure will cost as much if not more than the resulting foal will be worth. Just my opinion; I could be wrong. Of course, I know there are some pretty expensive miniatures out there. But not that many where the use of chilled or frozen semen is used as opposed to live cover.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Freezing semen is very expensive, but is very possible. One of the best ideas for it to be utilized by mini folk is for preserving genetic material as an insurance policy, just in case something should happen to the horse. If he has died, his semen can still be used. Not sure if the registries allow post-mortem breeding though... Most big horse registries do.

Selling it is very difficult. There are a lot of different ideas out there. The most common European method is to sell it by the straw. This way, its traded as a commodity. However, this encourages people to skimp and buy the least number possible. This lowers fertility and can lower the stallion's fertility.

The US method, at least the method recommended by all the major semen freezing companies, is to sell it as a breeding, just like you would cooled semen, and offer the same live foal guarentees that you normally would with any other type of breeding. This is what I do with my own horses (I offer semen cryopreservation as a service).

Shipping frozen semen is also expensive, and it is very difficult to export. A single collection of frozen semen can cost $600, and a single shipment can cost $300. It depends on the horse as to how many doses you get per collection, and it depends on the buyer how many doses they ship at the same time.

Frozen semen will last indefinately if cared for properly. Feel free to email specific questions to me at [email protected]

 

[RockRiverTiff]

We have used frozen semen to breed our full-sized horses, and I hope in the future it becomes more common in minis. Shipping the semen cross-country is still more reasonable than shipping the horse.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Ms Graham, your email address won't go through!

I do not know of any mini stallions currently exporting semen, so I can't help you there! You might try contacting Select Breeders (www.selectbreeders.com). They operate a world wide database of their clients who's semen they store, and may be able to help you find some studs that maintain a stock of frozen semen with that paticular company. The few minis I've frozen were domestic only, really they were just experiments for the owners. Sorry!

 

[Lisa Strass]

I am for the freezing or cooling of semen. Like has been mentioned earlier, cooled semen has a much higher success rate, but the timing is more challenging. We are planning to collect and freeze semen on Red Alert this spring. Because Red Alert is a mini and has never been collected before, I have to supply a mare in heat for this first time... so I'm waiting for an open mare to start cycling since I don't want to take a mare with a foal.

 

[Boinky]

I could be completely wrong but i think there are some rules through at least one if not both registrys on AI and semen collection. I think you have to have special lisences or something that are quite expensive right now to be able to get the offspring registered.

Honestly I don't get why there are so many rules and regulations surrounding AI (like many registries require a vet to inseminate ect). I'm personally not understanding the reasons because this day in age there is such thing as DNA if it's question of who's sperm is who's or what not. anyhow i'm off my soapbox on that.

I would love to see Frozen and cooled semen done with mini's as it would help access horses all over the country and world much easier than having to ship the mare to the stallion across the country which most people will not do. broadens our selection of nice breeding stock we are able to breed to.

 

[user 488]

To be honest I don't even remember what it was like before we started to ship semen. It opened up a whole new World. The farm literally ships 100's of equitainers each breeding season. It's a TON of work but well worth it considering the possibilities it opens up to breeders. This is what the Farm charges to ship semen. And yes we have extensive rules on shipping and collecting.

Of course there is the Stud Fee on top of this and any expenses you incure with your veterinarian.

This is only a portion of one of our shipped semen contracts but I thought you might want to see some of the costs involved. Remember these are Arabians and not all Farms charge the same thing.

Edited to say that this is for cooled semen. Frozen is done differently. The GREAT majority of what we ship is cooled.

1. A $300.00 refundable equitainer deposit. The equitainer deposit will be refunded after Stallion Manager receives writtenconfirmation that the mare has been checked sixty days in foal or upon written termination of this contract. The equitainer

must be returned to Stallion Manager within 72 hours of receipt of shipment by Mare Owner or Mare Owner’s breeding

agent. A late fee of $50.00 per day shall be deducted from the refundable deposit if equitainer is not returned within said

time limits. Additional late fees can accrue beyond the cost of the deposit if not returned. Mare Owner is responsible for

all return shipping charges to Stallion Manager.

2. A $250.00 Collection and Semen Handling Fee per shipment and per mare. This fee covers collection of stallion,

laboratory, semen preparation and packaging of semen for the shipment.

3. Federal Express shipping charges. Most U.S. destinations are at the rate of $75.00 for Overnight shipping for weekday

delivery and $90.00 for Overnight shipping for Saturday delivery. If shipping exceeds these prices, then Mare Owner

is responsible for additional costs. International Federal Express shipping charges vary; therefore, a Federal Express

Account Number or a credit card number is required for shipment(s). Mare Owner may also provide their Federal Express

Account Number to use for shipments.

4. Counter to Counter Shipping Charges. U.S. destinations are at the rate of $85.00 per shipment. International rates vary.

Stallion Manager does not guarantee that the semen will be shipped on any given flight, but will make an effort to have the

semen on the earliest flight possible. All semen shipped counter to counter will be taken to the airport by courier and an

additional charge of $185.00 per shipment (subject to change on holidays, weekends, and/or nights) will apply. Stallion

manager is not responsible for semen once semen leaves Farm. If semen is lost, misses flight, or does not arrive to Mare

Owner on time, Mare Owner is still responsible for all costs of collection, shipping, and return shipping fees.