1. Demands for Successful Artificial Insemination Program in Cattle
A.I. El-Azab
Fac. Vet. Med., Benha Univ., Egypt

2. The calving interval can be subdivided into the following four intervals:
1- The voluntary waiting period (VWP).
2- The interval from the end of the VWP to first AI
service.
3- The interval from first AI service until conception
4- The gestation period.

3. Understanding the factors that regulate the duration of each of these intervals and the management opportunities will provide insight into aggressive strategies for managing the reproductive efficiency in a dairy herd.

4. Aggressive reproductive management
comprises two main strategies
1- To improve pregnancy rate by improving
AI service rate, and .
2- To identify open cows early post-AI and
implement a management strategy to
return quickly non-pregnant cows to AI
service .

5. These strategies focus on reducing the
duration of the calving interval by
1- Eliminating the interval from the VWP to first
AI service and
2- Reducing the interval from first AI service to
conception

6. Success with artificial insemination requires
attention to detail in all areas of herd management:
1- Facilities, fences and corrals, equipment, and sire
selection, will be necessary;
2- Both a sound health program and good nutrition
are essential;
3- More labor and skill are needed especially in the
initial phases of the program

7. For achieving a successful AI program, an
attention should be paid to the following demands
1- Efficient Heat detection;
2- Good semen handling;
3- Ideal tank management
4- Valid Thawing procedures;
5- Skilful Insemination Technique;
6- Sound Breeding records

8. 1- Efficient Heat detection
It has been estimated that the U.S. dairy industry loses more than $ 300 million annually due to failure and/or misdiagnosis of estrus.
With an AI program, the dilemma for the inseminator is determining which cows are in a "standing heat" and when that heat occurs.
For the highest fertility, cows or heifers should be inseminated approximately hours after the cow first comes in standing heat

9. Heat detection efficiency can be measured by the 24-Day Heat Detection Rate Test.
At the end of the 24-day period, the number of cows detected in heat is divided by the total number of cows eligible to have estrous cycles.
Result
Rate
Detected #
Observed #
Bad
30% 15 50
good
80% 40

10. Cows, to be included in the test, should
1- be eligible to have heat cycles, at least 50 days
post-calving,
2- be free of reproductive disorders such as cystic
ovaries, pyometra or other reproductive tract
infections, and
3- have adequate body condition to expect most of
them to be cycling.

11. The best times of the day to observe cattle for heat
detection are early in the morning and at the last
daylight in the evening.
Maximum fertility to artificial insemination occurs
when cows are bred near the end of standing heat.
Cows should be inseminated within 4 to 16 hours of
observed estrus when the precise onset of estrus is
unknown

12. Several factors related to dairy management
affect estrous behavior in dairy cattle
1- Increasing the number of cows penned together
increases the intensity and duration of estrus.
b- Dairy cows observed for estrus on a dirt surface
had greater intensity and duration of estrus
compared with cows on concrete surfaces.
c- Estrous behavior was greater in dairy cows
observed twice daily when ambient temperature
was 250C compared with temperature above
300C

13. Several aids to heat detection are available for
producers with AI program
a- The Kumar heat mount detector.
b- The tail-painting of cows to be heat detected.
c- The trusted method of spending a half-hour in the
morning and a half-hour in the evening each day
carefully observing the cattle.

14. 2- Good semen handling
* The Frozen bull semen can be stored efficiently,
if it is maintained constantly at very low temp.
* Semen which is exposed to warmed temperatures
and then returned to the storage tank may be
damaged
* The extent of damage depends upon how long the
semen is exposed to the elevated temperatures

15. To avoid the thermal damage to the frozen
semen, you needs to
1- Identify which canister contains the desired semen.
2- Remove the canister from its storage position to the
middle of the tank.
3- Raise the canister just high enough in the neck to
grasp the desired cane of semen.
4- Keep the canister tops no higher than two to three
inches from the tank’s top.

16. 5- Grasp the desired cane, and immediately lower the
canister to the tank floor.
6- Keep the cane as low in the tank as possible while
removing the unit of semen.
7- Use tweezers to remove the straw.
8- The straw should be removed within 10 seconds from
the time the canister is raised into position.

17. 9- Immediately after the unit of semen is immersed in
water, return the cane to the canister by raising the
canister up over the cane.
10- Return the canister to its storage position.
11- Never return a unit of semen to the tank once it
has been removed from the cane.

18. 3- Ideal tank management:
Semen tanks should be kept in clean, dry, and well ventilated areas
Any abnormal stress on the neck tube, caused by sudden jarring or an excessive swinging motion, can crack the tube
To increase holding time, keep the tank in a cool location away from direct sunlight
Make sure there is sufficient ventilation in the room to prevent possible suffocation

19. Protect the tank from corrosion by keeping it elevated above concrete or wet floors
it must be placed where it can be seen daily and where it can be monitored routinely for nitrogen level.
Frost indicates that the vacuum insulation has been lost, and liquid nitrogen has been or is evaporating rapidly.
use a wooden yardstick to measure the amount of liquid in the tank.

20. To transfer semen between tanks
1- Have the tanks side by side and as close as possible.
2- Fill the tanks with nitrogen before transfer.
3- Have the appropriate canister in each semen
tank in the center position.
d- Transfer the canes quickly (within three to five
seconds).
e- Never touch the units of semen between
fingers.

21. 4- Valid Thawing procedures
Always keep insemination equipment clean, dry and warm.
Use a thermometer; do not guess at the temperature.
Check the thermometer for accuracy at least every six months with a reference thermometer.
Use an insulated water bath designed for thawing semen or a wide-mouth thermos which is deep enough to immerse the entire straw.

22. Never thaw more than one unit of semen at a time
Never thaw more than one unit of semen at a time. You breed your cows individually, so you should thaw units of semen individually.
Gently shake the straw as it is taken from the tank to remove any liquid nitrogen that may be retained in the cotton plug end of the straw.
Time the thaw with a watch to avoid guessing For optimum results, C for a minimum of 40 seconds should be used as a universal thawing recommendation

23. 5- Skilful Insemination Technique
To achieve the highest possible fertility rate, semen should
be deposited at the internal or front end of the cervix
To deposit semen at this location requires the use of a
special device called Cassou pipette, or "AI gun."
The rectovaginal insemination process is used

24. Beware of the following obstacles
1- The front end of the vagina forms a circular blind pouch
where it joins the backward projecting cervix.
2- Inside the cervical canal, firm, finger-like projections
arranged in three to four circular rings extend into the
canal. These contain blind pockets, or dead ends.
3-The circular blind pouch of the vagina and the winding
cervical canal with its dead ends are the two major
stumbling blocks for anyone learning how to artificially
inseminate

25. 6- Sound Breeding records
A minimal record system will include:
1. Cow ID--birth date
2. Calving date
3. Calving problems and treatments
4. Heats-not-bred
5. Service date
6. Pregnancy check
7. Due date
8. 2l-day Repro-calendar

26. Thank You