What is artificial insemination?

Artificial insemination is a technique in which sperm are collected from the male, processed, stored and artificially introduced into the female reproductive tract at proper time for purpose  of conception.

Artificial insemination is by far the most common method of breeding of intensively kept dairy cattle. This method can undoubtedly be considered as the oldest and most widely used technique in the assisted reproduction spectrum for livestock production.

The semen may be sexed if desired. Artificial insemination has its advantages and disadvantages. It allows for better utilization of sires, reduces the hazards and costs of keeping males, and allows for the utilization of multiple sires. However, it requires extensive training and skill development, has a high initial investment, has maintenance costs, and increases requirements for management.

Objectives of Artificial Insemination
• Genetic improvement of livestock
• Disease control mechanism
• Possible to increase fertility
• Decrease breeding expense

Artificial insemination has proven to be a very effective reproductive technology that selectively increases genetic gain through increased selection pressure on males. Farm animals, males as well as females, are usually chosen for breeding programs based on breeding soundness examinations (BSEs). These breeding soundness examinations determine suitability and likelihood of females or males to participate successfully in breeding programs.
What is artificial insemination?

Pellets feed for cattle

The pelleting of feed refers to grinding the feed into small particles and then forming them into a small, hard form called a pellet. Cubing is the same process as pelleting, but the cubes are larger in size than the pellets.

Energy and protein rich feeds can be purchased already formulated and sometimes pelleted as commercial pellets or they can be blended on farm from the raw materials to form a balanced concentrate mix.

Individual feeds or complete rations may be pelleted or cubed. Calf rearing pellets often contain vitamin and mineral additives. Cow pellets are not suitable for rearing calves.

Pelleting has various advantages. Animals are not able to sort the feed which is offered. Moreover, various ingredients may be mixed together and fed as one feed or complete ration.

Under range feeding conditions when supplementation is required, one of the more convenient and practical ways of feeding cattle is by pellets or cubes. Different sizes of pellets can be prepared by changing the diets on the machines.

Pelleting grains gives an increase in feed efficiency of up to 5 percent. Feed efficiency is increased because less feed is wasted when it is pelleted. Complete pelleted rations will slightly increase feed intake.

In United States, Illinois Station indicated greatly increased nutritive value of hay as a result of pelleting it. Pelleting of corn cobs also improve their nutritive value, similarly dehydrating and pelleting the whole plat corn silage will improve its value.
Pellets feed for cattle

Artificial insemination of cattle

Artificial insemination is the placing of sperm in the female reproductive tract buy other than natural means. The breeder uses an inseminating tube to deposit sperm in the cervix and uterus of the cow.

In the UK, around 80% of insemination in cattle is by artificial means.

Artificial insemination of cattle has become standard practice in nearly all industrial countries and is a highly successful conventional method of propagating the traits of a few of the most precious breeding bulls.

In Nordic and Western European countries, artificial insemination in dairy cattle has been used extensively.

On the technical front, the discovery of cryoprotectants, the freezing of  semen using liquid nitrogen as the refrigerant and the introduction of the plastic straw as a semen container have been noteworthy milestone.

The advantages of using artificial inseminations are:
*permit use of superior, performance-tested bulls, in any herd
*Semen from a desired characteristics bulls even though it is hundreds, even tosudnas of kilometers
*Permits easier use of exotic breed bulls
*Improves records for performance testing
*Increases the number of cows that can be bred to superiors bulls
*Coordinates well with estrus synchronization programs
*Semen can be frozen and transported easily as well as be kept for year, often long after the death of the donor bull.
*Reduces the spread of disease
Artificial insemination of cattle