Semen Collection
This service is available for resident and off farm stallions. The semen is collected using an artificial vagina while the stallion mounts either a dummy (artificial mare) or a “jump” mare. Our jump mare Lilly has had her ovaries removed and can be stimulated to willingly participate in semen collection on any day of the year. Both modes of collection are available at our Reproduction Centre or alternatively a suitable mare in season can also be used on your property.
It is recommended that your stallion be collected a number of times prior to the start of the season as a practice run. This is to allow any aged sperm to be passed, to assess the quality of semen for that breeding season and also to ensure the procedure is familiar to the stallion to allow ease of collection on the day the sample is requested.
At WestVETS Reproduction Centre we also have available a “special” small sized artificial vagina for miniature stallions and smaller breed ponies. We also have a small jump mare “Magic” available for collection of miniature Stallions.
Semen Evaluation
All samples of semen collected or received at WestVets is evaluated using a highly efficient computer- assisted semen analysis (CASA) machine. Concentration and motility of the semen are assessed accurately and quickly with real-time images appearing on a large computer screen. All images and data are stored for later review and an analysis report can be generated as a hard copy or a digitized file to take home.
Chilled Semen
Our stallion services include breeding soundness assessments and semen collection for chilled transport. The collected semen is evaluated and mixed with an appropriate ‘extender’ that supports the survival of the semen. The semen is then chilled in an insulated transport container, ready for shipment to anywhere in Australia or New Zealand.
It is important to note that not all stallions provide semen that is suitable for chilling. Evaluation of a stallion’s chilled semen should be performed prior to the start of the breeding season to ensure only quality semen is available when requested by a mare owner.
Freezing Semen & Storage
Semen can be collected on site and frozen to allow storage indefinitely in liquid nitrogen. Following collection the semen is concentrated by centrifugation. The semen is then resuspended in a solution to protect it from the freezing process. The semen is slowly frozen to -196 °C where it can then be stored for extended periods of time.
Semen storage is available at WestVETS Reproduction Centre for a monthly fee.