ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (SWINE) NCII

CANAAN Hill Farms, Caibiran, Biliran Phils.

VI. Semen Storage, Packing and Handling
What will I Learn Today?
I. Swine Breeding Terminologies
II. Swine Facts and Features
III. Basic Swine Anatomy
IV. Swine Uses
V. Swine Industry Status in the Philippines
Processed Semen Management
Processed Semen Management

• Upon arrival unpack semen

Place in storage unit
&pread out the doses
• Store semen in a
temperature controlled
BioRef Temperature should
be maintained at 15-17-8°C
Record semen age
Stored Semen Management
 Stored Semen Management

Rotate semen bottles and place in cooler on their side –

WHY?
 Stored Semen Management
Rotate 2 times per day – WHY
 Stored Semen Management
• Rotate bottles and place in cooler on their side
• Rotate 2 times per day
• Check semen sample once/day using a prewarmed slide and cover
slip.
• Check motility of semen under the microscope using 400X
• Note: semen checked straight out of the cooler will appear slow
and lethargic, possibly even dead to the untrained eye. The
extender is designed to minimize energy use and wills low down
semen metabolism!
• Only the sample should be warmed, all others should be
inseminated directly out of the cooler
• Pre-warming the other bottles will cause the semen to “wake-up”
and burn off its minimal energy reserves prematurely.
 Care of Stored Semen

1. Keep semen doses between 16°C and 18°C.

2. Make sure the semen refrigerator is working well. Keep the refrigerator clean.
3. Do not open the refrigerator door unnecessarily, as this causes fluctuations in
temperature.
4. Leave enough space around the semen containers to keep the air circulating inside
refrigerator.
5. Fresh semen is best, so use semen within a maximum of 5 days of collection. As
semen ages, the number of viable cells declines and bacterial growth becomes
risk.
6. Rotate each semen dose twice daily to re-suspend the sperm cells.
7. As a rule of thumb, do not put more doses in one portable cooler than the number
of doses required in the next 60 minutes.
STANDARD SEMEN PACKAGING For TRANSPORT
 MATERIALS

Plastic Bubble Wraps

Styrofoam Boxes
Gel Refrigerants
Processed Semen Doses
 Packing/Sealing Tape
(Preferably with Brand/Logo)
Temperature Data Logger (For
Long Distance Travels 6-24 hrs.)
 PROCEDURE
1. Pre-cool all semen to 16 °C prior to packaging.
2. Choose the correct box size depending on the number of
doses to be delivered.
Material Specifications:
MATERIALS BOX 1 BOX 2 BOX 3
Semen dose capacity 3-9 10-30 31-60

Size of the box, cu.in. 488 1268 1810

Dimensions of the box, 8.5 x 8.5 x 6.8 14.6 x 9.1 x 9.5 14.6 x 10 x
in. 12.4
Size of bubble wrap, 7x6 13 x 8 13 x 9
in.
Size of refrigerant, in. small regular regular
6.5 x 4.6 9.5 x 6.1 9.5 x 6.1
Layering of The Semen Box From Top to Bottom
BOX 1 BOX 2 BOX 3
MATERIALS
min max min max min max
Bubble wrap 5 5 5 5

Refrigerant 1 1 1 1 1 1

Bubble wrap 5 5 5 5 5 5

Semen bottles 3 9 15 30 30 60
Bubble wrap 5 5 5 5
Refrigerant 1 1 1
 SEMEN PACKAGING

Styrofoam
Box
Picture of thermal bag
QUESTIONS?