Known methods of insemination of cows, their advantages and disadvantages

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Many farmers are thinking about how to improve the performance of livestock without purchasing additional animals. There is a solution - insemination of cows, which makes it easy to vary the number of livestock. What methods of fertilization are there? What is their fundamental difference from each other? Which to choose: natural or artificial approach? You will find answers to these questions in the presented review.

Insemination of cows

How to identify heatwave in cows

Scientists have proven that the cow is a polycyclic mammal, which means that it can produce offspring all year round. The cycle time in the animals in question is approximately 3 weeks and has the following stages:

• arousal (this includes estrus, heatwave, and ovulation);
• inhibition (behavioral signs recorded by the gaze: restoration of appetite, neutral reaction to the bull);
• equilibration (standard state of the animal).

As for estrus, it is not difficult to recognize it, because mucus begins to stand out from the genital passages, which darkens by the end of the cycle, swelling of the external genital organs. This occurs under the influence of an increase in the amount of estrogen in the blood, caused by the maturation of the follicles. This period can also be determined by the behavior of the cows. The animal loses its appetite, becomes restless, begins to move more actively. On average, estrus lasts only 30 hours, although cases of stretching of this phase by 5-6 days have been noticeable.

As far as sexual hunting is concerned, this phase is singled out as the most important for insemination (whether natural or artificial). This period begins approximately 25 hours after the onset of estrus and lasts a little over a day. Why is this time important? Because it is here that the malleability of the cows to the manipulations carried out was noticed (the swoop of a bull, the introduction of semen into the genital passages by a person). It is during this period that the egg is released from the ovary (the onset of ovulation), therefore it is considered the most optimal time for insemination of cows.

If the sperm were not delivered to the egg, then it dies, is excreted from the body, the estrogen content drops, appetite is restored, in other words, the inhibition phase begins, which is replaced by equilibration (lasts 20-25 days until a new estrus).

The best time to inseminate cows

How do you know when to inseminate your cows? The most optimal time is the hunting phase (several days), when the heifer has discharge and she begins to lick the genitals, put her head on the back of other individuals.

It is important to know that only a mature individual at the age of 8-10 months is ready for mating.

The normalization of the cycle in heifers occurs only by the end of the second year of life, therefore, it will be correct to use the older representatives of the livestock (this will simplify the timing of insemination, get healthy offspring, save the life of your cows).

If the information provided did not help answer the question of when to inseminate a cow, below is a table that clearly indicates the best time to choose a procedure.

This table allows you to help choose the most optimal time for any type of fertilization of cattle.

Types and rules of insemination

How to inseminate a cow? There are currently the following methods:

• natural (animal sexual instinct);
• artificial (introduction of sperm using special instruments).

There is no point in talking about such a method of insemination of cows as a natural one, where the bull plays an important role, but it is worth dwelling on the latter, especially since it can be produced in different ways (rectocervical, manocervical and visocervical methods). What are these variations and what is the difference between them? Which method is more humane? When is the efficiency of fertilization higher and the possibility of contracting infections lower? Perhaps these are the key issues that concern farmers who decide to artificially inseminate a cow.

Important: the procedure should be performed by a person who has the appropriate medical education, who knows not only the structure of the animal, but also the rules for inseminating cows.

Here is some of them:

• The procedure for artificial fertilization of eggs in cattle (cattle) takes place only in special places. The room should be equipped with a washing room, a laboratory and a paddock with fixings. Compliance with this rule will eliminate the risk of injury and infection, because equipment and clothing are sterilized in the washing room, and all the necessary equipment and semen are stored in the laboratory.
• If the insemination of cows is planned to be carried out on the farm, then it is necessary to pre-disinfect the premises and clean the animal itself with soft solutions (furacilin diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio).
• Before the procedure, you need to find out about the age of the cow and choose the appropriate insemination option.
• It is imperative to conduct a preliminary examination of the cervix for normal functioning.
• Work takes place in special gloves greased with petroleum jelly.
• You need to know how to prepare a cow for artificial insemination: before injecting sperm, it is important to clean her anus from the remains of manure, disinfect it and the labia and massage the uterus (increase its tone).
• All manipulations are carried out gently, carefully so as not to harm the animal.
• There is no need to rush to insert the catheter, you should wait out the vaginal spasms.
• You can not remove the catheter immediately after the introduction of semen (this can be done only after probing the suction spasm).

There are several ways to understand that a cow has become pregnant: to monitor her behavior (stop hunting, mucus has disappeared) and donate blood for prolactin 15 days after insemination.

Tip: start keeping a shedding calendar so that you always know when to inseminate a cow based on preliminary data. This will allow you to prepare in advance for the procedure (free up a few days in order to freely observe the animal in heat).

If bloody discharge appears, you should immediately call a veterinarian and examine the animal (this can be both a sign of pregnancy and a manifestation of trauma to the genitals).

Features of the manocervical insemination method

The manocervical method can only be carried out by a competent specialist who knows the structural features of cattle (for him there is no concept of the frequency of insemination of a cow). How the procedure works:

• Before starting insemination of cows, it is necessary to disinfect the vulva (you can use a weak solution of furacilin or potassium permanganate).
• Check for signs of ovulation (heat is present, mucus is clear).
• Determine the dilatation of the cervix (a hand covered with a petroleum jelly glove is inserted into the vagina).
• Massage the cervix for 2 minutes.
• Place a previously prepared catheter and an ampoule with sperm in the other hand.
• Carefully insert the wrist of the second hand into the vagina, and the catheter into the cervical canal by 1.5-2 cm.
• Attach the ampoule to the catheter.
• Squeeze out the contents of the ampoule with a relaxed cervix (this is the period when the hollow organ draws in the seminal fluid).
• Remove the used instruments from the vagina, while massaging the cervix.

Important: if an animal at any age is given discomfort or pain, the cervix will contract and the sperm will spill out, therefore, insemination of the cow may not occur.

You can inseminate cows in this way several times - the ideal option would be to repeat the procedure after 12 hours. It is not necessary to carry out 3-4 procedures of artificial insemination of cattle in a row, because in this way it is possible to provoke the formation of antibodies and the development of infertility in animals. Based on this, it is necessary to indicate how many times it is acceptable to inseminate animals in order to obtain high efficiency - 2 times.

It is worth noting that the manocervical method is not chosen by veterinarians if there is a young cow in front of them that has never been inseminated. The thing is that the heifer has a rather narrow lumen of the vagina, and its effect will only harm the inseminator. It is better to leave this method for cattle that have already given offspring (that is, they are over 2 years old).

Visocervical insemination method

This method is carried out using a vaginal speculum, a special syringe-catheter and implies a full examination of the cervix.

Algorithm of the procedure:

• In laboratory conditions, prepare special solutions that allow thorough sterilization of instruments and animals.
• Check for signs of ovulation (whether mucus is noticeable on the genitals, ovulation).
• Before the procedure, it is imperative to clean the cow's vulva with a weak solution of furacilin, and to process the mirror, burn it (it is better to burn a tampon soaked in alcohol, and then use a salt composition).
• After that, insert the speculum into the vagina and open it so that you can inspect the cervical canal.
• Collect semen into the syringe (be sure to remove the formed air bubbles).
• Place the catheter into the cervical canal at a depth of 4-5 cm.
• The contents of the syringe are slowly introduced into the uterus through the catheter. When the fluid has flowed through the catheter, the mirror is covered.
• Remove the catheter and speculum from the vagina, massage the cervix. After this moment, it remains to expect pregnancy.

Important: with this method of insemination of cows, you need to remove the mirror by slightly opening it in order to avoid damage to the delicate mucous membrane of the vagina.

The advantages of the considered method:

• Ease of execution.
• High efficiency (non-inseminated cows make up only 1%).

If, after insemination, the cow appears bloody or white or purulent, you should immediately call the veterinarian and examine the animal for infection. Perhaps the cause of the inflammation was a violation of sterility.

Features of the execution of the rectocervical method

The name of this method is deciphered as blood insemination through the rectum ("recto" - behind).The tools for its implementation are in individual packages (already sterile), but it is better to process them again, because you cannot be 100% sure of the integrity of the package.

Execution algorithm:

• It will be better if the animal is preliminarily examined for infections in the body (you need to make sure that the breed is not sick).
• Make sure the cow is in the correct stage (check for signs of ovulation).
• It is important to prepare the syringe (fill with semen and make sure the semen is free of bubbles).
• It is necessary to cleanse the rectum and treat not only it with a furacilin solution, but also the labia.
• The hand of the inseminator must be inserted into the rectum (always wearing a glove).
• Feel the uterus, or rather the cervix (resembles a ribbed cylinder).
• With the other hand, insert a syringe with semen and a catheter into the vagina and push gently to get into the cervical canal.

Important: in order to control the process of penetration of the instrument into the right place and not to prick the bladder, you need to work with the thumb of the hand located in the rectum of the cattle.

• Advance the catheter to a depth of 6 cm into the cervix and squeeze the contents into the uterine cavity (a key period of the procedure).
• Remove the instruments and perform a short massage of the cervix.
• Rinse the external genitals and rectum with an antiseptic solution and expect calving from that moment.

The rectocervical method of insemination of cows is used in villages all the time, despite the large number of disadvantages, including low efficiency. The thing is that not every specialist is able to correctly find the cervix by touch, let alone fix it. Plus, inexperienced inseminators can damage the mucous membrane of the genitals and provoke bleeding.

Do not forget that with such a hike, the likelihood of developing infectious diseases is high, because with poor-quality cleaning of the rectum, fecal residues can get onto the vaginal mucosa.

Having decided to inseminate a cow, you should try to choose a competent specialist who is able not only to carry out the procedure with high quality, but also to choose the most optimal and most gentle option for the cow (mainly manocervical). It is important not to forget to follow the rules of the procedure in order to ensure the birth of healthy offspring and to keep the cattle alive.