Frozen Semen? Risks? QualityControl?

[Hocus_Focus]

Those selling may take offense but let’s talk to the consumer… what kind of percentage in pregnancies are successful using frozen semen?

Every case is individual and many factors enter in… the storage…the freezing process, are there international guidelines on quality standards or is this again just an individual thing…the shipping (international, and often in temporary containers)…the repro vet…the age and breeding soundness of the mare…and let’s say you live in the horse world mecca and have the best of everything available and you are still not getting results, this can certainly get costly.How many of you have gotten very discouraged?

Looking for the real story not the fluffed up promotional version.
What has your story been? I am sure there have been a few nightmares and also a lot of success stories…so weigh your responses to pros and cons. No hostility required. Just facts and experiences. Thank you.

[TrueColours]

Right off the top, I want to say dealing with someone like Judy Yancey makes the frozen semen process about as easy as it can possibly be with all variables counted in

When enquiring on a stallion like Balou du Rouet, for example, Judy advises that his semen quality has been consistently excellent right across the board, year after year, client after client and his conception rate is absolutely excellent. Direct quotes from MO’s that have used his semen on this, and other boards, bear out Judy’s claims.

Then take a stallion like Argentinus, for example. Judy is very upfront about his semen quality not being as good, it is hit and miss, and you basically “pay your money and take your chances” and you can then go into that transaction with your eyes wide open

Then I take a look at a stallion like Darco, whose semen cost is through the roof and there is this proviso on the website:

Darco Frozen Semen $4000 LFG

available through ICSI only

I dont know if the ICSI provision is because it is tricky to deal with or if there is simply so little of it available any longer, but that again should make MO’s take notice and ask some pointed questions about it before laying their money out

Its a good question Reg. I am looking forward to the responses from those breeders that have used frozen semen a lot over the years with their mares

[Molly_Malone]

http://www.superiorequinesires.com/cdb-home.php

This is a frozen database with input from breeders - ie consumers - with the most important info - ie does it work?

Poke around on the website and you will find lots of information that answers most of your questions.

The single most important thing using frozen is your vet’s conception rate using frozen! (That’s not worded very well, but you know what I mean)

[Mistysmom]

I agree that dealing with a reputable broker is a must. They can share with you what the success rate is for the semen they sell. An experienced repro vet that has success with frozen is also very important. That said, ALL frozen semen is a gamble and one must expect that since there will always be those times when everything goes “right” but the mare just doesn’t take.

[honeylips]

Equine conception rate is normally about 60% in general (according to published repro vet articles). There are many cases of mare/stallion incompatibility with fresh semen, there are many cases of mare/frozen semen extender incompatibility. Then on both fresh and frozen there is the quality of the vet work, the mare’s repro health etc. It’s all a crap shoot!

[secretariat]

We live in equine Mecca and breed 2-4 mares a year by fresh cooled and/or frozen from the best stallions in the world. Our vet is world class in addition to being a neighbor (lives a mile away) and a friend. He’s shown up at midnight to check ovulation.

Frozen requires more accurate timing than fresh cooled, so the vet must be available, talented, and interested. We only use major well known frozen suppliers. And we generally (but not always) use frozen only on “perfect” mares.

Over the last 5 years, we don’t see a significant difference between frozen and fresh cooled given those factors. IMO.

[password]

This is something to factor also. We know of plenty of stallions whose semen looks fine, and there are pregnancies, so we know that it works. But there just seems to be way more misses than hits and we wonder if it’s because the doses are so small now.

In other words, if there are three pregnancies out of ten, the three mare’s owners will be thrilled. But what if the doses were bigger and six out of ten got pregnant, or more? In the short run, the seller might make less money, but in the long run, that could be really encouraging to people who shy away from frozen and could really broaden the market.

I know this can work the other way and sellers are worried about the buyers splitting the dose. But dose size is something to think about when there are stallions whose semen can get mares in foal at an OK rate but miraculously get more in foal when the dose is doubled.

Just something to think about, this is certainly not aimed at the vendors as they sell the doses that they are given by the numbers they are told to use.

[not_again]

We use Select Breeders Service for collection and storage. We have found that our conception rates are as good or better with frozen as compared with fresh.

[clint]

According to my therio, conception rates in general about 10% lower for frozen v. fresh semen. She is very good, and the pregnancy rate with my mares seems about the same whether I use fresh or frozen.