Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse or in vitro fertilisation.

1. ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION
The artificial
insemination (AI) was
performed on dogs in
1780 by the Italian
scientist
AI is the technique in
which semen with
living sperms is
collected from the
male and introduced
into female
reproductive tract at
proper time
In this process, the
semen is inseminated
into the female by
placing a portion of it
either in a collected
or diluted form into
the cervix or uterus
The fertilizing ability
reside in the
spermatozoa and not
in the liquid portion
of semen

2. Cont…
it is a powerful tool mostly employed for
livestock improvement
In artificial insemination the germplasm of
the bulls of superior quality can be effectively
utilized with the least regard for their
location in far away places
By adoption of artificial insemination, there
would be considerable reduction in both
genital and non-genital diseases in the farm
stock.

3. ADVANTAGES
OF ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION:
• There are several advantages by artificial insemination over
natural mating or servicing.
• There is no need of maintenance of breeding bull for a herd;
hence the cost of maintenance of breeding bull is saved.
• It prevents the spread of certain diseases and sterility due to
genital diseases.
• Eg: contagious abortion, vibriosis.
• By regular examination of semen after collection and
frequent checking on fertility make early detection of
inferior males and better breeding efficiency is ensured.
• The progeny testing can be done at an early age.
• The semen of a desired sire can be used even after the death

4. Conti….
• The semen collected can be taken to the urban
areas or rural areas for insemination.
• It makes possible the mating of animals with great
differences in size without injury to either of the
animal.
• It is helpful to inseminate the animals that are
refuse to stands or accept the male at the time of
oestrus
• It helps in maintaining the accurate breeding and
calving records.
• It increases the rate of conception.
• Old, heavy and injured sires can be used.

5. Disadvantages
of AI:
• Requires well-trained personal and special
equipment.
• Requires more time than natural services.
• Necessitates the knowledge of the structure and
function of reproduction on the part of operator.
• Improper cleaning of instruments and in sanitary
conditions may lead to lower fertility.
• If the bull is not properly tested, the spreading of
genital diseases will be increased.
• Market for bulls will be reduced, while that for
superior bull is increased
• May lead to inbreeding

6. SEMEN
COLLECTION
METHODS AND
EVALUATION:
• Various methods of collection of semen have
been devised from time to time
• There are three common methods:
• Use of artificial vagina
• By Electro-stimulation method.
• By massaging the ampullae of the duct.
• The ideal method of semen collection is use of
artificial vagina which is safe for sire and the
collector also.

7. SEMEN COLLECTION METHOD
• The cow or dummy is secured in service
create. The artificial vagina assembled is
held at 45° angle from the direction of
penis, and the thrust is that angle. The
artificial vagina is held with the left hand
by a right-handed person; and when the
bull mounts the cow, the sheath of the
bull will be graphed by the operator,
directing the gland penis into the
artificial vagina, and then the bull gives a
thrust to ejaculate.

9. SEMEN
preperation
• Semen could be successfully frozen and stored
for indefinite periods
• In 1949, British scientists discovered that
addition of glycerol to the semen extender
improved resistance of sperm to freezing
• Glycerol acts to remove water from the sperm
cell prior to freezing and prevents the formation
of cellular ice crystals

10. Semen extender
. Freezing of semen is done with a special diluents, which has the following composition.
Sodium citrate
Fructose
Glycerol
Egg Yolk
Penicillin
Dihydro-streptomycin
Distilled water

11. Methods of
freezing and
storing semen:
• Dry ice and alcohol (-100 degrees F)
• Fresh liquid semen can be successfully stored for 1 to 4
days at 40C
• Liquid nitrogen (-1780C) is preferred because there is no
evidence of fertility deterioration with age
• Frozen semen can be stored indefinitely if proper
temperature is maintained.
• Semen is usually stored in French-straw
• Artificial coloring is frequently added to semen extenders
in order to distinguish one breed from another.
• Complete identification of the bull is required on each
individual semen container.

12. ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TECHNIQUES
• The technique of inseminating a cow is a skill requiring adequate knowledge,
experience and patience
• Semen must be deposited within the tract of the cow at the best location and at
the best time to obtain acceptable conception rates
• Early methods of AI involved deposition of the semen in the vagina, as would
occur in natural mating. Those methods are not satisfactory. Fertility is low and
greater numbers of sperm are required

13. INSEMINATION METHODS
• There-are different methods insemination in different species of animals
Ex:
• speculum method
• vaginal method
• recto vaginal method.

14. RECTO VAGINAL METHOD
• In cattle the safe and best method of insemination is “Recto vaginal method”.
• Cow in heat is well controlled placing it in a Travis
• The semen straw after thawing (keeping the semen straw in warm water for a minute to convert
the freeze semen into liquid and the sperms become motile) is loaded in a sterilized A.I. gun and
is covered with a plastic sheath
• The inseminator will insert the gloved left hand into the rectum after applying the soft soap or
other lubricant on the glove and back racked the animal, and the hand is further inserted and will
catch hold the cervix through rectal wall
• The A.I gum loaded with semen straw is passed through the vulva to ‘vagina and cervix and
semen is deposited by injecting the gun

15. • Timing of Insemination for Maximum Conception
• A frequent question concerning AI is: What time during estrus should cows be
bred for greatest chance of conception?
• Conception rate is lower when cows are bred prior to mid estrus or later than 6
hours after cessation of estrus (standing heat in this case).
• Maximal conception is obtained when cows are inseminated between mid estrus
and the end of standing estrus, with good results up to 6 hours after estrus.

16. Practical
recommendation
for timing of
insemination

17. Pregnancy diagnosis
• Methods for detecting early pregnancy in cattle are:
• Non-return to oestrus
• Rectal palpation
• Hormone measurements
• Early Pregnancy-associated Protein
• Ultrasound examination
•

18. Non-return to oestrus
• If oestrus signs are not observed around 3 weeks after service or insemination,
the cow is generally assumed to be pregnant
• However, even if oestrus detection is good, not all of these cows will be pregnant
• Up to 7% of pregnant cows will show some signs of oestrus during pregnancy.
Insemination of these animals may result in embryonic or foetal death.

19. Rectal palpation
• by rectal palpation has been performed for decades in cattle
• This of course involves an experienced person introducing their hand and arm
into the rectum of the cow or heifer and physically feeling the fetus
• A skillful person can diagnose pregnancy as early as 40 days of gestation
• It is usually possible to determine the gestation length (or fetal age)
• Rectal palpation is quick, requires no specialized equipment, gives instant results,
and is the most economical of all methods
• In addition, rectal palpation can help diagnose pathologic problems within the
pelvis and abdomen.

20. Rectal Palpation

21. Ultrasound examination
• In this method, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum for examination
of the uterus
• Ultrasound has the advantage of being able to determine sex of the fetus;
• Ultrasound also has the advantage of being able to detect pregnancy earlier than
palpation as early as 28 days of gestation
• Determining the age of the fetus is more accurately performed with ultrasound
• Ultrasound requires expensive equipment and considerable skill, and is more
expensive

22. Blood test
• Pregnant cattle have relatively high levels of certain
pregnancy specific proteins, or PSPs, in their
bloodstream
• Blood tests have been developed to detect this
protein, and one is now offered at the SDSU ADRDL
• For this test, the PSP becomes elevated in cattle
serum at approximately 28 days of gestation, and
lasts until calving
• One disadvantage to these methods is that PSP
levels also remain high for an extended period (60
days) after calving
• so a waiting period after calving must be employed
in order to eliminate false positives due to this
situation

23. Hormone measurements /Progesterone assay
• The progesterone secreted by a functional corpus luteum between 18 and 24 days after
service or insemination is an early indication of pregnancy. It can be assayed in milk or
plasma. Optimal assay time is 24 days after service or AI, this eliminates the possibility of
long oestrus intervals which might result in false positives.
• Accuracy
• The sensitivity of the cow-side milk progesterone test was 93.1% in a study by Pieterse et
al. (1989). However,specificity (i.e. accuracy in detecting non-pregnancy) was only 39.3%.
A large number of non pregnant may thus be diagnosed as pregnant.

24. Common reasons for errors in hormone measurements
• pyometra/persistent corpus luteum
• short oestrus intervals
• cystic ovarian disease (luteal cysts)
• incorrect handling of the samples and tes

25. Early Pregnancy-associated Protein
• Recently available tests detect so called early conception factor (ECF) or
pregnancy-associated glycoprotein in blood samples. They are reported to detect
the pregnancy-associated glycoprotein within 48 hours of conception.
• Because of the high incidence of embryonic mortality this test should be treated
solely as an indication of conception. Pregnancy should be confirmed later by
rectal or ultrasound examination.

26. Comparison of early pregnancy
diagnosis techniques
Technique Early
testing
+ve diagnosis accuracy -ve diagnosis accuracy
Rectal palpation + +++ ++++
Transrectal ultrasound ++ ++++ ++++
Milk progesterone +++ ++ +++
Early Conception Factor ++++ + +