Techniques to Maximize Conception Rates

The article is a good effort to document the impeding factors in artificial insemination in livestcok species. In Pakistan AI has been in practice in dairy cattle and buffaloes since 1950s and it has found a great popularity in increasing the number of crossbred cattle, especially the black and wihite Hostein Friesian progeney. This progeney is liked by the farmers and they ask for it. However, it has led to increase in purity of exotic blood in the progeney and associated with infertitility and health problems.

In buffalo AI could not prove its worth due to silent estrus and poor conception rate. Freezing damages to the spermatozoa are higher and the postthaw motility is low. Natural service is practiced with good conception rate.

Our group has introduced semen processing and artificial insemination in goats. A semen processing laboratory has been established by NWFP Agriculutral University Peshawar and techniques have been made available for semen evaluation. The semen is used in the field for determining a proper concentration of spermatozoa per dose and use of proper extender for fresh semen.

Thailand had faced the same problem in dairy crossbred. 20 years ago we introduced HF from the Netherlands and continue to use purebred HF semen from the USA for many ten years untill our dairy crossbred close to pure and then infertility arised. Nowadays we develop our own crossbred bulls which are progeny tested and be selected by their breeding value before ditribute their deep frozen semen throughout the country. These crossbred dairy cattle perform well under hot and humid condition in Thailand and we arenow dont have to depend on purebred HF anymore. I belive you can try this as well but you have to prepair some infrastructures like database system, milk recording system and genetic evaluation committee etc.