Frozen bovine semen

Frozen bovine semen is a method of preserving bovine semen for future artificial insemination, even after the death of the donor.

The early artificial insemination organizations were largely farmer-owned cooperatives. The first such cooperative in America was organized at Clinton, New Jersey, through efforts of Enos J. Perry, Extension Dairyman, New Brunswick, and began operations May 17, 1938. It began operations with 102 members and 1,050 cows enrolled.

Using frozen semen for dairy cattle has been done since the 1950s. The oldest semen believed to be in existence was from a sire named Cottonade Emmet, who was a member of the American Breeders Service sire battery in 1952. Semen was collected on Emmet in November 1952 and has been used several times to produce offspring. However, the last time any such offspring was born was in the mid-1980s. Osborndale Ivanhoe, who was probably the most famous Holstein bull of the early semen era, died in November 1963. From time to time calves will still be born from his frozen semen. Ivanhoe was a member of The Atlantic Breeder's Co-op Sire battery. His sons who have had considerable influence include, Penstate Ivanhoe Star, Provin Mtn Ivanhoe Jewel, and Fleetridge Monitor. His grandson's who have dominated the Holstein breed include Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell, and Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation.

Semen in the early days of artificial insemination was delivered everyday to technicians by bull studs as semen was not frozen at this point. It was not until the addition of glycerol to semen extenders that semen could be frozen. In those early days semen was extended by bulls stud into a type of bottle, or test tube, kept at low temperatures, and delivered to technicians usually everyday. The freezing process was discovered by a man named Polge. It was placed in containers called glass ampules, sealed, frozen in dry ice and alcohol and kept in that type of solution until it was needed for insemination. Later the liquid nitrogen refrigerator was invented by Union Carbide with money given to them by John Rockefeller Prentice, who used it exclusively for his bull stud before a number of years later giving it to the entire A.I. industry at no charge or royalty. Liquid nitrogen temperature is 320 degrees below zero, thus almost an absolute temperature that allows very little deterioration of bovine semen. It is also a safe product as it is not flammable. The ampules were fastened to a cane which was placed inside the canister. When the technician needs to inseminate the cow he merely opens the tank, pulls up the desired canister, selects the cane and puts the ampule in a water bath usually of an ice cube and water mixture. The ampule thaws for several minutes and the top is broken off by either the ampule being pre-scribed or cut with a scribe. Then the semen is drawn up into a pipette. A polybulb or syringe is attached to the end of the pipette to facilitate this.

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