Genetics - Artificial Insemination... How do you do it...

[Airilith]

Quote:
To be honest, any of us could test these theories, given you have a fertile rooster and a hen (or two) that can be separated from the rest of the flock.

I would offer but none of my girls are old enough to be laying yet.

ETA: Hey I forgot to point out that you should probably use some kind of semen extender. I read somewhere that the extender aides in protecting the semen during freezing and thawing.

 

[jen5680]

What is a semen extender

 

[Airilith]

Quote:
Semen extender provides nutrition and a 'safe environment' (buffer) for the semen. It prolongs the life of the semen. And there are specific extenders for freezing situations (like this one), which help protect the semen during the freezing and thawing processes.

I've been trying to find a substitute for a commercial extender, but I'm having no luck.

I don't know if the semen will survive the freezing process without extender. Let me see if I can find any studies on that ...

 

[Elite Silkies]

 

[Airilith]

Quote:
Haha!

Well I've had no luck finding studies about freezing without extender. But I did find a great example of it's importance.

Quote:
As you can tell it's in reference to stallion semen, but it's still applicable.

I just don't know if you can get it anywhere other than online. It doesn't seem like something my local feedstore guy would say, much less order. Lol!

 

[jen5680]

Yes I think if I went into my local feed store and asked if they had chicken Semen extenders I might get asked not to come back!! LOL!!

 

[scbatz33]

You can get horse repro supplies at a place on-line called Exodus Breeding Supply. If the extenders are all the same in composition, you can order it there along with anything else you could possibly need to collect, examine, or store the semen.

We learned how to collect and fertilize chickens in an animal science class I took at UK. It's really not hard - especially if you have one person to hold and another to collect the semen.

I don't know if it has been mentioned - since I'm too lazy to read all the posts - but even though it seems like a bad idea to some to AI bird lines that don't have success naturally, the purpose for learning it in school was for these large production facilities where they don't put the roos in with hens. The AI all the layers - of course they keep them in cages and do other things on a large production scale that most folks wouldn't do or even think about doing themselves.

Also, I think a benefit to the AI process is if you are showing or something like that, you can still keep the hens in good shape while getting fertile eggs.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:

I dare you to do it!

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
I love it!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

That youtube video in the 2nd post to this thread is great. Ive never seen it done before, and it doesnt look as hard as I thought it was.