1/4 straw question....

[cpubarn]

I have bought a little semen in 1/4 straws, most of it is sexed semen.  I have gotten along just fine until today....!

I thought everything went well had the gun loaded and went to deposit the semen and the plunger was stuck!  Oops...  I worked it a little and it had grabbed the edge of the straw and had mangled it.  1 wasted straw.

Then I got another straw out and a neighboring straw stuck to the outside of the tweezers, when I tried to put it back down in, it rolled down the tank.  So I bred the cow with both straws.  Kind of an expensive day!


The second issue is 100% operator error (OE).  What about the stuck straw, I did not inspect the bottom of the straw that got mangled before I put it in.  I usually try and load it reasonable quickly. I haven't had one do that before, is there something I messed up?  I went to class a few years ago and only covered the 1/2 staws...

Could there be a problem with the gun?  Or just the operator?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[CAB]

Mark trying to learn here. We just bought some sexed semen and the rep said that I would need a combo gun to use on the sexed semen. Is that what you used? Brent

 

[rtmcc]

Make sure you have a new gun that is made for the 1/4 cc straws.  The new guns can do both.  According to our Genex rep the old guns can not.  Maybe he just wanted to sell me a new gun. LOL
I would mention it to who ever you got the semen from.  Often times if they want to keep you as a customer they will give you credit for straws like that.

Ron
<cowboy>

 

[CAB]

Has anyone ever had this happen to them or heard of it? Guy went to grab a unit of semen and the whole 1/2 rack was stuck together. Had to thraw all 5 units @ once. I would not like it and have never had anything like it happen to me in 25 years.
  I did buy the combo gun but haven't tried it out yet.

 

[Show Steaks]

Last year was the first year I Ai'd bought a combo gun right off the bat knowing i would do some sexed semen. had moderate success with conception rates but never had any problems with the guns functions on 1/4 or 1/2, occasionally on 1/4 it might clip the edge of the straw but i never mangled any or got it stuck
Andrew

 

[DSI]

The difference between the combo gun and the standard size AI gun is the size of the plunger itself. The 1/4cc straws are smaller than the standard 1/2cc straws. The plunger on the standard sized rod will not fit into the 1/4cc straw. The combo gun will work on both sizes.

 

[cpubarn]

Thanks for the info.  Yes it was a combo gun.  I bought it a year or two ago and have used only that gun since.  The semen was from a bull owner that is on steer planet, but it isn't his fault.  Most likely that straw or gun has an imperfection, just trying to see if anyone had trouble, and to learn from my mistake to avoid repeating it.  This semen wasn't real expensive, but I have $300 sexed shorthorn semen coming up, don't want to waste that stuff...

I have a trip to Nichols coming up tomorrow, I may see if they carry new guns.  A new gun is cheaper than this semen.

Can't replace the operator......

Thanks.

mark

 

[Bulldaddy]

I have used the combo gun many times with no problems.  However, several times, when trying to remove straws with my fingers I have pulled the plastic tubes out of the cane and had them fall into the canisters or, worse yet, into the bottom of the tank.  It seem like some are in a lot looser than others.

 

[Cowboy]

OK folks, no one panic here -- after MANY years using only 1/4 ml straws for ET, I have seen it all.

I am old school, and I have 15 of the original 1/4 guns here. For every one's info, the cnter hole is much smaller on the 1/4 guns, as it should be. If you try and use a regualar 1/2 ml gun -- firth thing you will see is the straw is very loose in there. Then, of course, the plunger will NOT fir the smaller straw. It will be a disaster for sure.

Every single time I load a straw for ET or A-I, after I get the sheath secured, I will TEST th eplunger ot make sur eit is started well into the end of the straw. Just enough to know you are actually in the straw. There is nothing worse than going to a recip cow, going all the way to where the embryo goes, and trying to push the plunger only to find it has caught the side of the straw and bent the hell out it -- essentially meaning you need ot pull out, unload the gun, and re-load the embryo and try and again.

After many of these close calls, I just do not take it for grantid. I use ONLY 1/4 ml guns for 1/4 straws, no combo anything here. I do not have a combo gun, but I can onlymagine that it has a bigger barrel, and a smaller plunger. If the barrel size fits the 1/2's, then those little 1/4's will rattle around in there and make it very easy to smash the end of the straw if not started first. That most likely was your problem.

Moisture accumulated during the freezing process may be the culpret on the straws that were stuck together CAB, I have never seen that, but some times in the ET freezing process, many are using the Alcohol freezers, and they will be wet when plunged into Ln2. It is possible that they could stick together at that time. Semen isn't frozen that way, so I don't know what to say there!

As far as using the sexed 1/4 semen, just try and make sure your plunger is started into the straw before going to the cow, it will save you lots of time -- and MONEY!

Also you need to use the GREEN plugged sheaths, but I am sure you knew that!

Best of luck -- Terry

 

[r2scott]

I start the straw on the plunger and then push it in to the gun. Then i cut the straw and add put on the sheath.. I have a combo gun and have not had any problems  doing it this way.  I was told that if you find straws froz together they had thawed a little in the past.  I got five straws of bando 1961 and when i went to use them they were all stuck together.  when i thawed them i put them undera scope.  The semen was bad and i got the semen replaced

 

[zak]

Where is the best place to order the new combo gun?

Zak

 

[cpubarn]

As far as using the sexed 1/4 semen, just try and make sure your plunger is started into the straw before going to the cow, it will save you lots of time -- and MONEY!

Terry,  I was thinking that not trying the plunger was my biggest mistake of the day.  I love the sexed semen and will continue it.  I would like to try a 1/4 straw gun instead of the combo.  Is there a brand you would recommend, I found that my supplier was out of combo guns, maybe that is a good thing and I will find a 1/4 only gun...

Thanks,

Mark

 

[SEA]

I had borrowed a 1/4cc gun in the past.  I went to purchase  a new one of my own from my CRI Genex rep while at the Michigan Beef Expo.  All the reps at the booth talked me out of purchasing the 1/4cc gun and purchasing the "New Style" Combo Gun.  They all said once you use the Combo Gun you will never use your old 1/2cc gun again. 

Have not tried it yet, but will in a few weeks. (clapping)

 

[CAB]

Are you suppose to use a special sheath for the 1/4 in straws? I called my Genex rep last evening and he told me to use my regular 1/2 in blue spiral sheaths but that doesn't really make sense to me because if the 1/4 in straws are smaller they won't pop in if you will and you are going to have MT straws left in your gun to go retrieve.

 

[BadgerFan]

Are you suppose to use a special sheath for the 1/4 in straws? I called my Genex rep last evening and he told me to use my regular 1/2 in blue spiral sheaths but that doesn't really make sense to me because if the 1/4 in straws are smaller they won't pop in if you will and you are going to have MT straws left in your gun to go retrieve.

Yes, use the same sheaths.  The 1/4 will seat slightly deeper in the blue guide cup, but that's how it's meant to work.  Sometimes it's easier to load the straw into the gun before putting the sheath on the semen, otherwise you can accidentally bend the straw trying to seat it in the guide cup. 

If you're nervous about it, call the company and ask for a couple of blank 1/4 straws to practice loading your gun with.  All you're out is a few sheaths.

 

[jbh]

Has anyone ever had this happen to them or heard of it? Guy went to grab a unit of semen and the whole 1/2 rack was stuck together. Had to thraw all 5 units @ once. I would not like it and have never had anything like it happen to me in 25 years.
  I did buy the combo gun but haven't tried it out yet.

Hey Brent....I don't think there's ANY WAY that could happen UNLESS that semen had been warm enough to thaw and then refreeze.  Wonder if his cow stuck?  I'm bettin' NO.

 

[jbh]

I have bought a little semen in 1/4 straws, most of it is sexed semen.  I have gotten along just fine until today....!

I thought everything went well had the gun loaded and went to deposit the semen and the plunger was stuck!  Oops...  I worked it a little and it had grabbed the edge of the straw and had mangled it.  1 wasted straw.

Then I got another straw out and a neighboring straw stuck to the outside of the tweezers, when I tried to put it back down in, it rolled down the tank.  So I bred the cow with both straws.  Kind of an expensive day!


The second issue is 100% operator error (OE).  What about the stuck straw, I did not inspect the bottom of the straw that got mangled before I put it in.  I usually try and load it reasonable quickly. I haven't had one do that before, is there something I messed up?  I went to class a few years ago and only covered the 1/2 staws...

Could there be a problem with the gun?  Or just the operator?

Thanks,

Mark

Mark.....I used a bunch of sexed a couple years ago.  Bought a new gun and everything.....BUT if I remembered right, I had to double snip the end of the straw before I loaded it before it would work properly.

 

[CAB]

Has anyone ever had this happen to them or heard of it? Guy went to grab a unit of semen and the whole 1/2 rack was stuck together. Had to thraw all 5 units @ once. I would not like it and have never had anything like it happen to me in 25 years.
  I did buy the combo gun but haven't tried it out yet.

Hey Brent....I don't think there's ANY WAY that could happen UNLESS that semen had been warm enough to thaw and then refreeze.  Wonder if his cow stuck?  I'm bettin' NO.

No none of the cows settled. kind of a story to go along with it.

 

[cpubarn]

Thanks again for the input.

Brent, I think I have you spooked, and I'm sorry about that.  I am in NO WAY going to back off the 1/4 straw or sexed heifer semen stuff, maybe just SLOW DOWN when playing with the 1/4 straws.  I am going to call my Genex rep about the "New Style" combo gun, or maybe get a lead on a good 1/4 only gun.  This sexed heifer (or bull) stuff is just WAY to cool to give up at the first oops, I just wanted to learn from my mistake yesterday, so I don't repeat it.

Mark

 

[CAB]

I don't know if I'm exactly spooked, but I am paranoid and don't like making avoidable mistakes because of operator error. I'm really glad that you brought this subject up and I think that I know how I'm going to approach loading the sexed semen in the gun. Time will tell how it goes. Thanks again. Brent