1/4 straw question....

[BCCC]

When semen thaws out and then refreezes, I know they will break and split up the sides. So I imagine they'd break rather than freeze together so you'd notice more problems than just them stuck together.

 

[CAB]

Just an FYI, I called my ABS rep last night and he said that he wouldn't use the combo gun on the 1/4 straws he would much rather use the 1/4 inch gun that is made for the 1/4 in straws. Has never sold a combo gun.

 

[CAB]

, OK so I bred a heifer last night with the 1/4 straw. Did not like what I saw when I pulled gun out. Looked as if some of the semen was between the straw and the sheath. I could not get the 1/4 in straw to "snap" into the blue plug. Here's my question, do they make a sheath that is specifically for the 1/4in straws? All of the company reps just say to use the regular blue spiral sheaths and it will work fine, but I don't exactly care for spending money on sexed semen, 2 mil., and not being able to deliver the semen where I want it.

 

[cpubarn]

, OK so I bred a heifer last night with the 1/4 straw. Did not like what I saw when I pulled gun out. Looked as if some of the semen was between the straw and the sheath. I could not get the 1/4 in straw to "snap" into the blue plug. Here's my question, do they make a sheath that is specifically for the 1/4in straws? All of the company reps just say to use the regular blue spiral sheaths and it will work fine, but I don't exactly care for spending money on sexed semen, 2 mil., and not being able to deliver the semen where I want it.

Brent,  Sorry to hear it din't work so well.  I use the blue sheaths, was told to cut them straight.  Maybe someone else can help again....

Mark

 

[CAB]

Mark I called the Genex office and was told to cut it strait. I used a  cito cutter and did cut it strait. I have another heifer standing today and I am going to try to change my approach to loading the gun. They said to put the straw in the gun first then to seat the straw into the blue guide plug, so we'll see here later today.

 

[Bawndoh]

Mark I called the Genex office and was told to cut it strait. I used a  cito cutter and did cut it strait. I have another heifer standing today and I am going to try to change my approach to loading the gun. They said to put the straw in the gun first then to seat the straw into the blue guide plug, so we'll see here later today.

This is the biggest thing to keep in mind I think.  Put the straw into the gun!!  Not into the sheath.  That is so awkward.  I have loaded several hundred straws.  Put the straw into the gun, cut with a cito cutter (both 1/4, and 1/2), then put a blue-tipped sheath over.  They often wont actually click.  I always push the plunger into the straw a little (test it, as Cowboy said).  It brings the semen right to the tip as well.  I have never, ever had a problem loading things this way.  I use a Kombi color combo gun.  Never had issues besides the way a straw has been processed.  I have had ones with single plugs that kind of get a little mussed up.  Not all of the semen was expelled.  I like the newer, double plugs better.
Make sure you clean your guns too!  That is the biggest thing with any AI equipment.  I clean my guns with rubbing alcohol (after about every 10 head...would do it even more often!).  I spray some down the gun (from the plunger opening) until it drips out the other end.  Let it sit dry for a minute or two.  The rest evaporates.  Clean the outsides of the gun and plunger itself with alcohol too.  And your cutters!!  The cito cutters get especially gunky it seems.

 

[CAB]

Does anyone know why the sexed semen was ever started being put in the 1/4 straws? Wouldn't it have been better or still maybe better to just move the plug further up in the straw to account for the less volume of semen? Just curious as to why fix it if it's not broken.

 

[CAB]

I am going to use a little sexed semen tonight so I went a hunting for this thread and thought that I would bump it up in case anyone else wanted a refresher coarse.

 

[BadgerFan]

Does anyone know why the sexed semen was ever started being put in the 1/4 straws? Wouldn't it have been better or still maybe better to just move the plug further up in the straw to account for the less volume of semen? Just curious as to why fix it if it's not broken.

1/4cc straws have been shown to have a 1% higher conception rate than 1/2cc straws because of a more rapid thawing of the sperm cells.  With sexed semen that's already lower conception because of lower number of sperm cells in straw and stress on the cells themselves, they put it in 1/4cc to get every possible conception rate advantage to be had.  Problem is that 1/4cc are less "user friendly" and less forgiving than the 1/2cc we're all used to.  All of the rest of the world uses 1/4cc, US is the last to hold out.