Preparation and Handling of Semen for Shipping

Now that you have the sample collected, it is important to handle the semen correctly, and to process it for shipping.  The sample that you have is valuable, and should be protected.  

Sperm is very sensitive to rapid changes in temperature.  When it leaves the male, the temperature of the sperm cells is 101 degrees.  While a couple of degrees of difference are not going to kill the sperm cells, rapid swings in temperaturs one way or another can certainly lead to a reduced sperm count.

Make certain that in the winter time, your collection tube at the end of the collection cone is warm...hold it in your hand to warm it both before and after the colection process.  I use a heating blanket or heated whelping pad to warm my equipment prior to collection.  It also helps to lay out your semen handling and preparation equipment well before you collect the sire, putting all materials that will come into contact  with the semen on this warming pad and bringing it as close to 101⁰ degrees as possible.

If you have purchased a collection kit from somewhere, most of them come complete with a tapered tube that goes on the bottom of the collection cone.  This should be carefully removed and the lid screwed onto the tube...if you used the disposable bottle liner, twist the bag closed and use a rubber band or twist tie to secure the sample.  Keep the sample in your hand to protect it from very hot, or very cold air temperatures...this will pay off in the long run.

Some of the equipment that you will need to prepare the sample for shipment includes:

• An all plastic syringe (the rubber in the syringes is a spermicidal, and will kill some sperm cells)
• A pipet or other way to draw the semen into the syringe.  Needles are not a good aleternative...
• Extender.  This is the fluid that will be added to the semen sample to both nurish it, and to protect it during shipment
• Warm water (ideally about 101 degrees)
• Shipping container, complete with frozen shipping block.
• Additionally, a small inexpensive microscope for examination of the sample. ( not required but really helpful)
• Shipping container specifically designed for shipping semen.  

These supplies should be laid out and ready before you collect the male.  The sooner that you can get the specimen process and in the shipping crate, the better the sample that you are going to send.

Extender comes in several different forms.  I'm not going to recommend a particular form in this writing.  You can buy individual doses of extender from Camelot Farms or Exodus Breeders Supply.  Both of these formulas come to you frozen, and should be stored frozen in the containers.  Thawing is simple, heat some water in a small container.  The temperature of the water should be warm enough to thaw the extender.  Remember, that 101 degrees is the optimal temperature.  You will have to add warm water from time to time as you have just put what amounts to an ice cube in warm water.  Allow at least 30 to 45 minutes for the extender to thaw, and even to warm to 101 degrees...YOU SHOULD DO THIS BEFORE YOU COLLECT THE MALE,  THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR ME TO REPEAT....YOU SHOULD THAW AND WARM THE EXTENDER PRIOR TO COLLECTION OF THE MALE.

Let's assume that you have laid out all of the suppies named above, and you have thawn the extender and warmed it to 101 degrees, collected the sample from the male and protected it from the elements during transport to your work area.

You should now be ready to prepare your sample for shipment.  You should remove the all plastic syringe from the warming source and attach the pipette to the tip of the syringe, draw the semen into the syringe slowly.  One you have removed the semen from the collection vial, you should take note of the volume of semen.  Remember to draw enough air into the syring to clear the pipette prior to establishing how much semen you have.  Don't be alarmed if you have two or three cc's of fluid...this is normal.  

If you have a microscope, take a warmed slide and simply expel a drop of the semen onto the slide, and take a look at the semen...what you are looking for is movement....if you want to skip this step...that's okay....

The next step is to add the extender to the semen.   This is done by drawing the warmed extender into the syringe using the same pipette.  There are a couple of different thought processes on how much extender to add, and the exact amount does not seem to be a critical measurement.  However, there are some guidelines.  Current research suggests that a 1:1 ratio of semen to extender is good, another study suggests a 1:2 ratio of semen to extender.  This is not the case where "more is better".  So here is what I suggest, and what has been working for me.

If you have two CCs of semen, a 1:1 ration would mean that you would add two CCs of extender.  A 1:2 ration would mean that you add four CC's of extender.  A 1:1.5 ration is what I am using.  That means that I would add three cc's of extender if I have two cc's of fluid.  Please refer to the chart for different amonts of extender.

Volume of Semen  in CCs	Amount of Extender in a 1:1.5 Ratio	Total Volume of Fluid
1	1.5	2.5
1.25	1.9	3.1
1.5	2.3	3.8
1.75	2.6	4.4
2	3	5.0
2.25	3.4	5.6
2.5	3.8	6.3
2.75	4.1	6.8
3	4.5	7.5
3.25	4.9	8.1
3.5	4.9	8.8
3.75	5.6	9.4
4	6	10
4.25	6.4	10.7

If you choose to use a 1 to 1 ratio, simply draw up the same amount of extender as you have semen.  For a 2 to 1 ratio, draw up twice as much extender as you have semen.  The most important factor is not how much extender you add, but rather the fact that the extender is warmed to 101⁰.  If you checked for sperm movement with a microscope before adding the extender, you should also check it again after adding the extender.

Once you have added the extender, there should be a plastic cap that fits on the "nipple" of the syringe.  Remove the pipette, and slide the cap on the syringe.  The shipping boxes are designed with a compartment for they syringe to go in, place the syringe inside the shipping box and assemble the box according to the instructions for the shipping box.  Immedialy place the cooling block in the box and seal the box.  Shipping tape works best for this.  Address lables can now be added and the shipment taken to either UPS or Federal Express.

Make sure to specify NEXT DAY AIR delivery....  If you are shipping on the weekend, UPS is your only choice.  Most of the time you must take the shipment to the UPS hub for shipment.  Be sure to add shipping charges, and extra expense for weekend delivery if needed to your stud fee.

That's as hard as it gets....it's really simple.  For a list of supplies that you will need, and suggested merchants that sell them, click HERE>