Advance Semen Straw – An Easy Change for More Profit!

Alta introduced the Advance Semen Straw to all markets over 5 years ago, and has invested extensively to raise awareness and educate dairy producers on the advantages of this product. While the ¼ cc package has caught on as the standard in many dairy markets like Canada and the Netherlands, it is still competing with the ½ cc straw in key international markets and the United States. However, the added performance of the Advance straw is undeniable and its time has come to be the choice for progressive dairy producers worldwide.

Why is the Advance Semen Straw better?

It starts with Alta’s belief that every sperm cell counts! And the Advance straw is a package that makes every cell count. The concept is simple. The smaller ¼ cc package contains the same number of sperm cells as the ½ cc package, but in a higher concentration. In addition, the smaller diameter straw, with a higher ratio of surface area to volume, moves through both freezing and thawing more quickly. The benefit of that is less damage to the cells inside. In general, post thaw motility rates are measurably higher with the Advance straw. The result is a small but meaningful advantage in producing pregnancies.

Why the Advance Semen Straw now?

So why haven’t Alta’s competitors adopted the Advance straw as well? One of the reasons cited is that much of the documented research on the ¼ cc straw has been carried out in Europe and in Canada – not the US where dairies are larger and management practices are somehow different. But, that argument can no longer be used.

A recent US study by M.T. Kaproth et al., measuring the effect of semen thaw method over all seasons and its interaction with herds, inseminators, straw package size, and sperm numbers on conception rates in commercial dairy heifer herds provides the proof. The results in the US are consistent with the results found worldwide.

The Kaproth study, involving professional inseminators who performed 11,215 services over a 16-month period in four large herds, is reported in the scientific journal “Theriogenology”. The study didn’t intentionally set out to endorse the Advance straw – it was a study about different thaw techniques after all. But...what the researchers concluded is most interesting: “Thaw method had no significant impact on conception probability, but straw package size significantly affected conception probability”. The adjacent table shows the results that were obtained in this large scale, US-based trial.

Using the Advance Semen Straw is easy and worth it!

Semen handling and AI technique are virtually the same when using the Advance straw or the ½ cc straw. There are thawing procedures that Alta recommends (www.altagenetics.com/English/Advance), and an AI gun capable of inseminating with a ¼ cc straw is also required. These are simple things to implement. Making the change is worth it.

We can take the Kaproth, et al. results to estimate the payback of using the Advance straw. The researchers found that the ¼ cc straw generated an average of 1.5 more pregnancies per 100 inseminations than the ½ cc straw. The table below shows the significant economic payback for using the Advance straw, across a range of dairy sizes with equal heat detection rates.

Herd Size Heat Detection Advance Straw Fertility Gain Increase in Pregnancy Rate Economic Benefit

Each 1% increase in pregnancy rates reduces days open by 4 days, according to the USDA. The same agency estimates that each less day open increases profit by $1.50 per day. Therefore, dairy managers that choose to use the Advance straw can gain between $1,500 and $12,000 per year. Just by choosing the Advance straw.

Advance Semen Straw – The Time is Now!

The research is in. The results are there. Good things do come in small packages! The Advance straw is the right decision for the dairy producer who wants to get more cows pregnant, faster.

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