Handling Frozen Reproductive Material During Livestock Artificial Insemination

Cryogenically frozen reproductive material can last for 1,000 years when stored correctly. However, improper handling techniques can cause frozen semen and embryos to decrease in quality.

Work done by Professor F. Neal Schrick at the University of Tennessee suggests that semen that has been handled by breeders and stored on the farm is four times more likely to be graded unacceptable at thawing than semen that has been handled only by the facility that froze the semen. This is because of the mishandling that happens to the semen on the farm.