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At the time of the research trial, a special laboratory with sorting equipment was set up and sexed “fresh” product distributed from the lab directly to farms. Some sexed “frozen” product is still being used on Irish farms coming from sorting stations in the UK.
One of the issues with sexing has always been that the best bulls are not sexed as it would reduce the money-making potential of that sire.
Until we set up our own semen sorting laboratory here in Ireland, choosing the best bulls for Irish farmers, that is unlikely to change.
For the Irish trial, a US company, Sexing Technologies (ST), provided the equipment and products to make the trial happen. Juan Moreno is the chief executive of that company and I talked to him to see where the technology has moved since.
Sexing Technologies recently launched a new product called Sexed Ultra 4m – what is that about?
He said: “We are very excited about the launch of the Sexed Ultra 4m product. To create this product, we have done a significant number of research trials, improvements in the process and field studies. Remember, sexed semen technology started commercially over 10 years ago and was a product that delivered on its promise of making heifer calves but unfortunately with a lower conception rate. Aware of the lower conception rate, we have dedicated over the last 10 years a considerable amount of resources to make improvements.
“Improvements in the equipment, in the optics, in the fluids, in the handling of biological samples, formulations and logistics led to increases in fertility where today Sexed Ultra with four million cells produces conception rates comparable to conventional semen. Producers are using Sexed Ultra 4m in lactating cows as well as heifers.”
ST uses the Genesis III machine to sort semen. They say the Genesis III sorts semen more quickly, accurately and with 5% to 7% fewer sperm cells lost during processing than any other sorting machine. It has three times the production capacity of the earlier-generation machines. The software is much more automated, making it easier for one technician to operate two or three sorters to produce the same number of straws as four technicians could using the old equipment.
Irish trial results showed a high level of gender accuracy – is this still the case?
Moreno said: “Each straw of our sexed semen contains about 90 per cent DNA for the gender you choose. This means you have about a 90 per cent chance of getting a calf of the chosen gender from each successful pregnancy achieved through AI.”
Would you still be interested in ST coming back to Ireland?
He said: “I’d love to get the Irish guys to use sexed semen both on the beef side and the dairy side. It is interesting how the increased conception rates in sexed semen has led to new business strategies in dairies. We see many dairies that use sexed female semen in their better females and then the balance of the female are being AI’d with beef semen to produced a cross breed calf.
“That system gives dairy men the best of both worlds: production of high genetic merit females that are more profitable in a dairy and production of beef cross breed calves that represent an extra income for the dairy. The new product has been used in large commercial test herds in the US with excellent results. Also the product has been used across Europe in selected locations over the last eight months with excellent results.”
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