Three Glaciers Farm - 24847 County Road 23 - Glenwood, MN 56334
THREE GLACIERS FARM
Laparoscopic AI - General Description

By
Shane Rust
Three Glaciers Farm
Glenwood, Mn 56334


Laparoscopic AI General Description

The animals to be bred will need to be removed from water and feed at least 24 hrs prior to the breeding.  
The purpose of this is to minimize rumen and bladder fill, providing adequate room internally to locate / work
with the reproductive tract and to minimize the risk of rumen contents being regurgitated during the
procedure.  

When the time comes for the insemination, the animal will be sedated with an IV injection and placed in a lap
AI cradle on her back.  This holds the animal restrained on its back and allows the animal to be tilted (during
the breeding) head down, which moves the rumen and other organs forward and creates room to locate the
uterus and uterine horns.

A small area forward of the udder is then shaved of hair and cleaned with Iodine. The animal is titled head
down and a trocar / cannula is then inserted into the abdomen (near the flank) to allow access with the
laparoscope into the body cavity for visual location of the uterus, bladder and other organs.

Then, the 2nd trocar / cannula is inserted on the opposite side.  This allows access for the AI gun, equipped
with a special needle sheath for lap AI. This is how we get the sperm inside the body (specifically the uterine
horns).  This varies from natural mating where the fresh ejaculate of the buck is deposited in the fornix of the
vagina and from trans-cervical AI where we enter through the vulva and the semen is (best case scenario)
deposited just inside the uterus from the cervix.

The trocar points of entry are commonly left to heal with only a treatment of antiseptic, but may be closed with
absorbable sutures upon breeding completion if needed.  

After completion of the procedure, the animal will be removed from the Lap AI cradle and will need to be
placed in an area where it will not be harassed or harmed by other animals as the sedation wears off (typically
10 - 45 minutes).  It is expected that the animal will be returned to a clean environment. Soon after they are up
and walking the animal will begin to eat and drink again.

Another consideration is ambient temperature in the colder months.  The goat’s ability to regulate its
temperature is compromised when it is sedated, so until the anesthetic wears off, we must provide the goat
with reasonable temperature protection until it regains its normal body function.

Insemination Timing

Estrus synchronization protocol and heat detection is of utmost importance.  There cannot be a conception
without the egg and the sperm meeting while both are viable.  The timing of the CIDR pull is important with
regards to insemination.  The egg will be viable for a shorter time than the sperm, so to breed early is better
than breeding late.

The best form of heat detection for an AI program is to have a teaser buck that can be turned in with the does
after the synchronization protocol has ended.  The buck will be much more effective at detecting the actual
time of standing heat than any human will and will also cause the does to respond stronger.  In the event you
don’t have a teaser buck, you will need to watch for the outward signs of the doe as she expresses sexual
receptivity.  When the doe has shown she is in “Standing Heat”, you will want to breed her within 12 hours.

When an AI technician is used to breed, for obvious reasons, a “Fixed Time” breeding needs to be scheduled
and all synchronized animals will be bred starting at that time.  When you synchronize your does, you will see
that some will cycle earlier (as soon as 10-12 hours from sync protocol ending) and some will not cycle for
much longer.  Typical timed insemination for goats is around 50 hours.  With timed AI you are trying to get the
majority of the herd, and hopefully all of them at the optimum time.  My personal experience is if you use
PG600 or another form of PMSG in your synchronization protocol, it will shorten that duration and I have had
the best results starting the breeding around 46 hours post CIDR pull in a Fixed Time scenario.


General Considerations

The rate of conception will vary based on many things within and outside of the animal owner’s control.  To
ensure the best possible conception, make sure to have your animals in good breeding condition.  This needs
to begin well in advance of the breeding date with basic steps including, but not limited to:

• Control of internal and external parasites
• Moderate body condition that is stable or increasing at least 30 days prior to breeding
• Minimize stress on animal before and after breeding.  This includes such simple things as hoof trimming, pen
mate mixing, rapid feed changes etc.

Semen Considerations

With fresh ejaculated semen from the buck, you are dealing with roughly 2 – 3 billion live sperm per ml of
ejaculate and an ejaculate volume of around 1 cc. Many times the buck will mate with the same doe multiple
times.  In contrast, with frozen / thawed semen, you are working with roughly 30 – 40 million sperm per ml and
a single .5 ml straw.

Also ensure that your semen is purchase from a reputable source.  All frozen semen is NOT created equal
and will have significant post thaw viability variations based on the individual
buck’s freezability, sperm motility before and after freezing / thawing, season of semen collection, method of
semen processing, extent of semen extension and countless others.  

Herd Advantages

AI breeding to proven sires has many benefits including:

*  rapid herd improvement
*  no herd exposure to off farm pathogens
*  known breeding / kidding dates
*  year around breeding season
*  increased visibility / marketability of stock

Another benefit is the ability to order a different sire (straw) for each doe.  This allows your farm capitalize on
each does strengths and weakness by matching it with a buck that can support and improve its traits.  You
can't change the doe, but you CAN change her kids!

Gone are the days when you had to purchase an overpriced buck to improve your herd.  Generally speaking,
any buck that has reasonable / proven potential has been collected, frozen and is available for purchase,
either through private sales or from some of the national caprine semen suppliers.

by Shane Rust - 2011
Three Glaciers Farm, Glenwood MN

You may contact Shane Rust, at Three Glaciers Farm, 24847 County Rd 23, Glenwood, Mn 56334:  Phone
320-300-4416.  Email: aibreeder@gmail.com,  website: www.goatfolks.com
Better Boer goats.  Boer goats in
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Small Ruminant Lap AI