{"id":5133,"date":"2025-04-09T06:35:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T11:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.absglobal.com\/za\/?p=5133"},"modified":"2025-04-23T05:45:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T10:45:46","slug":"beef-sexed-semen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.absglobal.com\/za\/beef-sexed-semen\/","title":{"rendered":"Beef Sexed Semen – Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the beef industry, the use of sexed semen<\/a> increases every year. It is typically used to generate more replacement females<\/strong> or increase the total number of steers<\/strong> in a calf crop for feedlot purposes. With more people incorporating sexed semen as a reproductive management tool in their herds, our team has received additional questions about it. To help answer those questions, we developed this blog, where we dive into the most frequently asked questions and their answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is sexed semen produced?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ABS\u2019 sexed semen product is\u00a0Sexcel\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0which is produced using cutting-edge laser technology that destroys the unwanted male or female sperm cells, depending on what the desired sex is. Female sperm cells contain about 4% more DNA than male sperm cells, and this small difference is what differentiates them from one another. Our technology detects this difference in DNA content to identify which sperm cells to destroy and which to keep.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, straws of Sexcel contain both live viable sperm cells (predominantly the desired sex) and sperm cell fragments from the destroyed cells (predominantly the undesired sex). Have no fear though! Leaving the cell fragments in the straw does not interfere with product performance.<\/strong> We chose to leave them to avoid putting any more unnecessary stress on the viable sperm cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are pregnancy rates lower with sexed vs. conventional semen?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is likely that you will achieve lower pregnancy rates than you would with conventional semen when using sexed semen, so it is important to manage your expectations. You can expect a 90% relative conception rate compared to conventional, but keep in mind pregnancy rates of 75 to 85% of those with conventional semen have been reported in the past. Nevertheless, research is continuously being performed to enhance the sexing procedure and to improve estrus synchronization protocols for the use of sexed semen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the best estrus synchronization protocol to use when incorporating sexed semen?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A group of Reproductive Specialists from universities across the US, known as the Beef Reproduction Task Force<\/a>, has published a list of recommended protocols<\/a> for use with sexed semen that is reviewed and updated yearly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to more recent research, pregnancy rates to fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) with sexed semen have been increased through the use of the PG-7 7-Day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol in heifers<\/strong> (Oosthuizen et al., 2021<\/a>) and with the 7&7 Synch protocol in cows<\/strong> (Andersen et al., 2021<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the timing of insemination different when breeding off of heats?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, instead of artificially inseminating 12 hours after detecting a female in standing heat as you would with conventional semen, it is recommended that you breed 16 to 22 hours after the female is first detected in heat.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I need to do anything differently during the AI procedure itself?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sexed semen is packaged in \u00bc CC straws, so it is important to have a suitably sized AI gun<\/strong>. Either an AI gun specifically for \u00bc cc straws or one for both \u00bd and \u00bc CC straws, such as a Kombi gun, will work.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the thawing procedure, straws should be thawed for a minimum of 30 seconds<\/strong> in a water bath heated to approximately 95 \u00b0F. It is also recommended that sexed semen be deposited in the body of the uterus within 10 minutes or less of thawing<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are my options if I don\u2019t want to use sexed semen on my entire herd?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lot of people don\u2019t breed their entire cow or heifer group to sexed semen. As mentioned above, it is always recommended to use\u00a0sexed semen<\/a>\u00a0in females that show heat before AI to maximize your chances of establishing a pregnancy. With that in mind, there are a few ways that you could incorporate sexed semen in a proportion of your herd.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Attach estrus detection patches to your cows or heifers when the last injection of prostaglandin is administered during your selected estrus synchronization protocol. At the time of TAI, you could read the patches and determine if the females have come into heat. If yes, you could AI them with sexed semen, and if no, you could AI them with conventional semen. This way, you are giving the sexed semen a greater chance of generating a pregnancy but can still generate some pregnancies with the conventional semen. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. You could also utilize a split-TAI estrus synchronization strategy, where you give females a second chance to come into heat and be bred with sexed semen. Females who have not come into heat by the first round of TAI are given extra time in which to come into heat. At the time of the second TAI, females that have come into heat could receive sexed semen and those that have still not come into heat could receive conventional semen. See the estrus synchronization protocol sheet for sexed semen for more information.<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Learn more about using sexed semen to improve your herd.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Key Points to Remember about Sexcel<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n