30.10.2020
Written by Josiah Casterton
Last year I had issues breeding a cow and I was hesitant to work with her again this year. On this specific cow, it was easy to pass the sheath until her second ring in the cervix and then was difficult to move further. I’ve known people who spend a lot of time learning to palpate to horn breed and with difficult-to-breed cows and heifers this increases the breeding time and adds additional steps which isn’t ideal. I needed to find a sheath solution that wouldn’t require additional time and extra steps.
After hearing about the Alpha sheath from IMV Technologies from colleagues and other breeders, I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad that I did! The Alpha Sheath gave me an almost effortless breeding process. I noticed that with the domed head it passed through my difficult to breed cow so easily! She hardly noticed what I was doing. In addition to the smooth passage, I felt a peace of mind knowing the semen would be deposited more evenly due to the side deposit holes. With certain sheaths that deposit the semen at the tip of the sheath you run the chance of being too far into the uterine body for deposit and may not get the maximum use out of each straw. I like to know that if I’m too deep, semen can be evenly deposited and travel down both uterine horns. My current pregnancy rate can attest to that as well.
Looking back on large ov-synch breedings I wish I had the Alpha Sheath to help cut down on time and arm strain. I have had great success with other sheaths, but I now know that not all sheaths are created equal. A change in sheaths may seem like a small thing but with less time, arm strain, and animal comfort the benefits are quickly shown.
To learn more about the Alpha sheath visit the IMV Technologies website.
The views expressed in IMV Technologies’ blog do not necessarily represent the views of the IMV Technologies Group but solely those of the blog post’s author
