Following the previous article giving the Good practices when diluting the extender, it seems important for the GenePro team to present the main mistakes made during the dilution of an extender. By habit, simplicity or negligence, it is common for the laboratory staff of an A.I stud to prepare an extender with improper methods. These errors, as trivial as they may be, can significantly impact the quality of the extender. And so the quality of your semen.
In this article, The boars & semen experts team is going to outline a number of potential mistakes to avoid when diluting an extender.
Keeping the water heated a too-long period of time
Depending on the dilution system you have inside your laboratory, the amount of time required to warm up the water can vary greatly. Some of the studs start heating the water the night before to avoid an excessively long waiting period. However, this approach definitely encourages bacterial development. A too long period of time to warm up your water can also create disorganization during your important production days. Have you ever estimated the time needed to warm up your tank? Do you control the water temperature before adding the extender? The solution offered by GenePro can help you in the organization of your stud.
Bad cleaning of your VAT
Even if you use a VAT liner (plastic protection to put inside the tank) to protect your tank, it is crucial to follow a strict protocol for the cleaning of the VAT. When you prepare an extender, it is a mix between hot water and the sugar that is mainly present inside the extender: as were mentioned before, it is the perfect combination for the growth of bacteria! Thus, it is essential to respect the cleaning protocol with the use of appropriate product (and the potential waiting time of each product). Then, the rinsing of the tank after the cleaning is even more important. The vast majority of the products used for cleaning can be spermicides. So, do not hesitate to clearly display the protocol next to the dilution tank.
By the way, have you already estimated the time needed for your team to clean the full system? And how can you be sure of proper compliance with the cleaning instructions?
No respect of dilution instruction
First of all, I recommend you to have a look at our previous article “Good practices when diluting the extender”. In fact, some parameters such as the pH, temperature or conductivity of the solution must be controlled before using the extender. Those 3 criteria are the minimal requirements. Another factor, though, that is often underestimated is the mixing time. The recommandations from the manufacturer must be respected.
It is essential to respect these parameters to ensure that the extender is correctly diluted and that all semen doses you received have the complete amount of extender. Have you ever evaluated the efficiency of your tank’s mixing system? Do you have a reporting system to check that your teams carry out the controls correctly before using the extender?
Keeping the extender to use it the next day
This is something you must avoid as much as possible. This is also something that contributes to the bacteria’s growth. It is preferable to discard it and prepare a new one for the next morning. Exceptionally, you can keep this extender at 5 degrees during the night and use it quickly the next morning. But take care to warm up correctly this extender before diluting the semen with it.
We frequently underestimated the importance of a good dilution protocol. Strict rules reduce the possibility of your semen getting contaminated. All controls mentioned in this article are essential and must be kept to have an understanding of the origin of a potential problem. The GenePro teams work hard on this dilution protocol and really take it seriously. Professionalization of this step is essential to secure the best boar semen quality for the farmers.
Last point, have you ever estimated the weekly wasted extender on your stud? Find out, you will be surprised! For more information regarding dilution protocol and our solution, feel free to contact one of the experts at Boars & Semen!
