I bred a heifer this morning and noticed after breeding that some of the semen was above the plug in the straw? Wasn't very much maybe 1/4 or less. I guess the plug could have been faulty as well since I did not notice any resistance when I pushed the plunger in? Anyone had this happen? Trying to decide if I should use another straw on her?
Plugged Sheath or Faulty plug?
- Thread starter HVNR
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Cowboy
Well-known member
Word of caution -- and this is a good topic!
ALL of us, I am sure, at times have taken for grantid certain things in the way we do things. One thing that stands out here is that we NEVER should take anything for grantid when breeding cattle.
When I am getting a straw ready to breed, and am putting the gun together to go -- I make sure I hear the SNAP of the straw going into and seating itself in the plug of the sheath. For many years I insisted on never using a plugged sheath for breeding, only for the 1/4 ml embryos straws used for eggs. I always used the unplugged sheaths made for the 1/2 ml straws, thus preventing any chance of it not seating properly.
I have noticed this -- the biggest culpret of the bunch is the type of gun you twist on or simply push together. These guns have a slightly deeper well, and the straw will not protrude from the end of the gun hardly at all - if any. These will need to be handled differently -- most of the time you have to try and place the straw in the sheath first and then into the gun to make sure it is seated well. I don't like this type of gun. I only use the ones with the little white ring on them, and they do have a shallower well in them.
If you do not get your straw to snap into the plug, you will have leak back -- and it is ALWAYS a bad deal.
This simple step will save you dollars of semen, plus get you a much higher conception rate over all. Little things make the biggest difference!
Good luck everyone! Terry
ALL of us, I am sure, at times have taken for grantid certain things in the way we do things. One thing that stands out here is that we NEVER should take anything for grantid when breeding cattle.
When I am getting a straw ready to breed, and am putting the gun together to go -- I make sure I hear the SNAP of the straw going into and seating itself in the plug of the sheath. For many years I insisted on never using a plugged sheath for breeding, only for the 1/4 ml embryos straws used for eggs. I always used the unplugged sheaths made for the 1/2 ml straws, thus preventing any chance of it not seating properly.
I have noticed this -- the biggest culpret of the bunch is the type of gun you twist on or simply push together. These guns have a slightly deeper well, and the straw will not protrude from the end of the gun hardly at all - if any. These will need to be handled differently -- most of the time you have to try and place the straw in the sheath first and then into the gun to make sure it is seated well. I don't like this type of gun. I only use the ones with the little white ring on them, and they do have a shallower well in them.
If you do not get your straw to snap into the plug, you will have leak back -- and it is ALWAYS a bad deal.
This simple step will save you dollars of semen, plus get you a much higher conception rate over all. Little things make the biggest difference!
Good luck everyone! Terry
Thanks for the info Terry. The gun is the type that is threaded at the top where you have to twist the sheath on. Always a pain to get the sheath seated all the way on to the gun where the plug is at the end of the sheath like it should be with those darned threads. And the straw does not really protrude from the gun at all. This type of gun is what I was taught with and to date really have not had any problems to speak of, so I am still not sure what really happened. I will make sure every thing goes together correctly from now on so thanks again for the info. 21 days will tell....
Cowboy
Well-known member
Exactly the same gun I was describing above. The twist on ones have a deeper barrel, and are notorious for this very problem.
Here is a tip for all of you folks out there. If you MUST use a twist on gun, first thing you do before you insert the semen in the gun is to cut off about 1/4 inch of the sheath. This will do one thing for you -- it will make the sheath short enough to push the plug clear to the end of the sheath. Some times you will see the plug, with the sheath fully up against the end of the plunger end of the gun, still be a short ways from the end of the sheath. If your straw did not snap into the plug, and it will not with this type of gun unless you make sure it does before letting it go all the way in, then you WILL leak some semen a high percent of times. Even if it is seated well, if the plug is not all the way to the end of the sheath, you will not be able to get it all out!
Good food for thought folks, like I said, I hate those screw on deals, I only use the o-ring guns -- for both ET and A-I - period!
Now you know -- it is not the sheath or the plug, it is the GUN! Be observant, and you will get along OK, just make sure that thing snaps in there!
Terry
Here is a tip for all of you folks out there. If you MUST use a twist on gun, first thing you do before you insert the semen in the gun is to cut off about 1/4 inch of the sheath. This will do one thing for you -- it will make the sheath short enough to push the plug clear to the end of the sheath. Some times you will see the plug, with the sheath fully up against the end of the plunger end of the gun, still be a short ways from the end of the sheath. If your straw did not snap into the plug, and it will not with this type of gun unless you make sure it does before letting it go all the way in, then you WILL leak some semen a high percent of times. Even if it is seated well, if the plug is not all the way to the end of the sheath, you will not be able to get it all out!
Good food for thought folks, like I said, I hate those screw on deals, I only use the o-ring guns -- for both ET and A-I - period!
Now you know -- it is not the sheath or the plug, it is the GUN! Be observant, and you will get along OK, just make sure that thing snaps in there!
Terry
