Learned Something New........

[jbh]

I was in a meeting today and learned that when using one of  those plug in semen thawer's(whatever you call it).... you should always unplug it after use or stray voltage will build up and shock the semen, damaging it.  Anyone else ever hear of this?

 

[Show Heifer]

I have not heard this. But do you unplug it while thawing semen? Or just after your completely done AI'ing that time? 

 

[jbw]

I have used my 110v for three years and have not had any problems getting cows to settle, 85-95%, depending on the group. I do think that it can be a shocking experience, had the guy I was breeding for fill the cito-thermos, he slopped water all over the thermos and on the cord. When I stuck my fingure in to get straw TINGLE!!!!  I unplugged,dried everthing, and went from there. Don't know if that cow settled, didn't care after I got shocked. I hate electricity, scared to death of it.

 

[justintime]

I have a 110v semen thawer that I have used for2  years now. I have always left it plugged in through breeding season, but I have been thinking that my conception rates have been a little poorer than I used to get. It takes a while for it to bring cold water up to the right temp, so I have just left it plugged in, so I can toss a straw in as soon as I have a cow in the chute. Would it be alright to leave it plugged in and then unplug it before a straw of semen is thawed? Then plug it back in to keep the water at proper temperature until the next time it is used?

Now you got me thinking. I have had some disasterous flushes since I bought this thing. I have also had a few decent flushes as well I used to  thaw the semen in a flask and use a thermometer to make sure the temp was correct, and always had pretty good flushes.Llast May I flushed 6 cows... had 3 with no fertilized embryos at all, and 3 with a few fertilized but more unfertilized or poor quality than i used to get. I was blaming myself, as the donors were handled the same way as I have always managed them. I have AI's thousands of cows and heifers over the years, and I was wondering if I was losing my " touch". Now I am wondering if this semen thawing device may be a part of my problem.  These same donors have been at the transplant center all winter and we have had some great flushes. One of the cows that bombed out last May had produced 132 embryos in 5 flushes since last July. 

Do you think I should toss this gizmo or would it just be better to unplug it when it is in use? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[RSC]

I was in a meeting today and learned that when using one of  those plup in semen thawer's(whatever you call it).... you should always unplug it after use or stray voltage will build up and shock the semen, damaging it.  Anyone else ever hear of this?

Brad, I am glad you brought this subject up.  I have been concerned about this for almost a year.  I bought one brand new(ABS) last year.  We used it the first day for my brother.  We left it plugged in just during use for about 6 head.  I had my cows set up a sync program.  The next day we got along fine with a few of mine.  The next day was my last day, we ran the cows through first that showed good solid heats and the last cows did not so we did the timed AI protocol with them.  About halfway throught the cows with good heats, the good friend that was helping me started getting shocked when he reached in for a straw.  After a couple times of getting a tingle when he reached in, we switched to the old thermous and warmed up the water with the electric one and poured into it and did it that way.  About the time we switched to doing it is when the TAI cows came in the chute. 

I would have to look back for sure, for the most part the only cows that I ended up with AI calves from that day of breeding were the TAI cows.  We had a tough winter last year so the cows weren't in super shape so I wasn't sure what to chalk up the poor conception rate.  This gets me thinking there may be something to this.  Did they say at the meeting that it would definately damage it.  I was visiting with several after this that thought the plastic straw would insulate the semen from being effected but maybe not.

The electric thermous I had was not left plugged in for anymore time than when we were breeding.  I called the company and they gave me my money back but big deal!  We chalked it up as a faulty unit!  If this can happen more times than not, why use one? 

Thanks for the info,

Tony

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

you might be able to put something in the water to release the electric build up.  Like before you put in any semen get a piece of wire and put one end in the water and the other on something metal that would ground it out???  I dont know if I would mess with it, but it might be worth a shot.

 

[bcosu]

i think the best thing to do would be to get it up to 95 or whatever temp it is (i don't do the ai'ing at my place) then unplug it then stick in the straw to thaw. water's chemical properties shouldn't allow it to cool fast.

i think this is what jbh was saying.

 

[Cowboy]

Hey folks -- words of wisdom here for what it's worth.

With these 110 volt A-I units, seeing how they are self standing units, we all need to make absolute surety that we are using them outside with properly GROUNDED three prong recepticals.

I can see where lots of places would have power at the chute, using a long extension cord -- and the end only has 2 prongs to plug into -- so the big prong would end up sticking out the side -- I have done it, we all have. This is not good, I have also felt a tingle when at one of these old remote places. IN these cases, I also have a round thermometer inplace in the water -- I would get te water up to temp and unplug BEFORE thawing semen. The temps will hold for several thaws -- then simply reheat the water and unplug again.Takes a bit more time, but is alot safer for the semen and operator.

Here at hiome, in the house in my office, I have never had aproblem at all. I used to leave my unit plugged in for weeks at a time years ago -- one time I came in to the barn office in the morning, after an all night rain and lightning storm, only to hear a bubbling sound. As I reached for and touched the thaw unit, it exploded open and out came boiling hot water -- which plashed all over me. I was burnt fairly good and blisstered like crazy all over my chest.

Bottom line, the lightning burnt the thaw units heat sensor, and it just simply stayed ON all the time from there on. I never leave it plugged innow once I ma done breeding, and I have had my new unitfo r12 years. It works perfectly and will hold 96 degrees for days if needed.

Good forthought and managment will prevail -- sometimes it takes a near disaster for the light to come on in all of us.

Just remember, make darn sure your power to the unit is fully grounded, that is where your tingle comes from. The units are very very good if taken care of. I know we all do a good job, but like many other things, it is not the BIG things that hurt us, it is the ones we take for grantid!

Good luck -- spring is finally almost here (Got snow last night -- on April 9 no less, what a year)

Terry

 

[chiangus]

doesn't suprise me, a lot of devices use power even when they are off.  phantom loads

kill-a-watt meter can detect if they are drawing juice

Also great headsup on using a 3 prong, I would also add it probably needs to be gfci protected.  that will kill the circuit if you changes a difference in the flow

 

[chiangus]

oh, i was always told, the volts won't kill you, but the amps will

 

[savaged]

Interesting thing is that my A.I. guy never thaws the semen, and he's been doing it for over 25 years.  I also get over 80% bred first time around. 

 

[knabe]

Interesting thing is that my A.I. guy never thaws the semen, and he's been doing it for over 25 years.  I also get over 80% bred first time around.   

does he thaw it under his arm?  throw it in there frozen?

 

[afhm]

What about the thawers that plug into the cigarette lighter?  Should they be unpluged also?

 

[savaged]

Interesting thing is that my A.I. guy never thaws the semen, and he's been doing it for over 25 years.  I also get over 80% bred first time around.   

does he thaw it under his arm?  throw it in there frozen?

I've watched him and he never puts it under his arm, or if he does it is very briefly.  I think he is putting it in the cow cold.

 

[justintime]

I have spoken with two leading ET firms here in Canada in the past couple days and I have asked about this. Both said that they had heard of this before. One told me that they had added some kind of apparatus that indicated when there was a voltage leakage in the semen thawer. The other ET center said that they now routinely unplug the unit before they put semen into the water. Both said that they felt there was some variations between these semen thawer units.

I also went back and checked out my records, and my poorer results, coincided exactly with the purchase of my new thaw unit. I will try it unplugged and see if my results improve. Thanks for bringing this topic up. It may not have anything to do with my results here, but I am already very suspicious.

 

[linnettejane]

Interesting thing is that my A.I. guy never thaws the semen, and he's been doing it for over 25 years.  I also get over 80% bred first time around.   

does he thaw it under his arm?  throw it in there frozen?

I've watched him and he never puts it under his arm, or if he does it is very briefly.  I think he is putting it in the cow cold.

when i used to ai years ago, my guy put it under his arm...interesting about putting it in cold...id like to hear more about this...especially since his conception rate is so good...

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Years ago when I worked in northern NE there was a guy that did all of the outfits AI work, he would load the gun cold and stick it down his shirt and into the waist band of his pants. He was pretty fast and I'm sure alot of times the semen wasn't completely thawed when he let it fly. The years I worked out there he averaged over 70%. Not saying he was right or wrong - just how he did it. RW

 

[bcosu]

i've heard of guys thawing it in the air. just waving it around seems to get the job done for them.