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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(7); doi: 10.3390/ani9070460

Factors Influencing the Popularity of Artificial Insemination of Mares in Europe.

Abstract: The purpose of this review was to analyze factors affecting the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe in the context of sperm quality. Taking into account the prices of stallion semen on the world market, efficiency is important for the profitability of its use in artificial insemination programs in Europe. To increase the efficiency of a semen insemination facility, it is necessary to correctly and objectively assess the quality of semen. The available range of tools allows an effective evaluation of the potential fertility of a stallion. For several years, artificial insemination programs in Europe have been gaining popularity. However, the frequency of chilled or frozen semen use is still quite low. This is mainly due to the common, negative opinion about the effectiveness of the use of packaged insemination doses as opposed to natural insemination. Unfortunately, the quality of the semen offered often deviates from expectations, which results in unsatisfactory (and therefore unprofitable) pregnancy rates. This review presents the popularity structure of chilled and frozen semen use in European horse breeding as well as the current state of research on the effectiveness of semen production technology. It is shown that the popularity of using chilled semen in the artificial insemination of mares in Europe has been gradually increasing in the group of sport mares, while in the group of breeding mares, in recent years, frozen semen has been gaining popularity. In the remaining group of mares (not classified as sport or breeding), insemination with chilled semen has been dominant.
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Publication Date: 2019-07-19 PubMed ID: 31331026PubMed Central: PMC6680944DOI: 10.3390/ani9070460Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article discusses the factors influencing the use of artificial insemination in horse breeding in Europe, focusing on the quality of sperm and the common perception of artificial insemination techniques. The article gauges the popularity of artificial insemination methods, as well as their efficiency and profitability, in breeding sport horses and other types of mares.

Context of the Study

  • The study was conducted with the objective of understanding the factors impacting the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe. It also aimed at analyzing the relevance of sperm quality in this process.
  • The efficiency of using stallion semen, especially considering its market price, was a focal point of this research. This is because the efficiency of semen directly impacts the profitability of artificial insemination programs.

Tools and Evaluation of Quality

  • The research emphasized on the importance of correct assessment of semen quality to improve the efficiency of an artificial insemination program.
  • The study indicates that present tools available give a fair evaluation of a stallion’s potential fertility.

Semen Use and Popularity of Artificial Insemination

  • Artificial insemination programs have been gaining popularity in Europe over the years. However, the use of chilled or frozen semen is still not as widespread.
  • Trends show a general negative perception about the effectiveness of packaged insemination doses versus natural insemination, contributing to the reservation towards using chilled or frozen semen.

Quality and Effectiveness

  • The quality of offered semen often falls short of expectations, leading to unsatisfactory pregnancy rates, thus making the process unprofitable.
  • The research presented an overview of the level of use of chilled and frozen semen in European horse breeding, and also provided updates on ongoing research on the effectiveness of semen production technology.

Trends in Semen Usage

  • For sport mares, the popularity of using chilled semen for artificial insemination has been increasing gradually.
  • In the case of breeding mares, the use of frozen semen is gaining popularity.
  • In categorizing mares that are neither identified as sport nor breeding, insemination with chilled semen is the dominant practice.

Cite This Article

APA
Kowalczyk A, Czerniawska-Piątkowska E, Kuczaj M. (2019). Factors Influencing the Popularity of Artificial Insemination of Mares in Europe. Animals (Basel), 9(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070460

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 7

Researcher Affiliations

Kowalczyk, Alicja
  • Department of Environment, Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Wrocław University Of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland. alicja.kowalczyk@upwr.edu.pl.
Czerniawska-Piątkowska, Ewa
  • Department of Ruminant Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland.
Kuczaj, Marian
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wrocław University Of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 10 times.
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  3. Alharbi YM, Ali M, Alharbi MS. Impact of the Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol on the Quality of Post-Thawed Stallion Semen. Vet Med Int 2024;2024:6558480.
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