Technique of A.I. in buffalo

Several techniques have been used for inseminating buffalo artificially. These are vaginal insemination, cervical insemination and recto-vaginal technique. Vaginal insemination requires fairly large quantities of semen and although have low conception rate. Therefore, this technique has now been replaced by other methods. In the cervical insemination technique, semen is deposited in the cervix by using speculum. This method has also been replaced by recto-vaginal method.

Recto-vaginal method of AI

The recto- vaginal technique is the most efficient method for bovine artificial insemination and is in use worldwide. The AI is performed in relatively unhygienic surrounding; therefore, the responsibility of the inseminator is to clean in every possible aspect.  Always use a glove when inseminating. Plastic disposable gloves are preferred but reusable rubber gloves may be used.

Loading of A.I. gun

1. Remove the straw from the thawing flask using fingers and dry it with tissue paper.
2. Pull back the plunger of the AI gun.
3. Holding the straw by the end, to avoid damage to the semen through temperature shocks, insert the manufacturer’s end into the gun as far as it will go. There is an in-built stop preventing it going too far (see fig1).

4. Hold the loaded gun vertically at eye level and with clean sharp scissors make a horizontal cut 10 mm (1cm) above the gun to remove the laboratory end. The cut must be right angles to the straw so that a perfect seal occurs between the straw and the sheath( see fig 2).

5.   Place a sheath over the barrel of the gun(see fig 3).. Handle and touch only the split end of sheath to keep the other end clean (see fig 4).

6.    Push the sheath through the central hole of the locking ring and twist it down on the conical seal of the gun (see fig 5). Proper seal between straw and sheath is extremely important (see fig 6).

7.     Press the plunger of the gun until the semen is just visible at the end of the gun. This reduces the stretching of fingers needed during handling of the loaded gun.
8.     Now, loaded AI gun is ready to inseminate the buffalo.

Steps of artificial insemination in buffalo

1. Properly secure the animal in the service crate.
2. Bear the glove and wet it by dipping the gloved hand into a bucket of clean water, scooping water up in your hand and letting it run back down your arm. Apply a small quantity of lubricant to the back of your hand.
3. Ask to attendant to grasp the cow’s tail and lift it aside.
4. Smear lubricant across the cow’s anus, using the lubricated back of the gloved hand.
5.  Form a cone with the gloved fingers and insert your hand into the rectum.
6. Remove most of the feces.
7. Thoroughly clean the vulva with soap and wipe it with piece of paper. Use a fresh piece if the paper is too soiled.
8. Insert the gun clearly between the lips of the vulva into the vagina. Take care to ensure the gun passes along the top of the vagina thus avoiding the bladder. AI gun is passed at an angle of 45⁰through vagina.
9. Gently push the gun through the vagina until you reach the surface of the cervix which has a ‘grating’ feel about it.
10. When the gun reaches the mouth of the cervix, hold the cervix in the finger tips and keep the thumb over the external os. Maintain a light forward pressure on the gun and manipulate the cervix so that the gun passes through the cervix canal.
11. Now, manipulate the AI gun so as to strike thumb placed over the external os and then pass the gun through the cervix.
12. While passing the gun through the cervix locate the forwarded end of the cervix with the middle or index finger.
13. Begin to deposit the semen at this position ensuring that most of the semen (two- thirds) is deposited in the body of the uterus. The remaining one third should be placed near the uterus in the front of 1 cm of the cervix. Gently deposit the semen being careful not to ‘spit’ it out.
14. Pause before withdrawing the gun allowing the semen to get away, and then slowly withdraw the gun from the cervix.
15. Remove the gun slowly from vagina.
16. Slowly withdraw the arm from the rectum of the buffalo.
17. Loosen the locking ring on the gun and remove the soiled sheath. The empty straw should come out with the sheath.
18. Dispose the straw, sheath and dirty glove in a waste bin.

contributed by A.K Balhara,Pradeep Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar,Indrajeet singh and Sunesh