Semen collection at Holbrook Breeders Australia is done so with the utmost respect for our clients, bulls and quality assurance.
We have state of the art semen processing equipment and have experienced semen collection and processing staff. Holbrook Breeders Australia strive to be a leader in the semen collection industry, with our primary focus, to have producers achieve consistent and optimal results with the semen we produce.
• Bulls are individually housed
• After evaluating each bull on arrival, we determine the best feeding regime, semen collection equipment and semen buffer to use to optimise results
• Our preferred mode of collection is via an artificial vagina using a teaser cow.
• Bulls are feed quality cereal hay and a grain ration daily.
• Bulls are low stressed handled
• Semen can be stored and/or distributed with HBA after collection
Holbrook Breeders Australia is licenced for production of export qualified semen internationally, at our export accredited facility in Holbrook, NSW.
Holbrook Breeders Australia is audited annually by the department of Agriculture to OIE and Scarm 64 standards. Our Holbrook facility is located below the important arbovirus vector line, allowing us to collect semen for those countries where positive arbovirus test results are an issue.
Holbrook Breeders have a long history of successfully exporting semen to an extensive worldwide market including New Zealand, USA, Canada, Argentina, Vanuatu, Uruguay, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Namibia, Kenya, New Caledonia, Thailand and Brazil.
• Bulls are collected on centre twice per week
• Bulls are individually housed in quarantine
• Each bull on centre for export is health tested to meet export protocol guidelines for the importing country
• After evaluating each bull on arrival, we determine the best feeding regime, semen collection equipment and semen buffer to use to optimise results
• Our preferred mode of collection is via an artificial vagina using a teaser cow.
• Bulls are feed quality cereal hay and a grain ration daily.
• Bulls are low stressed handled
• Semen can be stored and/or distributed with HBA after collection
At Holbrook Breeders Australia we believe it is very important semen meet a minimum standard for quality to achieve optimal results.
Often poor-quality semen is frozen or has been mishandled, resulting in suboptimal conception results for the producer.
Semen quality prior to an artificial insemination programs is often overlooked, until poor results at pregnancy testing. A stress test and morphology of semen straws prior to an artificial insemination program can be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful result.
Holbrook Breeders Australia provides a semen evaluation service testing semen for the following reasons.
• Minimise a poor result with artificial insemination
• Improve FTAI results with high quality semen
• Minimise unfertilised or poor embryo quality in flushing donors
• Maximising farm profit and minimising economic losses
Holbrook Breeders Australia offers on farm semen collection. Semen is collected, extended and chilled before being transported back to our freezing laboratory in Holbrook.
Although on farm bull collections is possible, it is restricted by proximity to the Holbrook and surrounding regions. Still our preferred option for local and non-local bulls is to collect on centre, so we can increase the possibility of collecting a superior quality semen sample for freezing. Additionally, if the bull is on centre, and the frozen semen is fails our stress test, the bull can be re-collected within the same week.
Holbrook Breeders Australia offers bull semen testing within the Holbrook and surrounding regions. Bull semen testing involves examining the internal & external reproductive genitalia, as well ascollection and evaluation of fresh semen from the bull.
Bull semen testing is important as part of an overall fertility assessment. Bull semen testing is advised before bulls are sold, before bulls go out to join cows, as part of a fertility workup if there have been problems in the joining period and for insurance claims