The Practical Use of DF-Semen on Cattle in Sweden

Abstract

The reason for the use of AI on cattle is still the same as it was in the beginning of the forties, namely a lower cost of insemination by good quality bulls, especially on small farms; the possibility of reducing the incidence of venereal diseases; and finally genetic improvement of livestock by the intensive use of progeny tested bulls, i.e. bulls of known genetic value. With regard to the latter, Polge et al.(l) stimulated much interest when they published their first work on deep-frozen semen. It would be possible to make planned matings independent of time and distance and would also be possible to carry out breeding polices on a larger scale.