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GEDIS® 2005 AASV Conference
Gedis® AI catheter impact on reproductive performance and labor savings
Presented by Michelle Michalak, DVM.
Field trials have been conducted at multiple commercial breeding facilities in the United States. In these trials the GEDIS®
“All-In-One” AI catheter manufactured by Genes Diffusion was compared with existing conventional AI methods.
A commercial mid-west boar stud processed semen for all trials. Semen was processed to contain between 2.5 – 3.0 billion
fertile cells per dose. Once processed, each ejaculate was divided with half packaged in the GEDIS® and the other half packaged
in cochette bags. Each onfarm delivery of semen was equally divided between cochette bags and GEDIS®. Semen was stored on
farm in semen coolers and rotated twice daily. Breeding personnel were trained on the proper use of the GEDIS® catheter
and each farm utilized the catheter for a period of 2 weeks prior to the start of each trial to allow breeding personnel
to become acquainted with the use of the GEDIS® catheter. Weaned females were divided randomly into two groups. One group
received inseminations only with the GEDIS® AI catheter while the second group received inseminations using only conventional
AI methods. Females were monitored and data collected through farrowing.
Data was analyzed by incorporating a fertility index. The index was calculated as follows: (Farrowing Rate x Avg. Total
Born) = Fertility Score. (Table 1)
Table 1
|
|
Number Bred |
Number
farrowed
|
Farrowing
rate % |
TOTAL
Born |
Average
total born
|
Average
fertility contrast
|
|
GEDIS® |
616 |
522 |
84.70%(a) |
6568 |
12.58(A) |
10.66(ab) |
|
Conventional AI
|
639 |
528 |
82.63%(a) |
6418 |
12.16(B) |
10.04(ac) |
|
GEDIS® advantages |
|
|
2.11% |
|
0.42 |
6.17% |
a - Different superscripts denote significant differences (P< 0.05) within column
A, B - Different superscripts denote significant differences (P< 0.05) within column
ab, ac - Different superscripts denote significant differences (P< 0.05) within column
Labor and Time Savings
Field trials also evaluated the amount of time necessary for a technician to breed females using both the GEDIS® and conventional
AI methods (without using a dose hanger or other device). The technician’s time is defined as the length of time it took
for a technician to identify and inseminate.
The following is data from a survey of 42 French producers with 4,252 females being mated using either the GEDIS® AI catheter
or conventional AI methods. Matings in this trial that used a conventional AI method (either a bag or cochette) had no additional
support device to hold the dose during insemination.
Comparison of technician labor requirements involved in inseminations using either the GEDIS® AI catheter or manual insemination
using a conventional AI catheter are shown in the graph above.
In this trial, the average time the technician spent with the GEDIS® was 2 minutes and 14 seconds while the average technician
time using manual insemination and conventional AI was 5 minutes and 19 seconds. In this comparison the GEDIS® had a clear
advantage over conventional AI methods of over 3 minutes and 5 seconds; a time savings of 58%.
In a second trial, the average insemination time of a technician using a GEDIS® AI catheter was compared to a technician
using conventional AI catheters with a dose hanger or other apparatus to hold a semen dose.
This trial was conducted on a 2,200-sow herd over a 9-week period in 2003. The results of this trial are listed in the following
table. (Table 2)
In this trial, the average insemination time with the GEDIS® was 1.54 minutes while the average insemination time using
conventional AI was 2.83 minutes.
Table 2 - results of the trial
|
|
GEDIS® AI Catheter |
Conventional AI method
|
|
Trial week
|
Average insemination time
|
Average insemination time |
|
03-10 |
1.26 |
2.203 |
|
03-11 |
1.326 |
2.536 |
|
03-12 |
1.135 |
2.203 |
|
03-13 |
1.234 |
1.799 |
|
03-14 |
1.271 |
2.223 |
|
03-15 |
2.146 |
0 |
|
03-16 |
0 |
4.008 |
|
03-17 |
2.191 |
0 |
|
03-18 |
0 |
4.359 |
|
Average time |
1.544 |
2.834 |
|
GEDIS savings |
1.29 |
|
Labor savings/Wk |
If the farm does 250 matings / week
5 Hrs 22 Min
|
The GEDIS® had a clear advantage of over 1.29 minutes compared to other conventional AI methods.
Summary and Conclusions
The trial data suggests that the GEDIS® catheter, when compared to conventional AI practices, causes no detrimental loss
in total born or farrowing rate. The data suggests that there may be a slight improvement in overall reproductive performance
with the use of the GEDIS® system resulting in an increase in farrowing rate and total born. This positive trend in reproductive
performance may be due to: Improved sanitation of the insemination rod, improved breeding consistency by reducing technician
variability during semen delivery, or improved breeding consistency by allowing for quicker insemination of semen after
estrus detection.In addition, the GEDIS® system does result in time savings. Saving time when compared to conventional AI
practices, allows breeding technicians to be more labor efficient, saves time while reducing labor per insemination by approximately
50%.
Other advantages of the GEDIS® AI catheter…
It can be used on any parity female. The GEDIS® is easy to use and can be mastered quickly by breeding technicians; it can
be used in any type of production facility where conventional AI is utilized today.