Breeding Equipment | Progressive Dairy

Management tips to keep semen tanks in tip-top shape

Proper semen tank management, including maintaining an ideal storage environment, monitoring liquid nitrogen levels, organizing semen inventory and following best practices, is essential for maximizing reproductive success and genetic potential on dairy farms.

April 30, 2025

Rick Ellerbrock

Dairy producers face many challenges. Animal health, nutrition, milk markets and personnel management cause many farmers to lose sleep. Maintenance and management of a semen tank is a factor that every dairy producer can control.

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The devil is in the details: Proper semen handling

Better conception rates start with proper semen handling and management. Cautious steps prior to breeding can eliminate risk when it comes to creating a pregnancy.

February 16, 2024

Rick Ellerbrock

Proper semen handling may sound commonsensical to many; however, these are the factors that are often the easiest to overlook.

Handle semen mindfully for better pregnancy rates

November 6, 2020

Jaclyn De Candio

The journey a unit of semen takes from arrival at the farm until placement in a cow is very important. Maintaining maximum fertility weighs heavily on the care and handling it receives from all members of the management team.

How to make breeding day more effective – Part 2: Improve semen handling

June 15, 2020

Anibal Ballarotti

Before beginning work, check that all necessary equipment and supplies are ready. Identify potential problems before starting, as errors and fixes can waste time and compromise fertility.

How to make breeding day more effective – Part 1: Nitrogen tank and equipment maintenance

June 5, 2020

Anibal Ballarotti

Despite being designed and built to be robust and reliable, nitrogen tanks are more fragile than they appear. They need proper, consistent care to achieve a long service life. A malfunctioning tank can compromise the semen inventory and reduce fertility of your cows.

What is on your semen straw and why should you care?

September 23, 2019

Sophie Eaglen

Let’s be honest. Whenever we eat something, do we always check to see if it’s FDA or USDA approved? No. We may have a quick look if we care and have the time. Maybe we see the marketing labels and check the expiration date and the nutritional content, but that’s about it.

Semen tank checklist

February 22, 2019

Don’t let poor semen tank maintenance and management be the cause of poor semen fertility. Use this handy checklist to ensure proper handling for best semen performance. Properly cool forceps or tweezers before handling of semen.

A.I. cover sheaths improved fertility in lactating dairy cows

October 31, 2011

Santiago Bas, Klibs N. Galvao, Eric Gordon, Armando Hoet, Paivi Rajala-Schultz, Donald E. Sanders, and Gustavo M. Schuenemann

Reproductive efficiency is a major factor for profitability in dairy herds. Artificial insemination (A.I.) is the most common practice used to breed dairy cows in the United States, accounting for approximately 78 percent of all services.

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Management tips to keep semen tanks in tip-top shape

The devil is in the details: Proper semen handling

Handle semen mindfully for better pregnancy rates

How to make breeding day more effective – Part 2: Improve semen handling

How to make breeding day more effective – Part 1: Nitrogen tank and equipment maintenance

What is on your semen straw and why should you care?

Semen tank checklist

A.I. cover sheaths improved fertility in lactating dairy cows

3 things you need to know about bedding with manure solids

Economic Update: HPAI returns to Texas, Utah

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